DIY Ladder Pot Rack
Sarah from Little Red Brick House is backing sharing how she created a DIY Ladder Pot Rack. She’s been working on getting her living room decorated and you can check it out here: the progress I’ve made. Take is away Sarah!
When it comes to home decor projects, I can’t sit still for long, so on to the kitchen it is! We have a good amount of storage in our there for our needs, but sometimes it’s not the easiest thing to go digging through cupboards and drawers looking for the pots and pans. So I came up with the perfect solution, I decided it would be great to have them hanging from a rack above the kitchen island. One day, after unsuccessfully searching for a rack that I liked, inspiration struck and the idea to hang them from a ladder was born! Luckily, the previous owners of our home left the hooks to their pot rack installed, so we didn’t have to worry about finding the studs and mounting them ourselves. Such a great project for some extra storage.

What You Will Need
You should be able to find what you need at your local hardware store. If you’re like me, you might find the long boards in your wood pile stash.
- 1×4 boards
- 3/4″ wooden dowel
- stain
- sander
- tape measure
- drill and bit
- 1 1/2″ screws
- wood glue
- 1 3/8″ eye screws
- chain
- quick links
- S hooks
Cut The Wood
I started with two 1×4 boards, cut to 5 feet. I also had a 3/4 inch wooden dowel cut into 11 inch segments to act as the ladder rungs. I cut 4 of the 11 inch dowels.
Sand And Stain
I stained the boards for the DIY pot rack with Rustoleum Dark Walnut stain and distressed the corners and edges with a sander once it dried. This project would be gorgeous if you used some reclaimed wood too!

Assembling the Ladder
I spaced out how far I wanted my dowels (11 inches apart) and drilled a few holes (equal to the diameter of the dowels) halfway through the sides of the ladder so that the dowels would sit countersunk into the sides for better support. (here you can see the frame coming together)

Next I used a drill bit to pre-drill holes through the dowels and the sides of the boards so that they wouldn’t split when I screwed the dowels into the sides. I used 1 1/2-inch screws and wood glue to attach the dowels to the boards. And the ladder was complete!

Hang The Pot Rack
Time to assemble the hardware. I attached some 1 3/8-inch eye screws into the ends of each side of the ladder.

To hang the ladder, I used a chain that was cut into about 11-inch segments (7 chain links each).

I also used a few quick links to attach the chain to the screw eye hooks. You can unscrew the little bolt part and then tighten it back up when you’re done hooking it through the screw eye, these are great fasteners for the chain.

With the mounting hooks from the previous owners already installed, all I needed to do was hang the ladder pot rack! I used large, 3-inch S-hooks to hang a few pots and pans and also a colander and mixing bowl. If you didn’t have previous hooks, you’d want to use a stud finder to find the ceiling joists to safely secure this hanging pot rack.





A rustic pot rack is the perfect place for some additional storage space. I love the combo of copper pots and metal too.

I just love it so much and it’s really nice to have my most used cooking tools right at my fingertips! Next thing on the list is to paint those cabinets. That orange stain has got to go!

Thanks again for having me. I look forward to sharing another project with you all next month! Until then you can catch up with all of my other DIYs on my blog and follow along with me on my social media outlets below.
Hey there,
I just finished reading your article on the DIY ladder pot rack, and I couldn’t wait to drop you a comment. First of all, let me say that I absolutely love this idea! Not only is it a fantastic space-saving solution for small kitchens like mine, but it also adds a charming rustic touch to the overall decor. Kudos to you for coming up with such a creative and practical project.
What I particularly enjoyed about your article is the detailed step-by-step instructions you provided. As a DIY enthusiast, I often find myself stumbling upon projects that lack clear guidance, leaving me feeling frustrated and unsure. However, your article was a breath of fresh air! From choosing the right ladder to attaching the hooks and hanging the pots, you left no stone unturned. The inclusion of helpful tips and suggestions along the way was a nice touch too, making the whole process feel approachable and manageable.
I must say, your ladder pot rack has inspired me to tackle a similar project in my own kitchen. I can already picture how it will transform the space and become a conversation starter when friends come over. Thanks to your well-explained instructions, I feel confident in giving it a shot. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on your blog for more innovative DIY ideas in the future. Keep up the amazing work, and thanks again for sharing this awesome project with us!
Hey Maryann, Absolutely loved this post and ladder looks amazing! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful post and I really appreciate your work and efforts on this post. Hope to see more DIY ideas from your side. Keep it up the good work!
Innovative post. Sounds good. Interesting article. There are so many things that I have learnt after reading this write up. Thanks for sharing it. Keep up the good work.
I really like on how the ladder for pot rack is presented. Look so cool and great. VEry awesome idea. Please keep sharing and posting
This is such a unique way to store your pots and pans! I’ll definitely need to try this for my kitchen renovation. Thanks for sharing!
I love this! And now I know how to make a ladder! I really like the way it looks. Thanks for showing us how you did it.
Thank you, Laurie! I’ve been really happy with it and if for some reason I decide to take it down, I can always use the ladder for something else! 🙂
This is very creative idea! I have made something similar at my home last year from two old woods from my barn, it looks very rustic and natural.
Thank you, Cindy! I just love the rustic look. I bet yours is gorgeous!
Visiting from #SoMe2. I love that you just gave instructions for how to build a ladder! It could be used for decorating in so many ways! Thanks – and so happy to have discovered Domestically Speaking now too!
Thank you so much, Susan! And Domestically Speaking is so awesome! Love Maryann and her beautiful work!
I am SO in love with this! I’ve always wanted a ladder or gate pot rack hanging over my island! SO practical and pretty!!! PS. Funnily enough, I’ve got my own DIY ladder project coming to the blog tomorrow too! Great minds think alike girl!
Thanks, girl! Haha! I can’t wait to see your ladder project. There really are endless options with ladders.
The ladder rack looks great Sarah! Thanks for sharing and GOOD JOB!!
Thank you so much, Leigh Anne!