Feature and styling
Sophie Tarrant
Photos
Lizzie Orme
Before
1
Begin by removing any parts of the ladder
that you won’t need for the final design –
ours had a diagonal strut nailed in across
one side, so we used a hammer and a pry bar
to get rid of it. Leave the steps of the ladder in
place, as you’ll need these later.2
Once you’ve stripped the ladder back to
its basic design, rub sandpaper all over it
to ensure it has a smooth surface and to
remove any old paint splashes or stains.
Wipe all over with a cloth to get rid of dust.3
With the ladder fully open and standing
up straight, decide which steps you want
to use for your shelves. Each one you’ve
chosen will hold a shelf, so you need to make
sure you’re happy with their positioning.
Measure the height of each chosen step, then
mark matching points on the opposite side
of the ladder for each one – you’ll add a strut
that the shelves will eventually sit on to each
of these points. Lay the ladder down flat and
measure and note down the distance between
the two sides of the ladder at each of these
points. If you have extra steps that won’t be
used to support a shelf, remove them now.4
Using the width measurements you noted
down in step 3, cut your new struts from
a length of 12mm thick x 32mm wide
stick timber, cutting one piece to match each
measurement. Sand the cut edges of each.Position each one on the ladder at the marked
points and screw into place, drilling pilot holes
first to ensure a neat finish.5
Open and stand your ladder up once
more. Measure the distance between
each original step and its newly added
counterpart, then add 10cm to this amount- this is how long each of your shelving boards
needs to be. Work out how many you’ll need
to create each shelf, then cut decking boards
to size to create each one. Sand the cut edges
of each.
6
Making sure your ladder is standing up
straight and fully opened out, place each
of your decking boards into position,
supporting each one with one step and one
new strut. Once you’re happy with how they
are sitting, screw them into place securely,
drilling pilot holes first for a neat finish.7
Once constructed, give your ladder
shelves two coats of paint – we chose a
bright blue stain from Cuprinol’s Garden
Shades range, which is specifically intended for
outdoor use.8
Finish by adding small floral details to
your ladder using acrylic paints. We used
a small brush to add bargeware-style
petals and leaves to our ladder, trailing each
one up and around the frame of the ladder.1
35 7
Turn an old stepladder
into a pretty plant stand
Recycle
repair,
revamp,
You will need
3 wooden stepladder^3 hammer^3 pry
bar^3 sand paper^3 damp cloth^3 pencil
3 tape measure^3 12mm x 32mm x
2100mm stick timber, £1.46, B&Q
3 saw^3 decking boards, £5.25 each, B&Q
3 drill^3 screws^3 Garden Shades paint
in Beach Blue, £11 per 1l, Cuprinol
3 paint brushes^3 acrylic paintsW
e loved the look of this old
wooden stepladder but had
no practical use for it any more.
It was still in sturdy condition, so we
didn’t want to just get rid of it.
With a few quick cuts of wood and a
coat of paint, we have transformed it
into a pretty garden show-piece.