DIY: 6 Ways to Upcycle Old Shutters

Driving home one Saturday I stumbled upon a garage sale in Elburn, IL at a church that was selling old shutters. At the time, I was actively operating under the Weld, Fab, Rehab name and was looking for my next set of projects to transform. I saw the shutters, made an offer and voila, I now had six shutters to reimagine. Let the crafting begin!

Chalkboard Shutter:

On the first shutter I took out the top half of the slats and cut out a piece of scrap wood to fit in the space and painted the wood insert with chalkboard paint. I then reused the shutter lever as a chalk ledge. I added two wooden applique medallions I purchased from Walmart for 98 cents each and painted the shutter in a blue-gray finish. A $10 investment and one of my favorite pieces.

Keepsake Display Shutter:

On this shutter, I removed the top half of the slats and used chicken wire to fill in the space so it could be used to display pictures, notes, etc. I added wooden applique medallions and painted the shutter in a blue-gray finish. An $11 investment and one of my favorite pieces.

Planter Box Shutter:

The third shutter I painted colonial red and attached a planter box I purchased at Hobby Lobby to the front using screws. I added another wooden applique medallion I purchased from Walmart for 98 cents. Total investment of $18 and is now displayed beautifully on my back patio and is home to the occasional birds nest.

Towel Bar Shutter:

I decided to make into a towel bar using different black pipe I found in the plumbing section. I attached two mason jars to the corners using stainless steel hose clamps and painted the shutter in an apple red spray paint.

Entryway Shutter:

Functional and unique were my goals for this shutter. I wanted to ensure this piece had a display shelf and hooks for coats, a piece perfect for an entryway. I decided to rummage through our scrap wood pile and salvage a piece of unused pine. I stained the wood in a weathered gray stain and used shelving brackets to attach the shelf to the shutter. I added coat hooks and spaced about 4.5" apart.

Hanging Candle Shutter:

The last shutter I kept simple and decided to make into a patio decoration that one could hang a candle, plants, or a light. I used a screw hook and hung a citronella candle to protect from the dreadful mosquitos.