Before & After :: Shutters
17 Feb
Remember these shutters? I made a little something out of them a while back and I think it might be one of my most favorite ‘re-do’ project thus far.
These shutters were on every window in our home when we bought it about 3 years ago. We replaced them with 3 inch plantation shutters which we absolutely love. Definitely worth the investment.
My husband wanted to trash the old shutters.
I screamed NEVER!
He huffed and puffed and said ‘what are you going to do with these??’
My response to him…I don’t know but you are not throwing them away.
And he didn’t but he wasn’t happy about it because HIS garage does look like a dump. A total wreck because I do have a habit of buying things…and leaving them in HIS garage.
I don’t rush into projects. I buy things…or save things…and think.
And think.
And think until I get a fabulous idea…then get to work.
Then the finished piece gets moved out of HIS garage and he is happy. And I am happy.
And we do the happy dance.
So the stack of shutters did sit in HIS garage for a quite sometime I will admit. He tried moving them to the attic but you know that saying ‘outta sight, outta mind’…I was afraid I would forget about them so I begged and maybe cried a bit to keep in HIS garage.
And he did. And I was happy again.
Then one day walking to my children’s room, I decided I would paint the shutters and put on them on the wall leading to their rooms…hang pictures on them…and be happy.
I went through sample cans of paint in HIS garage…decided on Mermaids Net…a perfect mix of green and blue and grey (or is it gray?)…
Painted then distressed with a knife by scraping the corners and edges.
The shutters went from this:
And this:
To this:
I found these handles at Hobby Lobby (the greatest place on earth!)
And I love them. And yes the top frame is still empty…I will put a picture in there one day.
I still have a stack of shutters that I cannot get rid of.
Antique markets sell them for lots of $$$. Round Top Texas always has rows of shutters for sale.
But I have a garage full of them. Holla!
Sweet P might have a set of pink shutters for her walls in the very near future…I will keep you updated on that project.
Are you like me…do you hang on to things for.ev.er?!? So glad we can relate!
Check out Domestically Speaking, Shabby Chic Cottage, Primitive & Proper, & Backyard Eden, and Restore Interiors and The Shabby Nest for more amazing inspiration! And our precious friend Jane at Finding Fabulous! And Whipperberry!
Check out these fun blogs for amazing inspiration!
Between Naps on the Porch, DIY Showoff, Domestically Speaking, Finding Fabulous, Funky Junk Interiors, House of Hepworths, Miss Mustard Seed, My Backyard Eden, Perfectly Imperfect, Primitive & Proper, Remodelaholic, SAS Interiors, Shabby Nest, Whipperberry,Today’s Creative Blog, The Thrifty Home, Savvy Southern Style, Some Day Crafts, Eisy Morgan, Green Door Designs, At Home with K,Home Stories A2Z
I hang onto stuff forever too! and I may get called a mini hoarder here and there by my husband! whoops!
I loooove the mermaid blue/green paint and the fixtures and frames area fabulous touch! I would looove this in my house!
Wow I love the shutters, I love the color and the pulls for hanging. What a great idea. I have several shutters and if I can find a blank wall in my house I’m doing this project..Thanks so much!
Thanks! I get more compliments on the shutters than anything else in my house! Show us your shutters when you finish them!
those look awesome! i absolutely love how you have them set up!
What a great idea and I love the color….Shutters are so much fun to invent with. I just posted about a shelf I made…You’re right, they do cost a fortune….Thank goodness I got mine for a steal being in the right place at the right time….
Take care,
Lisa
I love your shelf!!! Great minds think alike!!
Oh, I love this idea and this color is my favorite!
I LOVE THIS…its really adorable, great idea! Thanks!
These are FANTASTIC! Thank you so much for the inspiration! Off to pull my old shutters out and see what I can do. (Even though I should be doing homework, this will be much more fun!)
hehe! But hey some great projects come out of the stacks of stuff in there!
I hang on to things like that and buy things and pile them in his “shed” as well!
I totally agree!!! Share with us your finished shutters!!!
