Industrial Chic Display Ladder – Easy DIY
Storage and display ladders are all the rage at the moment, but they can be a little pricey, and some of them seem a bit wonky. I’m not sure if they could hold lots of blankets. The last thing you want is for your display to end up in a heap on the floor. So we decided to make our own and combine functional storage with a little industrial chic for a unique take on this latest display ladder craze.
Our little ladder is really easy to assemble, didn’t cost a lot, and adds so much character to our living area.
Before I share the tutorial this super easy and quick tutorial, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!
What You Need
- 2 thick bits of pallet wood at least a meter long. Ours is just over a meter and 5 cm thick by 10 cm wide. If you can’t find pallets, you can use a 2″x 4 ” cut into 1-meter pieces.
- 4 Galvanized Standpipes 450mm x 1/2”
- 8 Galvanized Round Caps 1/2″
- A drill and spade bit (paddle bit)
How to make an industrial chic display ladder
Did I already mention this is a quick tutorial? So don’t blink, coz you might just miss the whole thing 😉 Eyeball where you want to put the rungs and mark with a pencil. Ideally, the rungs should be spaced equally apart. The spacing on a standard ladder is normally 30.5 cm (12″) so we went with that.
Line the pallets up in a vice and use a drill with a 22 spade bit to drill a hole through both.
Double-check if the galvanized pipes fit snuggly into the holes before sanding.
Depending on your decor style, you can either leave the wood “au natural” or paint. We went for a natural look and used a clear matt sealer that’s water and wine-resistant. I kid you not; it says so on the label!!
I'd rather drink wine than whine 😉
Once the sealer is dry, insert the galvanized pipes and add the cap rounds to the ends.
If the pipes are a little loose, just add a tiny bit of Gorilla glue inside the hole before adding the pipes and caps.
That’s it; super easy and sturdy.
The rungs are wide enough to hang large blankets, shawls, or scarves.
And who said you couldn’t hang something else on the ladder?
I need to tell you a little more about the little hanging plant. We bought it quite a while ago, and somehow, it got forgotten behind a pile of pallets. It hasn’t been watered since we bought it, and it’s doubled in size. It’s called a Leucophyta brownie or Cushion Bush for us “nonspeaking Latin” people 😀 It has the most beautiful, weird little leaves; I seriously need to get some more.
What do you think? Do you use display ladders in your home?
If you like the idea of adding a little industrial chic storage to your home, don’t forget to pin it for later.
And if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered Disclosure: Clicking on the links below means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry, it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more amazing craft ideas to share with you 😉
Anyways, that’s all from me for this week. My daughter turns 16 on Friday and the only thing I’ll be doing is planning her b-day party. Hope you all have a beautiful week full of lovely crafty moments.
I like that you’ve used metal for the rungs. My quilts always snag on the wood and get ruined
Oh dear sorry to hear that Sonita. The metal rungs will definitely help with that.
I love the look…does the wood slide on the pipes once the project is complete?
It does yes. The holes are a pretty tight fit for the pipes so it’s really stable
I love the industrial style of the ladder with the pipe. This looks like it would be pretty easy to do. I recently made a ladder for my afghans using some wood spindles that I had. I love how it turned out, but I could always use another.
Thank you Linda they always come in so handy. Perfect storage solution
Hi Michelle, this ladder is fabulous! so cool with that industrial look, you are one handy girl to use pipes, so clever! Now this can hold quite some weight for sure!
Thanks Katrin 😉
Oh, I absolutely adore this!
Thank you Jill 😀
Love this. I like how you used the metal pieces in the middle. The perfect industrial touch!
🙂 I love using galvanized pipes. They’re so easy to work with and super strong.
This is SO cute!! I have so many scarves and I think this would be a great way to display them.
Stunning Haley, scarves work beautifully on the ladder.
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
😉
This is such a cute idea and so creative! I love that you could use any pattern to match existing decor! I’d love to do this with something beachy!
Hey there Lisa, thank you so much. It’s such an easy DIY, share pics when you get around to making one.
It looks lovely and easy enough that I could even make one. Well done.
Thank you Anon. Probably the most difficult thing was making sure the holes in the pallets lined up, but at the end of the day it was one of the easiest projects we’ve made and I’m really happy with how it turned out.
Michelle, love this blanket ladder, it looks beautiful as well as sturdy! The Cushion Bush is cool. Happy Birthday to your daughter!
Awwww thank you so much Keri 😉
That looks so cool!
I wish I were creative like you.
Thanks for sharing this tutorial.
Thank you Debbie. Me, I really wish I could be running fit, not just wood working fit 😀