Create A Beautiful Storage Solution With This Easy-To-Follow DIY Ladder Shelf

So, you need some more shelf storage. However, rather than rushing out to buy some, you could simply repurpose an old ladder and craft your own stylish design, as demonstrated by TikToker @hamiltonkirk_art. By doing so, you will give yourself plenty of extra shelving and reduce the amount of waste you produce as you won't be throwing away your old furnishing. Instead, you'll be upcycling it. Plus, you'll end up with a new piece that looks pretty unique, as it isn't something you see every day.

This item can also be implemented indoors and outdoors, so it's incredibly flexible to suit various needs and areas of your home. For example, you may want to use it for outdoor plants or, alternatively, extra storage in an office or garage space — it's all your choice. If you have several old ladders, then you could create even more shelves using this hack if you wanted to. All you need is a few items on hand, and you should be able to easily transform your old ladder, even if you're a DIY newbie.

To complete this DIY shelf hack, you'll need an old ladder, some wooden boards to fit through the legs or that you can trim down, and wood sealant if you're planning to use it outdoors. Wooden planks are available from Home Depot for $26.63, or you can upcycle some of your own if you have any lying around. Begin by cutting your planks to size, if necessary, before opening up your ladder and placing it wherever you want your new DIY storage to go. There should be one plank for each step; however, you can space them out more if you need to. 

Once it's in the right spot and position, slide them into place on each step, ensuring they're not wobbly. Next, either leave them there or use some adhesive to secure them. If you're planning to place your creation outside, you need to apply your wood sealant first. Allow it time to dry before adding your personal items and belongings, whether plants, tools, books, jars, storage boxes, or other miscellaneous items. You could even use it as a decor piece and stack books or display photos. Either way, you should be left with some unique and functional shelving.

If you want to customize your craft, there are plenty of ways to do so. First, you can paint it in any color of your choice, which is useful if you have a particularly worn-down, rugged old ladder that doesn't exactly look very appealing. To take it a step further, you could even add or glue down some material, such as this pink floral fabric from Etsy ($9.99) or this gingham fabric ($4.99) for a more traditional look. You can either glue this on or place it down and add your items on top to secure it. For lighting, you have the option to add some fairy lights along the legs and around the tops.

As for storage, while you'll have plenty of shelf space, you could customize this further by adding extra shelves or compartments to store items such as tools. You may also want to glue down a tool tray or use some trim to create areas for everything, which will help you to better organize into sections thus making it much easier to find things. Of course, the reason why this hack works so well is because each step of the ladder helps to support a larger piece of wood, making it perfect for creating solid shelving. Now, all that's left to do is find the perfect place for it and put it to good use.