I love the color and the look! Great Job!
dreaming-n-color.blogspot.com
Oh, dear…I am so afraid MR. SWEET would have to go if I had to chose between him and SHUTTERS.
I. LOVE. SHUTTERS !!
Your idea here is adorable. I really like it.
Those shutters are gorgeous! I have lots of them out in my storage shed, husband doesn’t understand why I won’t let him throw any of them away. Can you tell me what you used on top of your base coat to tone it down….great job and thanks for any info!
Judy
Hi Judy, I used the Mermaid’s net first then made a ‘wash’ with black paint mixed with a little water and rubbed with an old t-shirt! I didn’t rub all over the shutters though…just around the edges and areas I wanted to look worn. And I used a knife to distress vs. sandpaper. Hope that helps!!
xoxo,
Carrie
LOVE those. The colors are amazing! I wish I had a stack of shutters in my garage;)
Thanks Kelli!
Oh, my…
Now, I know what to do with my shutters.
Awesome idea!
Beautiful color!
So many cute things to do with shutters. I wish I had some of my own!! Coming to you from 504 main. I am happy to be your newest follower. Please stop by for book club or blog design if you’re interested–connie, measuredbytheheart.blogspot.com
They look fantastic- I love the color you chose. I have some old shutters sitting in my basement that are waiting for a makeover. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hey Yvonne! Send us a picture of your shutters when they are finished!
oh, I love this idea!!!!
Thank you Stefanie!! My daughter just painted a pair of shutters hot pink for her room…will share pictures soon!
Those shutters are awesome! i am a shutter fan myself and I love what you did! The color is perfect and the display is so nice. Great way to upcycle! I am always searching for odds and ends to try and this is a great idea!
stacey of embracing change
LOVE love LOVE this!!! I am going to make some for sure!!
These came out just darling! Love the color and finish on them – they are soo charming! What is it about shutters!? Sharing on Facebook- thanks for sharing at FNF
It’s so nice that I found your blog about linking on Funky Junk Interiors. Of course I’ve scrolled a little and like what I see… Now I’m your newest follower
Take care
Tine
Wow! That looks absolutely fabulous and I love the handles you picked! We are so thrilled that you shared this with us at Inspiration Friday this week!
Vanessa
Love the shutters. What a wonderful display place. Great idea!
~Heidi
I am going to a flea next weekend that always has a cheap shutter vendor and I know what I’ll be buying! Awesome idea – I would love something like this hanging in my living room. Thanks!
Love what you did with the shutters! My husband is the same way with the things I collect. I’m glad you held on the them, they look great in your home!
How fantastic this turned out. I love the color and the hardware too. Would love if you joined me and my newbie party. I found your from homemaker on a dime party.
What a wonderful project! I love how it looks! Great idea!!!!!
Great project! Love the color and the added hardware…
I’ve got a few shutters of my own; I haven’t done a thing with them yet.
I came over from Debbie’s Newbie Party.
– leaving here inspired, Pat
Hi there! I saw your idea on Iron Violet, and I just adore it. The color you picked is WONDERFUL! If I can ever find shutters in my town I will be doing this FOR SURE!
Hey Christina, the color was a total random choice too…don’t you love it when it turns out just right!! Mermaid’s Net is the name of the paint!
Wonderful transformation, beautiful color choice, and love how you incorporated hardware! Visiting from the Creative Bloggers’ Party & Hop.
Thank you so much Caroline!!
LOVE IT!!! You sound just lime me – I buy anything and everything with no project in mind – but I know SOMEDAY I will think of a fabulous idea for them. It’s good to have “junk” on hand! haha. Okay, I also have shutters sitting in my shed (roadside find!), now I have an idea for them!! Thanks for sharing – found you on homemaker on a dime.
Awesome Kammy! Send me a pic and we will feature your finished shutters on our blog!!
Visiting from A2D…..
Love the shutters! What a great job!
Thanks Carol-Anne! Love your blog title…Use the Good Dishes…that is awesome and so TRUE!!
These are absolutley GORGEOUS!! Great job!
thank you so much angie!!!
