Here’s a great idea for a DIY Christmas stocking ladder-a no fireplace/mantel option to hang up the Christmas stockings. It’s pretty, simple but yet very functional.
I am excited to share with you my awesome DIY Christmas Stocking Ladder-a no fireplace/mantel option for your home.
I don’t have a fireplace or mantel in my home and I’ve struggled for years to find creative ways to hang up our families Christmas stockings. I have tried hanging them along the stair railing but it didn’t eventually work well with six stockings and the fact that furniture needed to be place in front of the railing.
I also tried hanging them up on a wall in our living room, but wall space is scarce in our home because of the openness of our main floor and again six stocking were just too many.
Reasons To Use A Stocking Ladder
As much as I would love to have a fireplace one day, it’s just not an option right now. Last year I started searching and try come up with a great way to hang our stockings. I was looking for something that would not take up too much space, hold 6 to 7 stockings and still look nice with my holiday decor.
A blanket ladder used as a stocking ladder seem like the perfect idea and I even had a great place to put it.
What Is A Stocking Ladder?
A stocking ladder is actually just a blanket ladder. It’s a basic ladder with five or six rungs that leans against the wall. It’s typically used to hang throw blankets on it as part of the room’s decor. Blanket ladders are actually a popular decor piece used in a living room, family room or a bedroom. This idea was perfect for me because once I had it made or purchased I could use it all year around and I do. I loved that it had a dual decorative purpose.
Reasons To DIY A Stocking/Blanket Ladder
If you enjoy DIY projects, try making your own ladder. This way you can make it just how you want. Choose the perfect spot where it will be placed and measure how tall and wide you want it to be. You can finish it with a wood stain, paint it any colour to match your room or leave it unfinished.
How To DIY a Christmas Ladder
My husband built me a blanket ladder and I love how it turned out. With a few supplies and a couple hours, you can DIY your own ladder too. (Don’t worry, I’ve included tips below for those who wish to find a more simple option.)
My ladder measures 7’tall and 17” wide. You can use this same width and height or adjust it for the ladder to work best in your space. Decide where you want it to stand and measure the height and width that will best fit that area.
Supplies and tools needed:
- Two-1”x 4” pieces of SPF lumber (SPF stands for spruce, pine and fir) cut to desired length. These are the side pieces.
- One 8′ length of 1” dowel for the ladder rungs
- Drill with a 1” spade or Conner bit
- Hammer
- Wood glue
- Sand paper
- 2″ finishing nails
- Stain or paint
Cut the two side pieces to the length you want. (7 ft for this example). Decide how many rungs and how far apart to place them. I have 6 rungs and they are evenly spaced 12 ” apart from the top and bottom. Mark with a pencil. Cut the dowel pieces to the desired width you want your ladder (mine are 16″). Drill holes inside the long pieces with the spade or conner bit. This is where the dowels will fit. Use wood glue to place the dowels inside and put all the pieces of the ladder together. Nail the dowels in place from the outside. Sand the wood if needed. Lastly paint or stain the ladder.
Creative Ways to Find a Blanket Ladder
Obviously the first way to get a blanket ladder is to DIY one with wood. This doesn’t have to be fancy, smooth or perfectly finished. If rustic is more your decor style, try making a ladder that is more that style with unfinished edges and a more rustic look.
Try find a vintage wooden ladder at an antique shop that you could use for a Christmas stocking display.
Another place to look for an old ladder is a second hand store or thrifted at a yard sale. Maybe you have to give it a fresh coat of paint to match your decor but that’s fairly easy to do.
Lastly if you don’t have the time to do a DIY or need to just get those stocking hung, you can just buy an already made blanket ladder at a home decor store. I’ve seen a few lately at HomeSense.
The Perfect Place For the Ladder
Typically for the Christmas season, the stocking ladder will be used in a living room or family room. This is generally where the Christmas tree is located and where the presents will be opened. It is totally up to you depending on where the ladder will fit into your home Christmas decor best.
I ended up placing my ladder on a narrow wall to one side of our large living room window. The Christmas tree stands right beside it.
The great thing about the ladder is that it is quite easy to move around and if one spot doesn’t work, try it in another place.
After Christmas, it could also be used in a bedroom, bathroom or dining room too.
Setting Up the Stocking Display
Setting up the stocking display is the fun part! It will definitely depend on how many stocking you need to hang up on the ladder, but just play around with different arrangements to figure out what looks best with your stockings. This takes a bit of time arranging and rearranging but you will figure out a pretty configuration that looks great.
This year, I arranged my six stockings in two rows. Another way to arrange the stocking would be staggering them on four of the top ladder rungs. This is what I did last year.
Add a cute little name tag to the front of each stocking, with the name or initial of each of your family members. This personalizes the stockings and adds an adorable touch.
Hanging Up the Stockings
There are a few options for hanging the stockings on the ladder. S-hooks would work great and are easy to move around to different spots.
Wall hooks used on the ladder rungs are another option.
Command hooks would also work well, placed on the front or back of the rungs.
I just used twine and threaded it through the stocking loops and around the ladder rung, tying it in a bow for an easy release.
If you plan to fill your stocking on Christmas Eve and open them on Christmas morning, make sure they are secure but also fairly easy to take off.
Decorating the Stocking Ladder
After the stockings are hung, it’s always fun to add some Christmas decorations along the top or sides of the ladder. Some different ideas for this would be: ribbon, bows, bells, garland, greenery, pine cones, a wreath or even a sign.
I decorated my ladder with a red plaid bow and a set of bells along the side. Along the top, I place a flocked piece of garland.
DIY Stocking Ladder
I hope you have enjoyed this DIY ladder idea for hanging Christmas stockings. It makes such an adorable stocking holder.
It’s a great option for when you don’t have a fireplace mantel to hang stockings on. It’s also a great place to display blankets on at Christmas time or later in the year.
Have fun being creative this holiday season with your decor.
Merry Christmas!
Rachel
PS: Want to read about another really fun Christmas idea for the family? Check out my lastest blog post. https://behomeinspired.com/2022/11/17/family-tradition-book-countdown-to-christmas/
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