DIY A Rustic Kitchen Towel Ladder With A Few Affordable Dollar Tree Materials

There's not an inch of space to spare in a busy kitchen, which can make it difficult to add personal touches. It's best if decor offers functional value as well to ensure the kitchen stays efficient. But that can be a head scratcher for even the most inspired among us, so here's a smart starting point to get the creative juices flowing — a rustic kitchen towel ladder. A scaled-down version of an already budget-friendly DIY blanket ladder, this leaning storage spot gives your favorite hand towels a prominent yet unobtrusive display in an attractive, easy build. With a trip to the Dollar Tree, it can be surprisingly affordable, too!

DIYers can try a couple fun ways to create a simple and sound storage space for tea towels on the countertop. Start with a set of Crafter's Square wood dowels. With a 2-count pack costing only $1.25, you can put together a perfectly practical towel ladder for under $5. You can also substitute wood garden stakes or other thin square or round wood pieces. All you need otherwise is a sturdy glue. PVA wood glue is an ever-reliable choice when bonding two wood pieces, but you can also use other common glues you should have on hand for home and garden upkeep, like two-part epoxy or polyurethane glue. You could even grab a bottle of Super Glue clear quick-setting epoxy while you're at the Dollar Tree. 

You'll need to cut dowels to create the rungs based on the width you prefer. Line up two dowels as side supports, and measure and mark mounting points for the rungs. Apply a small amount of glue to the marks, and set the rungs carefully on them. Once the glue sets, the ladder is ready for decorating.

This ladder project is one of many ways to style your kitchen towels, no matter what that style may be. While it makes a delightful rustic addition with a coat of stain, a simple coat of paint can transform it to match any kitchen layout. Paint or stain your dowels before gluing them, or spray paint the entire completed piece. 

You can also customize the width of the kitchen towel ladder to fit wherever you want to position the ladder on the counter. With the long dowels as the supports, consider using shorter Crafter's Square wood dowels that come in a four-pack for the rungs. The dowels are 12 inches long, so the ladder can be as wide as a foot, just enough room to fit unfolded tea towels and most kitchen towels.

For an alternative yet equally affordable build sporting a similar rustic look, swap the dowels for a set of Dollar Tree Crafter's Square Planks. At 18 inches long, these planks provide plenty of space to show off an attractive, seasonally appropriate kitchen hand towel. Use two planks as the supports and three planks (cut down to size) as the rungs, with sections at the top, middle, and bottom. Stain or paint them beforehand if desired. Apply glue to the ends of the rungs, and lap them over the side supports to assemble the ladder. For a finishing touch, grab a roll of Crafter's Square natural jute. Wrap it around the joints where the rungs meet the sides, criss-crossing it over the front in a decorative "X" for an extra bit of texture and interest.

If you can't spare an ounce of counter space even for a small towel ladder, consider a wall-hanging alternative. A rope ladder makes a perfect addition to the wall, side of a cabinet, or cabinet door, supplying a macrame-like accent with storage potential. For this, you'll need the larger ½-inch-wide dowels and Floral Garden decorative nautical rope, which is also $1.25 at Dollar Tree. To make beefier ladder rungs, you can also upgrade to a pair of thermoplastic toilet plungers. Just separate the handle from the plunger cup, and cut the ends off to make them a workable size.

Unravel the rope so you have one thin strand. Drill a hole about an inch or so in from either end of the wood dowel with a 7/32 bit. Make sure the holes align on each dowel so the rungs hang evenly. Feed the rope through, with one end going through each hole so there's a loop at the top for hanging from a wall hook.

Once you have the rope positioned to hang the ladder at the proper height, tie a knot in the rope under each hole in the rung to hold it in place. Repeat this process with subsequent rungs, spacing each several inches apart. After tying the knots for the bottom rung, cut off the excess, and fill up the ladder with your favorite fashionable hand towels for a simply stunning kitchen statement.