Create Kitchen Shelving From a Ladder

Why bother buying kitchen shelving? Here’s how to whip up your own in a flash.

Cook’s Companion

Keep everyday dishes close at hand by creating an open-shelf system. All you need is a folding ladder and some lumber (pine or poplar, cut at least ¾-inch thick, works well and can be easily painted).

Do It Yourself: 3 Steps

Step 1

Select plank shelves that are deep enough to hold your kitchenware (here, each shelf is two planks deep) and long enough that they extend at least a few inches beyond the sides of the ladder. Cut the wood to size, or let the pros at the lumberyard or home center do it for you.