It will never cease to amaze and excite me, and disappoint and concern Will, the homewares you can diy with simple plumbing copper pipes.
You feel all practical and fancy because you are working with metal and drop terms like "copper pipe cutter" but really working with copper pipes is probably most akin to working with lego, so it suits me fine, and I have been gradually filling mine and Will's home with little copper pipe accessories. But Will does actually like this one! Or so he says.
I've been hankering after a decorative leaning ladder for a little while ago, as that is the kind of relatively useless but pinterest friendly home pieces I am into, being the basic bitch I am. Every visit to one of the antiques and junk shops round the corner I've kept an eye out, I've looked on ebay a dozen times, but how do you post a leaning ladder? The alternative, driving home in our two seater car with a ladder sticking out the window seems a little risky. But then exactly like an apple falling on the head of Isaac Newton it hit me - copper freakin pipes. Rose gold coloured, easily cut-able, easy to stick together copper pipes. One of my proudest creations is copper pipe based (I made this table from the tutorial on A Beautiful Mess) and this project is easier still.
My copper pipe ladder is 40cm wide, and approx. 190cm tall. To make one of the same dimensions you'll need:
A copper pipe cutter
x 2 3m long 15mm diameter strips of copper pipe (I had a little left over)
x10 copper pipe 15mm end tees (these normally come in packs of 5, so two packs)
x4 copper pipe 15mm stop ends (these normally come in packs of 2, so two packs)
superglue
....buuuuutttt you can always make one shorter, wider, taller, narrower. Whatever tickles your pickle. Typing that out I realise how much of an innuendo it is, and how often I say it at work. Woops, anyway, whatever fits your space. Directions below are also about making one my dimensions but just reduce/increase as you want.
1. Cut your copper pipe so you have x 2 "A" pieces. Copper pipes are super easy to use - there is a youtube tutorial here if you need it, but don't worry it is quick, painless and simple. This will determine how far you first "step" is from the floor (if one could climb this ladder, you definitely cannot, it is decorative only). I made this 58cm, think it makes sense for it to be a fair way off the floor.
2. Next cut your copper to x 5 "B" pieces. These will be your width, your "steps". I made these each 39cm long.
3. Then cut your copper pipe so you have x 8 "C" pieces. These will determine how far your "steps" are apart. I made each of these 27cm long.
4. Finally (last bit of cutting!) cut your x 2 "D" pieces. These will be the top of the ladder, the bit sticking out of the top - I think this look best relatively short - I made them 21cm.
5. Now you just need to assemble it. Using the tee attach an A piece to a C piece so they form one straight line, and then use the other hole of the tee attach to attach the B at a right angle between these. Repeat with another tee attach and the other A and a C piece, and then attach the spare hole this time to the other side of the B. See image below if that is a bit of a brain f**k for you. It is for me.
6. Repeat swapping the Cs out for an A, until you've used them all up and top with Ds.
7. If it all looks good then you can go over what you've just done with superglue, but I would leave it until the end incase there are any sections to trim. The final step is glueing your stop ends to the top and bottom of the ladder to give it a nice finish. And tah-dah: A leaning ladder, ready to decorate with blankets and fairylights and cosy up your living room.
PS. An oldie - DIY butterfly picture frames, feat. Beyonce.
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