There are so many fun DIY crafting projects out there that involve repurposing old furnishings into new artsy pieces. From turning a step ladder into a shelving unit to converting pallets into a bed frame, the possibilities are endless. One fun thing to repurpose is shutters, so if you’ve got some old ones lying around, check out some of our ideas for a DIY project.
Preparing to Repurpose Shutters
Before you start your project, make sure you prepare yourself and your supplies. Depending on how much wear and tear your shutters have undergone, take the necessary steps to ensure that the old shutters are ready to be used in your home. Clean them if necessary, sand them down, paint or stain them, or whatever else you need to do.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get into it.
- Make a Coat Rack
A creative way to repurpose shutters is to make a coat rack out of them. Make sure the wood is treated and acceptable for use in the house, then screw in some hooks and voila, a cute piece on which you can hang your hat!
- Build a Flower Bed
Building a flower bed out of this material will work best if you have a few shutters and some extra wood. Use two shutters as the lengths, and another as the base. Then cut and fit some extra plywood as the sides of the bed. You can use a wood glue to hold everything together with no room for your soil to escape.
- Create a Wall Ornament
Who said that you have to repurpose your shutters into something completely different? Give them a paint job and put them up on your wall as a wall ornament. You could, for example, place two shutters on either side of a mirror so they have the same effect as they would around a window.
- Build into a Shelving Unit
This can be done in a variety of ways. If you have very long shutters, you can convert them into a standing bookcase or shelving unit. Simply join the two into a right angle and screw in shelves that fit. You can also use a smaller shutter as a base for protruding shelves.
- Use Them as Wardrobe Doors
If you found some really great, rustic-looking long shutters with chipped paint, they are perfect to use as doors for your closet or wardrobe, as you can see here.
Make a Headboard
If you’ve got a few extra shutters lying around, why not combine them to make a rustic headboard with tons of character? Place the pieces side by side, either gluing them together or screwing them together. Give it a little something extra by adding curvy wooden pieces to round out the top.
At EcoShades in Sydney, we are the shade experts with a creative streak. If you’ve repurposed your shutters or other common household items, we’d love to hear about it. Once you repurpose your old shutters, feel free to call us to have new blinds and shutters installed.
