Mother's Blanket Rack
Making a storage rack for blankets.
Storage space for blankets—during the "in between" months when it can be cold one night and warm the next—can sometimes be hard to come by . . . especially when the shelves of many folks' bedroom closets are overflowing with the young'uns' toys, last season's clothing, or assorted containers that are "sure to come in handy someday".
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Fortunately, MOTHER's researchers have designed a blanket rack that provides an easy solution to the problem . . . and one that won't crush the down in your comforter or crease the fabric of your favorite bed coverings. Better still, the holder's wooden rods can also be used for drying clothes, hanging towels (when you find yourself besieged by a lot of guests), or racking shoes (they rest against the bottom crossbars).
The attractive piece of furniture can be yours to enjoy . . . for only a few dollars' worth of wood and a couple of hours of your time. And this is one project you just about have to build yourself, because it's not the kind of item you'll find in the local department store at any cost.
MOM's workers built the handy device from spruce, but you can get almost the same results using white pine or fir. We cut a pair of 32" lengths of 1 X 12 for the rack's ends, and ripped five 1-1/4" X 1-1/4" boards from a 20" length of 2 X 8. (You could also use your ripsaw to divide three 20" 2 X 4's . . . which would leave you with one extra rod.) Our materials list was filled out with ten No. 12 X 1-1/2" flathead screws, ten 1/2" wooden cap buttons, and some glue and varnish.
As for tools, you'll need a ripsaw, a crosscut saw, a saber saw, a hand drill with a No. 12 adjustable countersink bit, a screwdriver, a paintbrush, and some sandpaper.
After cutting the 1 X 12's to length, you can determine the shape you'd like and cut both pieces with a saber saw . . . or you could, if you prefer, simply assemble the rack with unadorned rectangular sides. We decided on the diamond-and-a-half pattern shown in the picture. (The size and shape of the bottom scrollwork and upper cutout are arbitrary.)