SO glad you didn’t let hubby trash these! I am right now on the hunt for some to put on two large, blank walls in my living room! I LOVE what you did by adding the hardware! Saving your pic for future reference WHENever I find my shutters! Thanks for posting!
Thanks Lauren! Check old antique shops or markets for shutters…I bet you can find there. The bought the handles from Hobby Lobby and they added just a bit of character! Thank you for stopping by…we really enjoy meeting new people!
What is it about men and “their” garage and no matter what you store in there it is considered “junk” to them or in their way. I think men have tunnel vision and women see outside the box. I have a sil who does garage and thrift sales. She stores all her treasures in her walk-in attic and when she gets a whim to make some changes in her decor, she just goes to her attic and whips up something wonderful. She has a painting she loved yet it did not have any of her room colors in it. She went out and bought some oil paints and added her own colors to the painting’s flowers. You would have never known it had she not brought it up. She decorated her house on a dime and it looks like something out of House Beautiful. You shutter idea is a winner.
Hey Susanne…everyone time some comments in our home about the shutters, I give him the “I told you so!’ look and tell him I am not crazy!!
I love your SIL stashing her finds in the attic! I hang on to things I find because sometimes it takes a little while for an idea to pop up!
What a cute way to use those shutters! I would not have thought to hang frames on them…going to think about doing that with mine! Oh, and love the color, too!
I found you from the TDC party!
Thanks Susan! I bought the hardware handles at Hobby Lobby too…they just added a little more character to them! Thanks for stopping by! We love making new friends! xoxo, Carrie & Angie
Oh wow, that’s fantastic!
This is such a cute project, and I love the shade of blue you chose. Those handles are really great as well! Glad you got to hold on to them until inspiration struck- I wish my husband were so generous with his storage space, haha.
My husband is a dream…puts up with alot of my finds!
He almost got away with tossing my shutters though! That would have been the end of him! 
I did almost the exact same thing with my shutters. You should come by my blog to see them!
Oh my how I love I idea!! I totally am going to use this idea for a headboard!!!! LUV it
ps. found u thru homemaker on a dime party
~cat
Hi Cat! My original idea was for a headboard in our guest room!
Please send us a picture of your headboard when it’s finished so we can see!!
Looks fabulous! I did something just like this in my living room behind my couch. We bought old chipped shutters from an antique store. I then put frames on the outer two shutters and a wreath or some other decor on the center shutter. I LOVE how they look and I love changing them up with the seasons.
Shutters are wonderful, aren’t they??!!
so pretty! I’d love to have your problem and have stacks of shutters laying around!
Hey Abby! These shutters were on every window in our home and we replaced them with 3inch plantation shutters. I knew I couldn’t get rid of them! I just painted a pair hot pink for my daughter’s room and they are laying horizontal on her wall so she can put pictures of her friends up…all her idea!
Husbands… heh…they just don’t have vision… : )
Glad that you talked (begged/pleaded/cried) him into keeping them…
They turned out AWESOME!!!!
(mine are hidden in the attic above the garage…looks like I will be pulling them out soon to copy your beauties!!! )
Hey Kathy! Husbands just don’t get it! LOL! Please send us a picture of your shutters when you finish them…would love to see them!
I absolutely love how you did your shutters. Now i need to find me some more.
Love them!! The color is great!
I love this idea.
Helen of Helen’s Decor
Thanks so much Helen! I was really happy the way the shutters turned out!
I love this look!! So classy.
Thank you Lori!
Brilliant! Love the color and the idea, it must now transform the wall totally!
This turned out wonderful!
Thanks for linking up with me for Friday Favorites! I’m featuring you this week. Come by and grab my featured button if you’d like one.
WOW!! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!
These are gorgeous. I love the final color and the frames totally enhance the whole look. I bet your hubby’s proud of you now! lol
Those shutters turned stylish and functional! Awesome job
Thank you!!!
I’m very much the same when I craft. I buy stuff and let it sit for a minute (or month) before I figure out exactly what I want to make. This is stunning. I love the weathered look of the paint and the eclectic frames. I don’t really have to say it (becasue you have about a million comments already telling you how awesome this is) BUT, this is really gorgeous.
