DIY Dipped Ladder

June 27, 2020 in Decor, DIY's

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission- at no extra cost to you.

I have been making changes in my home to both simplify it and to add a more modern feel. I had seen a lot of dipped ladders while online shopping, but they were out of my budget… many costing almost $400! I knew I could create the same look and do it for a fraction of the cost.

First let me show you my inspiration ladder.

I love this gorgeous bladder from Serena & Lily, but it’s $398 price tag is way out of my budget. So I used it as my inspiration.

Supplies Needed:

(3) 1″ diameter wooden dowels, 72″ long
stain of your choice
spray paint in your choice of color and finish
painters tape
drop cloth to protect the area while you spray paint
brad nail gun (or you can use a hammer and finish nails
wood glue
sandpaper or sanding block, 220 grit
miter saw, chop saw, or hand saw to cut the wood
drill with 1″ spade bit

I always sketch my ideas with approximate measurements. This helps to give me an idea of supplies that I will need. As you can see in the image below… I had initially planned for a slightly angled ladder, but later decided against it. My five rungs ended up all being 14.25″ long. 10″ space at the top, 14″ space at the bottom, and 11″ between each of the rungs.

I always sketch out my plans with meaurements.

lay out your pieces. I also went ahead and pre-stained all three dowels and let them dry.

Mark the areas you will be drilling for the rungs.

Drilling the marked areas for the rungs to sit in.

Use the 1″ spade bit to drill the area for the rungs.

The areas are drilled out for the rungs to rest in.

Measure the third dowel for the rungs. Mine are 14.25″ long each.

Sand the edges after cut to smooth any rough places.

I added glue to the side pieces and the rungs. Be sure to wipe away any excess glue.

After glue is placed, attach the rung between the two sides at each of the drilled out areas.

Nail in place with 1 1/2″ brad nails to secure until the glue dries. I added two nails to each side PER rung.

When it is dry, decide where you want the “dipped” portion to begin.

Use painters tape to provide a crisp edge and prevent overspray .

I took mine outside and protected the area with drop cloths.

I used this leftover Appliance epoxy paint… I had it on hand, and I like the bright shiny finish it gives.

spray the ladder and the rungs below the tape line. Allow to thoroughly dry per your paint instructions.

My new dipped ladder styled in my living room.

You can have fun with this by adding different paint colors for the “dipped” look. You can add lighter or darker stains. You can use an old ladder or build a new one. There are so many possibilities and ways you can customize it for your home and decor style.

If you try this out let me know what your think!

I hope you’ll come back soon for more DIY’s, decor, recipes, and all the in between.

Tags : budget decor, budget decorating, dipped ladder, diy dipped ladder, living room, living room decor, modern decor, modern farmhouse