No mantel? No problem! This beautiful stocking ladder is perfect for hanging stockings with rustic charm. When Christmas is over you can use it to display quilts!
DIY Stocking Ladder
2 (6′ length) 2x4s, cut on a slight angle to lay flush on the wall.
4 (18″ length) 1x4s  for the ladder rungs.
Stain: Minwax Jacobean
The top rung is 3″ from the top and each rung below is spaced 11.5″ down.
We angled the back so that the blanket ladder lays flush against the wall, and I added felt pads so that the stain didn’t rub off on the paint.
We also angled the feet so that it sat flush against the floor. Just simple cuts on the saw will take care of this!
After screwing and assembling the ladder I applied a coat of Jacobean Minwax stain (my favorite shade, I’ve used this for other projects too) and let it dry for 8 hours. Then I applied a clear coat of spray lacquer and let it dry for 2 hours.
I’m not sure how much this would have cost to purchase, but we made it for under $15. We had to buy a can of stain, otherwise, this would have been a $10 project!
How do you hang your stockings?
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Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!
This is such a great idea to hang your stockings. THanks for sharing.
I just made of one of these and stained it, but I have a question. Did your rungs stain differently than the side pieces? I bought pine wood, but the 1×4’s are staining MUCH darker than the 2×4’s are.
Hi Tabatha! I had to go look at mine, but they all turned out about the same shade. The grain lines are bigger on my 2×4’s so there is more of a contrast of lines, but the shade is the same. I’m wondering why that is happening for yours!
How is this ladder attached to the wall ? Even with the felt pads on the top (of the sides)
which will touch the wall! It seems there might be a really good possibility that even with barely a bump or touch, that it would simply slide away from the wall to the floor !
I actually don’t have it attached to the wall. It hasn’t ever fallen and is pretty sturdy!
How sweet this is. And it is especially nice that your husband made it.
This is an amazing idea! Our stockings and hangars take up the entire mantel and there are so many other wonderful things that can be up there! My husband and I make all kinds of wooden furniture for our home so this should be a quick project! Thanks for the idea!
What a cool and unique idea! Love it!
We do have a mantel, but if I didn’t have one, this would be a wonderful alternative! The stockings look great on it & so festive! This was a really clever idea!
Thank you, Florence! You work with what you have! We moved this year and have a mantle again so it’s gone back to a quilt ladder, but it really did work out well as a stocking ladder those few years!
This is such a clever idea that you came up with. I love that this is an easy way to decorate with stockings, and it’s perfect if you don’t have anywhere to hang stockings! I’m a big fan of this stocking ladder idea.
Thanks Natalie! So many of us don’t have mantels so this is a nice alternative!
Love this idea! Super useful for those of us without a mantel or staircase. I love that the ladder itself can be used year round too!
Love this idea and I already have a small ladder. Thank you for sharing at Snickerdoodle and I am featuring your stocking ladder at the party today.
What do you use to hang the stockings?
Hi Kaurie! I tied them on with twine.
What a great idea. We’ve moved, our Christmas tree space will be limited and I always struggled with how to present our 7 stockings. My blanket ladder is not being used so I’m wondering .. how exactly did you put felt on the ladder so it didn’t mark up the wall?
Hi Jo! You can buy small circles of felt with a sticky back that are meant to protect flooring and walls from furniture. Peel the back off and press that part against the ladder. Worked like a charm!
Hi! Thanks for the directions for this cute ladder. I have asked my husband to build 2 for me, but he would like to know what angle you cut the top and bottom to make it flush with wall and floor? Thanks!
Hi Mindy! I honestly have no idea. My husband said he will try to figure it out and then I can update my post. He kind of just eye balled it. That would be a nice piece of info for others to have as well. I’ll update it soon!
Did you ever check the angles on the stocking ladder?
I would like to know as well.