Winter is coming and you may need a place to store all those throws and blankets your wife keeps on the couch. Here is a super simple blanket ladder you can make using only a handsaw and a screwdriver.

My cousin is a crazy quilter. Her mom, her grandma, my mom, my grandma, and my aunts and great aunts are all or have been quilters also. So, we all have plenty of quilts and Afghans which are usually stuck in the blanket chest.

I thought I would build blanket ladder so I could display a few of these and rotate through some of them. They all remind me of my grandma and my mom and all the rest of my family.

WARNING: This is not a ladder. Is for decorative purposes only. Don’t let anyone climb on it. It will not hold the weight.

And follow this link to my Video to see how it is done.

Tools and Materials

The materials you will need for this blanket ladder are nothing more than three 8’ x 2” x 2” construction lumber, wood glue and 3 inch deck screws.

The tools that you’re going to need for this blanket ladder are minimal. You could do this one all with hand tools, that is just a handsaw and a screwdriver, but I suggest a few power tools. You will of course need a tape measure, a combination square, a countersink set, a drill motor, and a compound miter saw.

Layout

Laying out parts for the blanket ladder couldn’t be easier. First measure your two side rails at 78”. Next measure five 18” inch long crossbars. And that’s it.

Cutting

Next cut the two side rails to length. And then cut the five crossbars. Now, if you want to get fancy you can cut the bottoms off at 10 degrees and the tops off at 80 degrees. This will allow the blanket ladder to rest comfortably against the wall and not poke holes in your drywall.

Sanding

Sanding is critical to this project and is the longest operation. Because you started with construction lumber and it’s usually fairly rough you will need to run through the grits. Start with 60 grit and thoroughly sand all surfaces edges and corners then move on to 80 grit, 150 grit, 220 grit and finally I went as far as 320 grit sandpaper. For this project I think you need to go all the way to 320grit. I usually don’t do that but knowing that I will have heirloom Afghans and quilts rubbing against the wood I want an ultra-smooth surface.

One thing you can do to ensure a very smooth finish is after sanding with 320 grit wipe all surfaces with a damp rag. This will raise the grain, meaning that broken fibers of wood will stand up as the water dries. Once the word is thoroughly dried sand lightly once again with 320 grit sandpaper

Assembly – Gluing and Screwing

With sanding finished, it is time for final assembly. Start by laying out the rungs on each of the rails. The dimensions are noted in the sketch above. With this done apply glue and clamp the assemblies in place

With everything clamped drill a pilot hole and counterbore in the center of each rung. Then drive a three-inch screw in until it is flush.

Finishing

As with all these projects you can finish with anything you want. I used a semi-gloss latex cut with water 70/30. Then I wiped the finish on and let it dry.

Once the latex was thoroughly dry I burnished it with a piece of brown paper bag. This is an old furniture makers trick to achieve a very smooth final finish. All you need to do it’s cut a piece of paper bag then crumple it and rub all the surfaces vigorously.

Project Complete

Well, the project is done and several of my Grandmother’s Afghans and quilts are on display. This was an easy project that knocked together quickly and cost me nothing to build. I am really happy with how this turned out.