DIY Blanket Ladder- Part 2

I have finally completed the blanket ladder that was built for the nursery!

You can see part 1 of the building process here.

The first thing I did to have it nursery ready was take a paint brush and some white colored Kilz paint to have a good base coat. 

This is a primer, sealer, and stain blocker. It resists mold and mildew growth, and seals porous surfaces for better paint coverage.

{Source}

Then, I took white spray paint for my main coat.

{Source}

I wanted it to have a used, vintage, and distressed look to it as well.

I used my electric sander and roughed up the edges and areas that would get a lot of wear and tear for a more appealing look.

I love the way it turned out!

The first blanket was a gift that my mother-in-law bought her in Ireland, the middle one I bought her at Home Goods (love that place), and the last one was a gift from my mother-in-law too when she went to Hawaii! :)

 Since this photo has been taken, it is now hold many more blankets to keep my baby warm, or as a play mat for tummy time! 

I am loving the use for this ladder and the way it looks in her room!

What do you think of the final results?

xoxo,

Jen

DIY Blanket Ladder

This fun DIY project was completed for the nursery, and I'll share it in two posts!

While spending time at my in-laws, my awesome hubby and father-in-law built me this amazing ladder to lean against the wall with the multi-purpose use of decoration  and holding baby blankets! 

I saw it on Pinterest here and the plans that she provided were very similar to what we did as well, and by "we" I mean Jake and his dad! ;)

First, they started with a single CCA treated pine 12' 2x8 board.

5' was measured off and then they cut that into a 2x4 for the legs of the ladder.

Here you can see the two legs and a step being cut down to size

Next, out of the remaining piece of wood, 4 slats (17" across) were cut out to use as the steps of the ladder.

Sanding was the next step.

Once all the sides and edges were cleaned up and smooth, they began to screw it together.

This is where our biggest difference is compared to the one on Pinterest.

We did not use pocket hole screws. Instead, we used what was on hand, and used 

3" High Performance Exterior Screws.

The first step at the top of the ladder was screwed in 3" from the top.

From there, each step was screwed in 12" apart from each other. 

After all four of the steps were screwed in, an angle of about 25 degrees was cut at the bottom of the legs to better support the lean against the wall. 

The best part....

not a single dime was spent to create this wonderful little DIY project.

The piece of wood was left at my in-laws house from when they bought it, and the screws and tools were all on hand already as well. 

I say, "A job well done and time well spent!" :)

There she is in all her glory!

Looks great, right?!

In the next post, I will share the finishing touches and the final look after a coat of paint! 

xoxo,

Jen