Projects Using Old Shutters

Furniture

• Glue or screw four legs into the corners of the underside of an old shutter to make a coffee or occasional table. Have glass cut to fit the top if you need a flat table surface. Join three or more old shutters together with hinges along their longest edges to make a room divider, partition or a fireplace screen. Connect two shutters together along their long edges with hinges to make a free-standing shelf: stand the two shutters at a 45-degree angle and slide wood boards between opposing slats to make shelves.

Wall Art

• Fill a wall with a varied selection of old shutters to create distinctive wall art. Place the shutter panels closely together both horizontally and vertically so that the edges meet to cover the wall completely. Paint the shutters in multiple shades of the same color to create a monochromatic wall, or paint each shutter in a different pastel or primary color to make an accent wall. Hang one old shutter vertically or horizontally on a kitchen wall, insert small cup hooks along the top edge and hang dried herbs or a dried fruit garland from the hooks.

Storage

• Make a jewelry organizer from an old shutter by attaching decorative door knobs or cup hooks along the top and sides of the face of the shutter. Stagger the hooks so that the necklaces and bracelets will not overlap when they hang down. Hang the shutter on the wall in your bedroom, closet or bathroom. Or attach a wood board to one horizontal edge of an old shutter using decorative wooden brackets to make a storage shelf. Hang the shutter vertically and attach several wood boards along the height of the shutter for more space.

Garden Art

• Create a rectangular garden planter box from an old shutter and some treated wood. Build a box with the treated wood with two sides equal to the dimensions of the shutter. Glue or nail a shutter onto one or both sides of the wood planter box. Cut another shutter into sections that fit the sides that make the depth of the planter and attach them to complete the project. Attach an old shutter to the back of a wooden garden bench seat with L brackets to make a decorative bench back. Make arms for the bench by attaching thick wooden shelf brackets to each end of the shutter and the bench seat.