DIY Farmhouse Shutters

Ever since I came across a post on Pinterest with pretty shutters, I've dreamed about building these! I knew from the beginning I was going to build them, because ONE PAIR OF SHUTTERS COSTS $100! No flippin' way. Guess what it cost me for these? $40 for wood, divided by three windows... $15 a PAIR! You can't get any better than that.  All the other materials I already had lying around, so I didn't factor those into the price. Only the cost of wood. So before I begin with materials, it is important to measure, measure, measure! We have three windows at 53", 64", and 55" tall.   I knew I wanted the shutters to be about 10-12" wide, so that's 3 1x4s laid next to each other.  I figured I could get 1 shutter from 3 1x4x6s (I opted for the 6 footers because my car is tiny!) with enough board left over for the horizontal piece across the top and bottom and there would be 6 shutters, so 18 boards in all.  

Now when you build yours, you want to do some math and measure your windows.  Every window is different (especially on my house!) With that being said, there are no exact measurements or plans but a general idea.  This was such an easy build! From start to finish, it took me three days. One day for building and glueing, one day for painting, and another hour the next day to hang them.

Materials for three windows of various sizes:

- 18 1x4x6 common board, about $2.50 each (make sure they are all STRAIGHT - warped pieces will not be your friend)

- 1 gallon your choice outdoor paint and primer (you'll probably use less than a quarter of the gallon) OR STAIN! You can definitely stain these if your house color is lighter and you want contrast.  

- 3 1/2 inch construction screws, about $10 for a bunch

- wood glue

- painter's acrylic filler and wood putty (for holes and knots) 

Now, here's the necessary things you'll need in your shop before you start, because it makes it SO much easier:

- clamps (you will need at least 2-3!)

- nail gun and nails (I used Ryobi nail gun)

- Mitre saw (seriously, this is what made it fun, easy and much safer than a circular saw)

- A bench or work area of some sort

- Orbital sander (Ryobi for the win!)

- Drill and assorted drill bits: wood AND masonry bit with carbide tip.

With this build, I used a nail gun because it was so much easier than drilling pocket holes for each shutter. (Which you can definitely do, several plans gave different ways to build these).  I also glued and clamped all pieces together, and went back and filled ALL gaps with painters acrylic.  This will prevent water from getting between the boards and warping the wood.  I HIGHLY recommend this step, even if it takes you longer! It will support the longevity of these shutters!

Precut all of your boards.  You want 3 boards of the same size for each shutter, plus 2 10" pieces for the support.

Glue and clamp!

Here you can see where I laid three boards abreast, glued and clamped and attached the support beams across the top and bottom.  My spacing on this depended on the length of the shutter.
For example, the shorter shutters (53") I attached the horizontal board 10" from the top and bottom. On the longer ones, I attached the board at 12" from the top and bottom.

After you've glued it all together, fill in all holes and gaps with painter's acrylic and/or wood putty. This is an ESSENTIAL STEP in ensuring the longevity of your shutters!

Paint paint paint. I did THREE coats because the wood absorbed most of the first coat, and because three coats ensures no water is getting in any nooks and crannies.  

Waiting to dry.

Prior to shutters. Plain Jane windows with ugly wires. 

When mounting your shutters, predrill your holes in the wood first.  We did 2, one on the top and one on the bottom. Then, using a volunteer, place a shutter on the wall and stick your drill through the pre-drilled holes.  You don't have to make a hole, just drill enough so that you can make a mark to drill into the stucco with your masonry bit.  Remove the shutter, and using the hole as your guide, drill with your masonry bit.  This is IMPORTANT! We made the mistake of thinking our screws would go through the stucco no problem- WRONG! We ended up having boards that kinda stuck out and had to re-drill holes.  
Next, align the shutter with the holes and attach your shutters using the construction screws.  
Cover with wood putty and a little paint.

And after shutters! Nice and bright. It really adds something to the house!

But look! A DIY hose holder, courtesy of Shanty-2-Chic! Here's the post here.

Here you can see the screw holes. I later covered those up with putty and paint.  

See our cute little house number post? DIY!

Beds and shutters DONE. And with that, I think our major front yard projects are done... MAYBE?

And all done! Yay to curb appeal!