The $5 Blanket Ladder, Ryobi 6-tool combo kit tool review is sponsored by The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product (tools). All ideas and opinions are my own. This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
A blanket ladder is one project that we use almost daily at this sherpa blanket loving house. My kids are always toting one around, even in the summer. The blanket ladder makes a super easy place to hang blankets, and in my opinions, looks nice too. 🙂
This blanket ladder costs less than $5 in lumber to make, so it also makes a fantastic Homemade Gift Idea! We’ve had a 5′ blanket ladder for the past 5 years. I have been meaning to make a new blanket ladder with improvements. This ladder is taller at 72″ (6′), has 6 rungs, optional angled ladder legs (risers) and most important felt pads to protect the wall! My wall paint is overly sensitive. <insert eye roll emoji>
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How to Build a 72″ Blanket Ladder
Materials
- 3 – 1×3 x 8′ board
- 24 – 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws or brad nails
- wood glue
- sand paper
- felt pads or felt strip
- stain
Tools Used
- Ryobi Combo Kit (circular saw and drill)
- Alternate: Miter Saw, jig saw, hand saw
- Kreg Pocket Hole Jig – optional
- Speed Square – optional
- Sander
- Tape Measure
- Straight edge
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Cut List
- 2 – 3/4″ x 2 1/2″ x 72″
- 6 – 3/4″ x 2 1/2″ x 17″
Cut Diagram
Step 1 – Ladder Legs
Cut 2 boards to 72″ long. To make the cuts, I am using a circular saw and a straight edge. But you can use whatever tool you are comfortable cutting wood with, miter saw, jig saw, hand saw, or if you’re my Dad…a leatherman. 🙂
Then measure and mark the placement of the ladder rungs.
Now that the ladder rungs are marked, decide if you want angles on your ladder legs bottom and top. If you do, then do the optional angles below; if not, skip to step 2.
Alternate – Angled Ladder Legs (Risers)
Leg bottom – On the back side of the legs bottom, mark up 1/2″. Draw a straight line from the front corner to the 1/2″ mark. OR make a 10 miter cut at the bottom with the miter saw.
Leg top – On the back side of the legs top, mark down 4 1/4″. Also on the top, mark over 3/4″ from the back corner. Draw a straight line between the marks and cut along the line.
Step 2 – Ladder Rungs
Cut 6 pieces of the 1x3s that are 17″ long. Then drill pocket holes for 3/4″ material in both ends.
(Alt assembly method – If you don’t want to use pocket holes, you can attach the ladder rungs to the legs by using screws or nails through the outside of the legs into the rungs.)
Step 3 – Assemble Ladder
Time to attach the ladder rungs to the ladder legs. Use wood glue and 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws (or alt method) to attach rungs to legs at marks previously measured.
Alt assembly method
Attach the ladder rungs to the legs by using 1 1/4″ or longer screws or nails through the outside of the legs into the rungs.
Step 4 – Finish Blanket Ladder
Once the wood glue is dry, remove any excess glue. Sand the ladder smooth. I used 80 grit and work up to 220 grit. Then apply your favorite stain, when the stain is dry, apply a top coat like polyurethane. I used Varathane aged wood accelerator for the ‘stain’ on this ladder. It is easy to apply, paint it on you wood with a brush or rag, then wipe off the excess.
Finally I added Felt Pads to the ladder where it will touch the wall.
–>Download the Blanket Ladder PDF here <–
During this $5 blanket ladder build, I have been reviewing the Ryobi One+ 6-tool combo kit. It is similar to my very first Ryobi kit I bought 14 years ago (back in the old blue Ryobi days). This kit makes a good beginner kit for home owners.
The 6 tool kit includes:
- Drill with a 24-position clutch and 2-speed gearbox (0 – 450 RPM and 0 – 1,750 RPM)
- Impact Driver with up to 1,800 in./lbs. of torque and 3200 IPM (impacts per minute)
- Reciprocating Saw with 1″ stroke length for faster cutting
- 5 1/2″ Circular Saw – compact design for better handling
- Multi-tool with variable speed dial and lock on trigger for optimal ergonomics
- Led Work Light – 160 lumens of light output
- 2 batteries – 1.5ah and 4.0ah
- Charger
- and a spacious bag
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“I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in the Tool Review Program. As a part of the Program, I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.”
My favorite was when I had my new baby. It was magical.
That is so neat, very special for sure!
What an awesome project! I love what you did with this. What shade of stain did you use on the lumber? Thanks for sharing!
