Here are the supplies you need:
- bamboo
- hand saw (or electric)
- cutting shears (optional cause you can use your saw)
- hammer (or something similar to pound with)
- string (like hemp, jute or organic cotton)
SECOND: I cut 5 smaller pieces of bamboo with my cutting shears (super easy!)
The 5 rungs of the ladder to hang your towels on can be a wide/ long as you like - depending on the width you'd like your ladder to be. Make sure these are all the same length though, more or less...
THIRD: I took the rungs and placed them on the ladder how i would like them to sit, then with a pencil marked lines on the right and left side of each end piece - meaning each rung had four marks, two for each side.
FOURTH: I used the hand saw to cut in grooves, for this neat little magic trick you can do with bamboo... you saw two parallel lines deep enough to hit the hollow part and.........
Then you take a hammer (or some kind of pounding tool) and bang the center between the two parallel lines - which causes a perfect square to open up. Usually it takes a hit or two before it breaks, and split in the middle and the very edges where your saw line ended.
Like this pic below... it just pops open, into a perfect square (or rectangle) - and you pull off the broken pieces with your fingers.
FIFTH: After cutting the grooves on the right and left side of the ladder for all 5 rungs, you can then place the rungs into the grooves.
SIXTH: With the rungs in place, it's time to take some eco friendly string (hemp, jute?) and tie them to the posts of the ladder. I used organic cotton fabric which I cut in strips because it was what I had around.
The type of string you use will change the look of the ladder - for a more island, zen look I think brown hemp rope would work best. But for me, I like the funky bold white ties cause it gives it a handmade primitive look. :)
I bet you could also paint your ladder with Milk Paint too, if you wanted it a certain color to match your decor!
Check out my end result - I totally think it's a big success!!!! And was FREE.
XoXoxoxo
Amazing!
ReplyDeleteOne day I'd like one of these, but smaller, on an enclosed sunporch with mags/newspapers hanging. Happy you're keeping busy. Hmmm, is the laddar kinda symbolic of the Laddar to Heaven? Offered up a prayer for Mimi. Read your comment about angels with interest...my father, long passed, woke me up once talking to me...so real I expected him to be in the room. I think this stuff is for real. (My mom used to live in Harahan.)
ReplyDeleteWhy not turn the punched out squares on the main poles inward so they face each other and stick the smaller step-type poles inside the squares? They'll probably still need to be tied down, but they should hold more weight that way (sorry, it's an engineer thing).
ReplyDeleteAnonymous- Thanks, i think it's cool too.
ReplyDeleteKittie- I like the idea of hanging other things on it - it would be neat to make a tiny on for the kitchen to hang hand towels/dish towels on.
PS- the stuff is as real as anything else. :)
Lou Cheese- When i first planned it, i was thinking if putting the rungs into the holes, but this method of pounding out the opening is not an exact science, so i didn't want to end up with openings too loose for the rung and a more unstable ladder.
I am surprised still how sturdy the way i did do it came out, it's pretty tight.
Of course using some type of glue would increase the strength, but i try to do everything chemical free. Most structures like this sold in magazines probably use alot of wood glue.
Its absolutely beautiful what kind of knot is that you tied? I'm going to make the same thing I have the same bamboo I just think I'll tie the steps (shelf's) on without cutting the whole in the bamboo the right knot should hold those little steps in place you think? Or does it just lay better and look better let me know please. Great video thanks again
ReplyDeleteParabéns eu admiro mulheres assim 👏👏👏👏
ReplyDelete