Here's what they looked like when I picked 'em up for $10 from Craigslist:
Besides being filthy, there were big chunks of wood missing. So, off to the hardware store for wood putty and hinges. After applying the wood putty I ran over the surface of the shutters with a few different grits of sandpaper and had something that looked likes this:
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| Destiny has to be the center of attention ALL the time |
Well, ALMOST viola! I then decided that I wanted to be able to write right on the display so I added some chalkboard paint across the top of each shutter.
And ladies....I did it all by myself - ez peazy! Want to learn from my mistakes? OK! I was so careful to make sure that the slats of my shutters were all facing upward (so that my product would hang from them) that I didn't realize that one of my shutters was backwards. So, while the slats were facing the right way it was still upside down and you can tell if you compare the trim along the top; one side is thicker than the other. But really, who's going to notice? If they do, I'll just tell them it was artistic liberty!
What else would I change? Definitely by the time I hit the Apple Harvest Festival in Westminster, SC next weekend, I'm going to cover the entire trim with chalkboard paint. There's just something about chalk!
Give it a try and then post a link to a picture of yours below! Good luck and happy upcycling!
Wow, I'm impressed! Looks really great!
ReplyDeleteThanks....and so functional! I have a vinyl shutter that I picked up from freecycle that is in pretty bad shape. But, I'm going to try to cut it up and fit it into some old frames for a tabletop display. We'll see what happens with that!
ReplyDeleteI love this project, and I can see putting it to use in my house! I picked up some tall shutter-style closet doors from someone's trash, and wasn't sure how I could use them, but I'm definitely going to be frivolous and paint them black and stand them in the corner of my living room now. I have seen small shutters but not like this - thanks for this great idea!
ReplyDeleteI like it...and tall ones would be rather elegant! It also makes me wonder if it work as a kids art "wall" too. Not sure if they'll fit in between the slats, but maybe clothespins to hold the works of art into place. Sooo many uses!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteGlad you like it!
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ReplyDeleteShutters are popular down here with artists who do outdoor shows. Someone gave me a mesh fireplace screen a while back to use for displaying jewelry.
ReplyDeleteHaha! I actually made this shutter display when I was living "down there" in South Carolina. :) Works great indoors too when you only have a little 8' table but have room behind the table.
DeleteLOVE IT! I am getting ready to paint some and turn sideways for book holders for my kids! GREAT idea!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see them! I {heart} shutters!
DeleteWhat a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you do lots of outdoor events, but you may want to think of a way to stop it being blown over, as that seem to be the killer at outdoor fairs
For sure, wind is NOT my friend! For this display rack, I add sand bags to the L bracket that I added on the back side of each shutter and that is usually enough. But for super windy days, and there have been a few, I secure it to one of the leg of my tent with twine...I just use one of the hinges between the two shutters to wrap the twine around.
DeleteThat turned out awesome. What a cool display idea.
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