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    Home » DIY » Build It » Farmhouse Ladder

    Farmhouse Ladder

    Published by Gail | Published October 6, 2020 | Updated August 26, 2021
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    I'm sharing the easiest ever farmhouse ladder tutorial. You can easily replicate this blanket ladder project on your own in a couple of hours. #MyRepurposedLife #farmhouse #blanket #ladder #homedecor via @repurposedlife

    I didn’t actually plan to build a farmhouse ladder. But when I finished my Flour Sack Towels last week, I went looking for my craft display ladder for photographing the towels. It wasn’t there! Did I sell it? Too bad, the towels would have looked so cute on it with all the small spindle rungs.

    So, I needed some sort of easy ladder project. And, boy do I have the best farmhouse ladder tutorial to share with you!

    Easy DIY Farmhouse Ladder Tutorial

    use nails to make farmhouse ladder

    Isn’t it beautiful?

    Let’s see how easy this farmhouse ladder is to make!

    2x4 ripped on table saw

    Do not be intimidated by my project, I’ll be sharing an alternate way for you to make your farmhouse ladder without this scary table saw.

    I am a use what you have kind of gal. Because I’m still safe at home because of Covid 19, I haven’t been frequenting The Home Depot as much as I would LOVE to!

    Plan Your Project

    materials for farmhouse ladder

    I started with an 8’ 2x4, and a shorter 1x4 (scrap board). Both of these were ripped exactly in half on the table saw.

    Sand All Lumber

    orbital sander

    Sanding really well is an absolute must! You can see this 2x4 had grooves in it. I actually sanded my boards before ripping them to make it easier.

    orbital sander sandpaper

    Beginning with the 60 grit, then moving to the 220 grit to get a nice finish on the boards worked really well.

    Tip: Remove Mill End of Lumber

    cut mill end off lumber

    Before cutting the boards to the length I wanted, I trimmed off the mill end of the boards.

    Ladder Side Rails

    6 ft farmhouse ladder

    Each of the side rails were cut at 6 feet. (out of the 8’ 2x4 that was ripped in half)

    Rungs of Farmhouse Ladder

    rungs for diy farmhouse ladder

    The thinner boards (1x4 ripped in half) were cut to about 18” in length. I cut 6 boards, but only ended up using 5 of them.

    sand edge of lumber smooth

    The board on top has been sanded to remove the sharp edge on all sides. I wanted to make sure that whatever is hanging on the farmhouse ladder has nice edges rounded over.

    How To Assemble

    dry fit of farmhouse ladder rungs

    This is the design stage of the farmhouse ladder rungs. I was trying to figure out the best layout for the rungs. This is when I decided that 5 rungs would work best.

    *this post contains affiliate links, read more here *

    Mark Side Rails for Rung Placement

    mark rungs on ladder rails

    I marked my side rails with a combination square using small marks so they wouldn’t be seen when I stained the lumber. An Irwin quick clamp held the boards together.

    Nail and Glue Rungs

    tools for assembling diy farmhouse ladder

    In order to assemble the farmhouse ladder, I needed a tape measure, a kreg multi-tool , Gorilla Wood Glue, and a nail gun.

    attach rungs to farmhouse ladder

    Using a dab of wood glue, and one brad nail on each side, I added the top rung, then the bottom rung.

    measuring for farmhouse ladder rung assembly

    This handy multi-tool is so helpful for getting the overhang of the rungs equal. You may choose to make your farmhouse ladder with the rungs flush with the side rails.

    NOTE: I chose a ½” overhang.

    wipe away wood glue

    Does stain cover wood glue? No, it does not—be sure to wipe away any excess glue. You can see one brad nail holds the rungs until the wood glue sets up.

    Allow Wood Glue to Set Up

    farmhouse ladder assembly

    After allowing the wood glue to set up, it was time to add the nails.

    Nails Give Farmhouse Ladder a Rustic Look

    box of nails

    Of course, you could use wood screws for your farmhouse ladder assembly, but I chose to use nails. I wanted a more rustic look for my project.

    adding nails to farmhouse ladder

    Looking back, I wish I had paid more attention to where I placed the brad nails so they would be hidden by the larger nails. Don’t you love how the nails add to the ladder?

    Don't Skip This Step

    make sure your ladder is square

    This is where I keep it real. As I finished the assembly, I noticed the ladder was a little “off”. My neighbor Rodney walked over and grabbed my rusty old square. Well, looky there! Even though I measured down from the top on each side rail, and up from the bottom, it’s not square.

    It’s a little difficult to explain, but Rodney stood the ladder up and rested it on one rail and sort of gave it a shove. Smile

    square on ladder

    Much better! If you don’t have a square, you can use a piece of plywood or something similar.

    Time for Paint or Stain

    ebony stain farmhouse ladder

    A dark ebony stain seemed perfect for this project.

    use nails to make farmhouse ladder

    Let’s take a close look of the stain and the nails! I colored the head of the nails with a sharpie to make them stand out a little more. Isn’t it scrumptious?

    diy decorative flower sack towels MyRepurposedLife

    It is perfect for displaying the Flour Sack Towels.

    how to make a farmhouse ladder MyRepurposedLife

    All of the edges are very smooth and don’t snag the throws at all.

    The farmhouse ladder is already in The Sugar Shack. It was really hard for me not to paint it, but I’m glad I didn’t.

    Don't forget to Save & Share this idea on Pinterest!

    Measurements for DIY Farmhouse Ladder

    Cut List For Easy Farmhouse Ladder

    • (2) 2x2x8  cut 6’
    • (1) 1x3x8 cut 18” will net you 5 rungs

    1x3 is sometimes called a furring strip. Using this cut list will allow you to only cut to length. You won’t need to rip the boards like I did.

    Materials Needed

    • Sandpaper
    • Wood Glue
    • Brad Nails
    • 4D 1 ½” Nails
    • Stain (or paint)

    Helpful Tools

    • Tape Measure
    • Pencil
    • Saw (Jigsaw, Hand Saw etc)
    • Hammer
    • Sander (optional)
    • Clamps
    • Combination Square
    • Carpenter’s Square

    Will you make one? Do you think you will paint it or stain it?

    gail

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    1. June Olsen

      November 10, 2021 at 12:01 pm

      Great ladder! Totally understand what your neighbor did and why it worked! Been around handy people enough to visualize that. I would totally stain it...I love the wood look, although maybe not as dark. Have no idea where i would put it, so I don't see myself making it. It will be in my mind though!

      Reply
    2. Regina

      November 07, 2021 at 1:21 pm

      I think I need one of these!

      Reply
    3. Cheri

      October 06, 2020 at 8:44 pm

      Another great project!! If only I was so industrious! But alas!!!!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        October 07, 2020 at 9:57 am

        Thank you! It's been a while since I've been so productive! I'm still nursing a bad wrist, but have decided it's going to hurt whether I work or not. It's great to be back working on projects, especially when they are as easy as this farmhouse ladder!

        gail

    4. elicbxn

      October 06, 2020 at 8:44 pm

      Would I make it? No. While my house is more "Early Goodwill" than anything else, I'd love to buy one. However, I suspect my cats (9 of them at the moment) would think it was great fun to knock it over... Oh well.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        October 07, 2020 at 9:58 am

        hahahah yeah, this would be a cat's dream! 🙂

        thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment.

        gail

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