Blanket Ladder

As I prepare to share the beginnings of my coffee table refinishing project - stay tuned - I thought that I'd post the pics of my Very. First. Ever. woodworking project. This heady attempt - and the several months cooling off period that followed - *may* have given me an inflated sense of handiness that prompted me to take on a project that I wasn't really qualified for . . . yet. That's how we learn quickly.

About 9 months ago, my very own mother sent me this Hallmark Channel "Home & Family" segment of a project-gone-right! I was smitten by the relative simplicity and utility of the project - give me all the blankets - and knew that I needed to make one! or two! I've painted small items but I'm going to go ahead and place this blanket ladder in the elevated category of furniture-making. Even with the excellent tutorial, (truly, it is), I had to ask a lot of questions and be a little bit patient with myself. I phoned more than one friend and relative to ask about pretty much every phase - sanding, staining, assembling and sealing. Also, I borrowed tools. 

 This picture illustrates what I learned about my first stain choice: multiple coats will not make it less orange.

 Although not a terrible hue, it wasn't quite the crowd-pleasing color that I was attempting.

 A second trip to Home Depot resulted in this Hail Mary attempt to color-correct my stain by layering a darker stain on top of it (to avoid having to sand and start over). It worked! Although, to be truthful, I didn't have time to start over anyhow.

 Here's the finished project, sprayed with a finishing coat of poly, drying in my garage. Pardon the lighting, there was no daylight remaining.

 Ready for blankets!

But, in the end, I ended up with a project that I was proud of contributing to my Annual Handmade Holiday gift exchange. And, I think, in lieu of a patch, I have earned a Furniture Camp shirt to add to my novelty tee collection.