Liz @ bontempsbeignet.blogspot.com
You are very sweet Liz! It is so funny sharing design with others because what I find great, others may not…so everyone’s kind words about my shutters definitely lift me up! And Angie and I hope we lift you up too!!
Carrie~
Love your shutters! {Especially the finish} Our shutters that we used for the shutter fence sat in our shed for 2 years—but I had to have them because I knew a great idea would come!
I did something similar with doors. Thanks for your great idea.
Blessings~
Daune
Daune,
Great! Let us see yours after you are finished, we would love to see it!
Ha! – I thought you were talking about me!
(I now have a barn to put it all) But i’m not good at remembering to take before pictures before I “jump in”. – New at blogging….
By the way – Good job on saving those shutters!!!!! ( I love em too).
What a fabulous idea!
I LOVE these shutters! I am planning on doing a wall of old family photos, and this will give it the right touch! But tell me, how are you hanging the photos on the shutter?
Hi Dana! The frames are hung by sliding the frame stand in between the slats of the shutters…the frames stay put and do not move around at all. Share some pictures with us when your shutters are finished!!
I just bought a pair of shutters at a yard sale while I was in Kansas visiting…unfortunately, I couldn’t bring them home with me and will have to wait until June to get my hands on them! But I am gathering ideas and your shutters are fabulous! Love the color with the black accents, looks great!
Libby…go get those shutters!! LOL!!! Share with us some pictures of your shutters when you are finished!!
I absolutely love the color! Good job!
I love this idea! They look beautiful. Awesome! Thanks so much for linking up!!!
Thanks so much Jackie…and for your great party! xoxo, Carrie & Angie
Oh my goodness these are adorable! Love the color!
Hugs,
Olivia
When I read this blog post, I felt like I wrote it myself. EVERY.SINGLE.WORD. Every response from DH. Every response back from me. Amazing.
And even down to the actual pieces: I have huge white, all-wood plantation shutters that are sitting our garage, (my husband’s territory) and he wants to get rid of them and I do not. I am waiting and brainstorming until I find the perfect spot for them.
I am just cracking up at the similiarities.
so. tell me. these shutters are hanging on your wall in the hallway? How far up from the ground are they? Just above the baseboards? On the ground?
I think I might try the same.
Do you have any more pictures of the finished product?
Hey Hollie! I think all husbands were made the same, ha!! The shutters are in my hallway and we drilled them into the wall…however, the shutters I just hung in my daughters room are hung with D-ring hangers screwed into the back. Either way works great…I just wanted to be able to removed the shutters in her room easily. And the shutters are about 2 inches above the baseboards…I will take a few more pictures and update just for you Hollie! And feel free to tell your husband that these shutters are ‘husband approved’ in my house!
I can’t get over how something so simple looks so fantastic! Love how you’ve changed the color to something fun and bright and then added the other elements…great project!
I love this idea. The area above my sink in the laundry is where I’m going to use this! I’ve waited 4 years for inspiration to strike and you did it for me…THANK YOU!
I love what you did with your shutters! So pretty! I featured it on my blog today http://www.auntielolocrafts.blogspot.com
Thanks!
Lois
Lois, WOW!!! Thank you so much!!! xoxoxo Carrie and Angie
Carrie,
This is such an awesome repurpose of some leftover shutters. Just beautiful. I featured this project as my week of the week at Saturday Spotlight. If you’d like, head over to SAS Interiors and grab the “I’ve been featured” button or use this HTML:
Congrats. Can’t wait to see more of you linkups!
~Jenna, SAS Interiors
Hey Jenna! Thanks for loving the shutters…can you believe they were almost trash?! I’ve added SAS to our press page and home page. Angie and I have alot of projects coming up so we will see you soon!
And, by the way, where in upstate New York are you located? I am originally from NY!
So clever and beautiful! It’s awesome! Thank you so much for sharing in the DIY Project Parade!
Hey Roeshel!! We’ve missed you! Hope you are doing well and thanks for the sweet comment on the shutters! xoxo, Carrie & Angie
HOORAY! I have had a set of shutters for two years now that I got at a barn sale in Minnesota. Drug them home, stacked them in the back room with my other unfinished items – and waited to figure it out. NOW – thanks to you – I KNOW WHAT TO DO !! Perfect use for them – thank you thank you!
