Since I moved into my house a year ago, I've been looking for the perfect piece to cover those ugly cable cords. There is no denying that they are always in the way and never close to the T.V. I mean, they can really mess up a designers idea! (Let's not even talk about all those under the T.V.)
I tried side tables with a lamp, tall stalks of cotton in a galvanized tin, and list can go on and on. I finally came across this beautiful Pottery Barn blanket ladder on Pinterest.
It was perfect! The color. The height. The overall rustic look. That was until I saw the price. My jaw literally hit the floor when I saw $249 for a 5 foot tall ladder. And, even $429 for the 8 foot. It's only 7 pieces of wood - give me a break!
My mind immediately began to think of how I could make my own. After all, my dad does build houses for a living so I did have the perfect resources available. I went to Lowe's and found a contractors pack of 4 - 2x2x8 furring strips for less than $8 and knew they would work. Wasn't sure about the details of "how" they would work at the time but knew I could figure that out.
My cords just go to the top of my mantel so I only need my blanket ladder to be 5' tall, adjust your height accordingly if you're trying to hide something or if your walls are taller than 8'. Make this special to your space!
Supplies:
Pencil
(If you click on any of supplies, it will take you directly to what I used.)
Instructions:
Cut 2 of the furring strips 60'' long
You will be left with 2 pieces that are 36" each, cut those in half to 18"
Mark your 60'' long strips with the first step 6" from the top and then 12" below for the others. (I marked all of my 60" boards at once at the following inch marks - 6", 18", 30" and 42" - work smarter, not harder!) Your bottom step will be 18" above the floor.
Lay out you ladder pieces on a solid surface. (Tip: a 2x2 is a 2x4 just split, make sure the good grain side of wood is facing outward so you have the prettiest side available to stain)
Screw 18" steps into place.
(If you do not have a drill, use wood glue and clamps to secure steps.)
Excuse the poor unfinished pictures, the sun is really bright today and you can't even see my pencil marks!
(Because I bought the contractors pack, I went ahead and made 2. That's right, 2 blanket ladders under $8!)
Sand really well with 220 grit sandpaper
Wipe down with a damp cloth to remove any excess dust
Stain the color of your choice
This project took less than 20 minutes from the strips on the ground to ready for stain - quick and easy!
Allow the blanket ladder to dry 24 hours before moving it into your home.
Now, show me how you made your own!
How did you get them that dark?
ReplyDelete