I used Varathane Briarsmoke. Thanks!
My favorite Christmas memory is my son’s first Christmas. He was 3 months old and we took him to visit family.
My favorite christmas memory is putting up the Christmas tree every year.
My favorite memory was when a large group of family members all went to Disney for the holidays many years ago. It was one of the best holiday memories that I have.
My favorite memory is getting in our pjs on Christmas Eve and driving around looking at all the Christmas lights.
A favorite Christmas memory is getting together with family from all over the country.
I loved baking snowball cookies on Christmas Eve with my mom.
My favorite memory is always baking Christmas cookies with my grandma and delivering them to family and friends
When my aunt came when I was little, it was snowing a lot, definitely had some fond memories.
My favorite Christmas memory is the year my nephew was born. He was born on Christmas Eve.
Favorite memory would be going to my grandmothers house and opening gifts with my cousins. Great times.
The year I got my first American girl doll as a little girl.
One of my favorite holiday memories is helping my mom put together Christmas gifts for my younger sisters, on Christmas Eve.
I don’t have a particularly favorite memory; however, I enjoy visiting my grandmother during the holidays and have a lot of moments of enjoyment from doing so.
I’ve had wonderful memories of Christmas as a child, but a favorite one as an adult was when I was surprised a few years ago with a new puppy – and now I get to look down as I type this and see Colby sleeping at my feet!
My fave holiday memory is when I was 4 or 5. We went out shopping for a Christmas tree and one fell off the rack and landed on me. I wasn’t hurt or anything but to appease my freak out my dad said that the tree picked me. We needed to take her home and I needed to give her a name. I called her Isabella and couldn’t have been more excited that she’d picked me. That summer my dad mailed me a tree round “postcard” from Isabella at Tree Summer Camp, I totally believed him that Isabella was just at camp and would come back the next Christmas. 😂 The tree round postcard still goes on my tree every year nearly 30 years later.
My favorite Christmas memory was participating in a live nativity scene at church using our farm animals. Thanks for the giveaway!
My favorite is the last Christmas I spent with my grandmother in Florida.
Cooking dinner with my dad.
My favorite Christmas memory was the year my daughter was born a few days before Christmas!
Every year with my kids makes a new favorite memory
I cherish the memories I have of all the Christmases spent with my nana. Holidays aren’t the same without her.
My favorite was bringing my newborn home to be with my family. It was wonderful
My favorite Christmas is when my husband gets to read Twas the night before Christmas to my kids every year. And now to my grandsons. The love is I see when he is reading it is breathtaking.
My favorite memory is the very first Christmas with my kids (triplets… 2 girls, 1 boy)
My favorite Christmas memory was actually just last year when the whole family was together playing games and laughing and having a great time. It’s not often I can get them all under the same roof at the same time! I’ll cherish that memory for a long time.
My favorite Christmas memory is when I got my first cat.
Is wood just really cheap where you are? lol 1 1x3x8 board is $5.18 at Lowes where I am. So this project would cost about $20 total. Still not a lot but I was really really excited when I saw $5
At Home Depot they have boards called furring strips that are a lot cheaper than the common pine (that run $5 each). At my store they are on the end caps, not sure at Lowe’s, but I’m sure they’d have ‘1×3 furring strips’ too.
I think a lot of people see the shelf price tag ie; .98 and think it is price of the board…but if you look closely (with a magnifying glass) it says .98 per board ft. Gotta read the fine print.
This is the BEST ladder I have seen! I love it!
Did you use the aged wood accelerator in brown or the stain in briarsmoke? Thanks!
Thank you! It is the aged wood accelerator in brown on this ladder.
Love this idea! Is there a way to keep the ladder from sliding on wood floor?
Nice ladder, but $5? Cheapest anyone has 1×3 pine is $4 for an 8′ length, times 3, plus supplies, it’s more like $16. Still not bad, but I sure was disappointed to be drawn in by the “$5” leader only to find it more than 3 times that.
Hi Christopher,
I used the cheap $1.68 1×3 furring strips https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-in-x-3-in-x-8-ft-Furring-Strip-Board-164704/100094214 not the $4 boards.
Ah, gotcha. I tried using them but the ones at my local lumber store were too wavy. Thanks for the update!
Since I don’t have a pocket screw jig and I don’t want any screw holes to show, I am using 5/16″ X 1.0″ long dowels Instead of the screws. I love this simple project.
Great idea!