Those are amazing!! Love them!!
Love your shutters and the color is great! Love also how you have used the frames on them.
Yes, I do hold onto things forever just in case.
Wow! How cute–I didn’t read the previous comments, but I’m sure you’ve had a lot of takers for those leftover shutters. These look easy and have a lot of impact. Well done!
Carrie!! Thank you so much for this post! I’m so glad to have stumbled upon it today, because I have a pair of shutters that I have been holding onto for years… perhaps a decade now, I think… They have moved with me twice, and I never have a window to fit them. I kept them under my bed until spring cleaning this year when I sadly moved them to the “garage sale pile”. Booo! But after reading your post I ran to my garage sale pile and apologized sincerely to my beloved shutters!!! Horrah! I’m going to use them as a display as you have. What a great idea to add dimension to your wall and I love your color choice too! Me and my shutters thank you!
Sara, Isn’t repurposing great!? Now you can use the shutters again in a new way. Please send us pictures of them after you get them up. We would love to see what you have done! xoxoxo Angie and Carrie
What a great makeover, and I really love the color choice!
I’ve featured this post on Craft Gossip here:
http://homeandgarden.craftgossip.com/old-shutters-to-photo-display/
If you would like a “featured by” button, you can grab one here:
http://homeandgarden.craftgossip.com/grab-a-craft-gossip-button/
WOW! Thanks Amanda for Featuring us again!!! xoxoxo Angie and Carrie
Hi Girls!
Found your shutters on Pinterest and repinned and posted them to my blog. I LOVE them! What a creative idea! I can’t wait to read some of your other posts….we are building a house and very into saving money and DIY projects in order to decorate! Come follow me!
-Shara from Palmettos and Pigtails
Oh my goodness, I just love this idea. I am pinning it for a new project…now to get my hands on some shutters! I do have one question…how did you get the pictures to hang so nicely on the shutters? Some kind of hook?
HI Dawn! I hung the pictures with the stand on the back of the frame…I slid the stand in between the shutters…and it fits perfect!
I love these shutters! Could you please tell me how you attached the shutters together and then how you hung them on the wall? Also, did you hang the frames by sticking their back support thingy through the slats or some other way? And one more question…how did you get the neat-looking mixed paint effect? Thanks so much!
HI Fran! Two shutters were already hinged together…and those were bolted into the wall by my darling husband. The third shutter was also bolted next to the set of two shutters. I did hang the frames by sliding the stands down in between the shutter slats. And the paint…it is called Mermaid’s Net by Behr, I think, and did a dry brush technique so the original white showed through. Then I finished the paint with a wash of black paint mixed with a bit of water to give it an aged look. I hope that helps…let me know if you have any more questions!!! xoxo, Carrie
I love everything about this project, you’re an inspiration
) Thank you for sharing it.
well, that was sweet! thanks so much for your kind words! They are appreciated more than you know!
xoxo, Carrie
I love this idea! Maybe a silly question, but what do you use on the back to hang them?
Thanks for sharing this Great Idea again!
D ring hooks!
Home Depot! Thanks Lisa for stopping by to say HI! xoxo, carrie and angie
Wow!!! Those shutters turned out fantastic. What a neat idea to use them to hang pictures on… Very creatively inspiring.
I pinned your shutters about a year ago. I have had almost 1100 repins! I really love your shutters and apparently other people do too!
That is awesome!! Everyone loves my shutters! So funny!
1300 + pins! And still going!
Love the shutters! And I to have a pile of shutters
that I need to find a purpose for! Would you share
how or what you used to hang the photo frames on the
shutters?
Thanks
Tonya
Love this!! But quick question! How did you hang the pictures??
I love these shutters! I am excited to be sharing them as one of “My Friday Fave Pins” tomorrow, Friday, January 18th. I hope you will stop by for a visit!!
make it a great day!!
Can I ask how you connected the three shutters? Are they glued together?