How to Make A Ladder

The powder bathroom is definitely coming along. And since we installed all those lovely white planks on the walls, I’ve been really excited about bringing in wood tones for contrast.

I also wanted something that would give me room to display a few things, but still be out of the way since the room is a bit small. A ladder was the perfect solution.

How To Make A Ladder by The Wood Grain Cottage

It was easy to make too! Here’s how…

First, I bought the cheap 1″ x 2″ pine boards from Home Depot. They have a rougher finish, which is what I was looking for. I didn’t want the ladder to look brand new. I love the knots and holes in the wood.

Then, we cut it down to size. We made it 6 foot tall and 17″ wide. The steps are 11″ apart.

How To Make A Ladder by The Wood Grain Cottage

Anthony used his square to mark the width of each step…

How To Make A Ladder by The Wood Grain Cottage

He marked both of the boards so that we could easily lay everything out. He did the same thing for each step.

How To Make A Ladder by The Wood Grain Cottage

We clamped it to the table, then starting laying everything out.

How To Make A Ladder by The Wood Grain Cottage

Once it was right, and everything was level, he used the nail gun to secure it in place.

How To Make A Ladder by The Wood Grain Cottage

Once we had it nailed together…

How To Make A Ladder by The Wood Grain Cottage

I started staining it. After I wiped it down, I used Provincial by Minwax. Love that color, as the can probably shows!

How To Make A Ladder by The Wood Grain Cottage

Once the stain was dry, I used the same dark wax that I used on our railroad spike wall hook. It brings out an awesome depth in the wood!

It fits perfectly in our powder bathroom!

How To Make A Ladder by The Wood Grain Cottage

And it’s perfect to hang things off of…

How To Make A Ladder by The Wood Grain Cottage

Like an extra towel…

How To Make A Ladder by The Wood Grain Cottage

And I’m really looking forward to changing it up whenever inspiration strikes!

How To Make A Ladder by The Wood Grain Cottage

Another powder bathroom project is in the books! Hopefully the next time you see it, I’ll be showing the full reveal, but I’m not promising anything…!

Have a terrific weekend!

Shayna | The Wood Grain Cottage

17 Comments

  1. loving your ladder very much Shayna 🙂 thanks for showing the steps on how to create our own, I’ve always wanted a decorative one for our living room and a similar one like yours would be perfect here! 🙂 it’s very nice and love your towel too, your bathroom reveal will be beautiful I’m sure 🙂
    wish you a beautiful weekend to you too! 🙂

  2. Love it! It’s not bulky like the store bought ones and doesn’t take up too much room which is really nice. Can’t wait till you’re ready to do the bathroom reveal, and I’ll try to wait patiently, but I can’t promise I won’t nag a bit since I have the patience of a gnat 😀 Enjoy your weekend!

    1. THANK YOU so much, Amy! I love that it’s not bulky too! I don’t think the room could have handled it! 😀
      I can’t wait to show you everything once it’s finished!
      -Shayna

  3. Nicely done, gorgeous! Love all of the different textures…beautiful! You’re so creative:)
    Blessings & <3
    M
    Ps. YOU can come over anytime, but alas I live in Canada that might make it difficult:(

  4. Just wanted to tell you how much I LOVE your ladder towel rack idea! My husband made a version for our bathroom redo (we had to adjust the size to fit our small bathroom). And our guests always ask where we found it! Couldn’t post a picture, but there’s one on my Pinterest page (I had to stand in the tub to get the pic the bathroom is so small). Thanks for the great ideas!!

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