DIY Board & Batten Shutters-Look for Less!

Hey guys!

I am so STINKING excited to show you this project! It’s been something we’ve been dying to do since we bought our house.

Hey! We built those! Jake and I got our hands dirty a few weeks ago to whip these up, and I still find
myself stopping in the middle of the road to stare.

I’m even more excited to announce that building these shutters was part of the “Look for Less
Challenge” I’m participating in with 6 other incredible bloggers!

Ya’ll. I’m CHEAP. As in, spending more than I have to on just about anything won’t fly with me, so when I was asked to participate you bet your buttered biscuit I jumped in faster than Kim K jumped out of her second marriage. (PS…did you see that ROCK Kanye put on it? That’s a paperweight where I come from…let’s hope the 3rd times a charm)

Okay, okay onto the tutorial

I’m not going to lie, this project had hurdles we had to jump over, and it definitely wasn’t as easy as we expected but in the end it was SO worth it…let’s see:

If we were to buy these pre-made we’d be spending a whopping $620.00 on WOOD. No thanks, Franks! I knew with a little elbow grease we could whip ‘em up ourselves…try this price breakdown on for size!

You will need
• Pine Boards (we used 8 10 foot 2x4’s…$6.00 each) $48.00
• Wood Glue (already owned)
• Black Paint (already owned)
• Big Daddy Nails $6.00
• Big Daddy Screws $6.00
• A deep drill bit $4.50
• Electric Drill w/ Hammer Function (Owned)
• An electric sander (or sand paper if you don’t mind doing it by hand)

A whopping $64.50 for FOUR shutters! I’ll take it! Start by picking up the above items at your local Lowes. (You’d think Lowes sponsors me based on how much I mention them…but nope…Lowes has no idea who little old me is) For the Pine Boards, you’re going to have to go back to your high school math days, and break out some measurements. Our windows are 66 inches long. I wanted them to be about a half inch larger on both sides, so I needed 67 inch boards. I did some calculations to figure the best board height to purchase, based on what was the most cost effective, and required the fewest cuts. (Poor Lowes man)

Once you’ve figured what cuts you’ll need, take it to the big saw & bat your eyelashes in hopes the
operator won’t hate you for asking him to cut 20 boards.Once home, we worked out a pretty handy, yet time consuming system to get our boards prepped and painted. Jacob sanded any serious knots, or rough patches, and I wiped em down and painted with our black weather proof paint. It took 2 coats to get the right amount of coverage.

Yes, we used trash cans. Don't judge :)...& yes our garage lacks MAJOR organization

To dry we stacked our little boards on leftover pieces of 2x4 & stacked the rest around the garage. This took most of Saturday. So naturally, we took a beer break. (This was the weekend of my Mom & Dads Chili & Brewfest)

The next day we put our shutters together and glued the horizontal pieces on with wood glue.

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT trust this stuff to keep your shutters together. It helps as a first step, but to keep this project fresh for the long-haul, you’re going to need some hardware.

Flip your shutters over once the glue is dry (yes, I was lazy and only painted the front side) and nail your boards together in the places you see an arrow. We actually screwed in some of the boards, but we both agree that nailing is easier. Take note from our mistake :) This part really is crucial. (We didn’t try to get away with only glue just to have our project come crashing down or anything…)

Once you’re done with this step, give yourself a big ol’ pat on the back because guess what, you made a shutter!

Now comes the fun part. We get to hang them. This is where we ran into the most trouble.
Hanging these puppies was not easy!

To start, you’re going to need to put the giant drill bit on your drill, and hold up the shutter where you
would like it on your house. Drill through the shutter, aiming for the mortar, and drill just enough that it makes a mark. Take your shutter down, and drill to the end of your bit into the mortar.

Once this is done, add your Big Daddy screw and drill that puppy into the wall! Repeat on the bottom of the shutter, as well as on all the following shutters.

Once this part is done, you’ll inevitably need a paint touch up or two, so quickly whip that out, then step back to admire your handy work!

Yeah! You built AND hung a shutter! Go you!

How about a little before & after action, eh?

The shutters (& the green grass) make this look like a completely different house, and I am smitten! For some labor & a cost savings of over 500 buckaroos…I call this puppy a major win!

If you’re cheap frugal like me, go check out my awesome bloggy friends below for some incredible
DIY on a dime inspiration.

Kayla made this incredible West Elm Inspired Mirror

Check out the rest at her blog Home Coming

Sarah blew me away with her gorgeous Wood Bead Chandelier

Make your own by checking her out at Life on Virgina Street

Rachael made this fun drink station inspired by Pottery Barn…I love!

She shares the details over at Like a Saturday

Andrea is in the Christmas Spirit! She DIY’ed her own CB2 knock-off peace wreath

Start feeling festive by heading over to Life.Love.Larson

I’m in love with this Pie Safe that Gracie DIY’ed!

Get the gorgeous details over at Kitchen Table Art

I just love these Anthropology inspired coasters that Shannon made!

Her skills are amazing over at Sewing Barefoot

I sure hope you’re inspired, friends! I sure couldn’t believe the incredible creativity my bloggy friends have! We certainly had fun making our shutters, and I hope you’ll attempt to bring some DIY Look for Less to your home soon. :)

Until Next Time,
Kylie

Linking up to:
Skip to my Lou/Keeping It Simple Crafts/DIY Showoff/Home Stories A to Z / Uncommon Designs /Sugar and Dots / The Winthrop Chronicles
The Girl Creative / House of Hepworths / The Shabby Creek Cottage
Liz Marie Blog / Tater Tots & Jello / Shabby Nest / Whipper Berry /Funky Junk Interiors / Serenity Now /Classy Clutter / Someday Crafts
Reasons to Skip the Housework / Six Sisters Stuff / Be Different Act Normal/ Life with the Crust cut off/ The Turquoise Home /  Ginger Snap Crafts

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