I love the board and batten shutters as decor idea, so I'd been trying to think of a way to spruce up a basic homemade shutter to hang horizontally above the space. Once I decided what I wanted, this project took less than 2 hours, and about $20. Not bad for a huge statement piece that makes the room.
Supplies:
4 - 1x6 @ 6'
1 - 1x4 @ 4'
1 1/4" screws or nails
stain and sealant or paint (or both!)
sandpaper
Tools:
Saw (or have them make your cuts at the store. For free!)
Drill, screwdriver or hammer
Cut each of your 1x6 boards at 60 inches. You should have 4.
Cut your 1x4 into 2- 22 inch pieces.
Lay your 1x6s down and arrange them the way you want them. Measure in 4 inches from each end and mark it.
Put glue on the back of your 1x4 and line it up on the mark. Do this on both sides.
Either clamp it down, or lay something heavy on each 1x4 to hold it in place. When sturdy, flip the whole piece over and put your screws or nails through the back of the 1x6 into the 1x4. Use at least one per board. Repeat on the other side too.
Nothing about this has to be perfect. It doesn't have to be a functioning shutter, just a decoration, so it can have extra
Flip it back over and give it a nice run over with your sandpaper. I use a basic Black and Decker orbital sander with 220 grit sandpaper for most jobs.
Finish your shutter. I stained mine dark walnut, using a paintbrush, waited 10 minutes and then wiped the excess stain off with a clean cloth. I love staining since it dries so fast!
Now for your saying! I chose the word 'family,' but I think it would look great with 'home,' 'love,' 'laugh' or anything else that applies to your family. (No pun intended. Well, maybe a little pun intended.)
I cut my word on my Silhouette, but it would be really easy to use stencils, or print your word on the computer, cut it out and trace it onto your board. With something this big, it's fairly easy to paint it by hand since mistakes don't show all that much!
Now just paint your word, wait for it to dry and seal your board. (Honestly you probably don't even need to seal it since it will be on your wall inside your home.) I sealed mine with Rustoleum's polyurethane in satin. I love how fast it dries and how smooth it feels! I think it gives a nice finished look without being shiny or obvious.
Hang that baby on the wall -- make sure you use anchors or drill into a stud. It's kinda heavy -- and stare at it the rest of the evening while you tell everyone how to do it themselves. Oh wait, is that just me? Hmm...
Thanks for stopping by! For pictures between posts, find my on Facebook or Pinterest. And, if you don't want to DIY, you can buy from me on Etsy!
PS -- I haven't shared much about it with you all, but that TV stand is a Ana White plan. Go check it out... and build yourself one of those too! Update: Here's my tutorial on it too!
*P.P.S. I love to DIY, and I love that you want to as well! Please remember that all designs, files and tutorials are for personal use only.
