How To DIY Wood Shutters For Practically Free

Posted in DIY Home Improvements
DIY Wood Shutters
How To DIY Wood Shutters For Practically Free

As we continue to update our home, I’m sharing with you today how I built my wood shutters for the exterior of my home for practically free. And I think they look amazing! With the prices of lumber these days, I do what I can to save money, which makes me happy happy, and I’ll be using the money I saved to do other DIY home projects. I have a long list! 🙂 Here’s how I did it.

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How To DIY Wood Shutters For Your Home

I built my wood shutters using repurposed pressure-treated decking we had saved from another project. This is one time being a self-proclaimed hoarder of scrap wood isn’t such a bad thing after all.

If you’re making shutters for the exterior of your home, chemically treated lumber is a good choice. This wood will resist rot and performs well over time.

STEP 1

First, measure the window you want to apply shutters to and cut 3 boards the same size as the length of the window for each side.

STEP 2

Because the wood had been exposed to the elements, I sanded them all down to clean and smooth them up. It also helps to remove that grayish color that appears over time. That gray color that you see on weathered wood, it’s actually mold on the wood.

You should always take special precautions when working with chemically treated lumber, especially if you’re going to be sanding it down. Take it outdoors or wear a mask if not in a well-ventilated area. Protect those lungs!

Looking for the best wood sanding tool? SurfPrep Sanding System

Learn how I built these DIY wood shutters for practically free and so can you.

Layout The Wood Shutters

STEP 3

Layout your wood on a flat surface and make sure all your cuts are correct. I like doing this… it’s kind of like a dry run, and I can catch any mistakes before I get too far into my project. You know, the point of no return. 😏

You’re also going to need 2 cross pieces. These will be used to secure the boards together. This is almost too simple, but it’s the way I like it!

DIY Wood Shutters Made The Easy Way

Predrill Holes

STEP 4

Next, you’re going to predrill holes for the wood screws before you attach the cross pieces to the wood shutters. This is particularly important as this will keep your repurposed lumber (if it’s dry) from cracking or splitting. But only drill holes in the top cross pieces. The drill bit I use is a size smaller than the wood screws. This will allow for a snug fit when the screws are drilled into the board.

I predrilled the holes before attaching the cross pieces on my DIY wood shutters.

Attaching The Cross Pieces Of The Wood Shutters

STEP 5

Line your cross pieces up equally on both ends of the wood shutters and secure them together with wood screws.

Line your cross pieces up equally on both ends of the DIY wood shutters and secure them together with wood screws.

Preserving Natural Finish On WoodShutters

Pressure-treated lumber has been treated with chemical preservatives to prevent rot and insect damage. While the chemical in the wood gives it some protection, it doesn’t prevent moisture from seeping into the wood, which will cause it to have a weathered gray look after a few years, and I want to preserve the natural wood beauty. Here’s what I did.

STEP 6

Apply 3 thin coats of Gator Hide (water repellant clear topcoat) to protect the wood from moisture.

I’ve done a few outdoor wood projects using this topcoat, and it works beautifully. It will need to be reapplied in a few years, but that’s no biggie if I can keep this natural wood look.

Gator Hide will somewhat darken the wood’s appearance, but I still love the outcome, and all that wood grain is still smiling at me.

DIY Wood Shutters... preserve that natural wood look with this stuff!
The grass is starting to green up, but my shrubs had seen better days after the hard sub-zero Winter we had here in Texas. We lost a lot of plants. So we did a major overhaul with new landscaping. I think it's a nice compliment to my new DIY wood shutters. Learn how to make them for your windows on the blog.

The grass is starting to green up, but my shrubs had seen better days after the hard sub-zero Winter we had here in Texas. We lost a lot of plants. So we did a major overhaul with new landscaping. I think it’s a nice compliment to my new wood shutters.

Thanks for joining me today, and I hope the sun is shining where ever you are. Enjoy the outdoors and try some DIY to add some curb appeal to your home. You’ll be glad you did.

Until the next project… xo, Do

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20 Comments

    1. Hi Sharon, we used concrete anchors and drilled into the mortar. It would be best if you didn’t drill directly into the brick. If, later on, you choose to change the shutters, you can always patch the holes.

    1. Hi Ashley,

      The garage door is a faux wood finish. I do have a video tutorial in my private subscription. Also, the paint color we used is by Sherwin William called Mindful Gray. We painted our front door black, but I can’t recall what we used. I hope this helps. You can learn more here about subscribing for more video tutorials.

      Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from you again. 🙂 xo

    1. Hi Brittiny! The color is Mindful Gray by Sherwin Williams. It appears white outside but I also used the same color inside my home. I love it. 🙂

    1. Hi Cristy,
      I used a clear waterproof topcoat. It did darken the wood a bit but gave it a beautiful rich tone. I love it! But you most certainly could add an oil based stain. Wishing you all the best with your project. 🙂

  1. You mentioned drilling into the mortar to hang them. Is there something that attaches to the back of the shutter to hang on the screw? Or does drill in from the front of the shutters?

    1. Hi Kristie,

      Yes, we drilled through the fronts of the shutters. I used the same stain to cover the screws to make them less noticeable. I hope this helps. 🙂

    1. Hi Katie,

      These were old treated pieces of decking. Probably about 1 inch. Maybe a bit less.

      We have moved from that house or I would just step outside and measure them. I hope this helps. 🙂

  2. Lost the love of my life 2 months ago and have been doing long neglected updates. House painting done so wanted something to break up all of that Gray! These are perfect! I know my winter project…Thank you

    1. Oh Ellise, I’m so very sorry for your profound loss. As I age I fear this the most. Giving you a big ole virtual hug from Texas.

      DIY is a great therapy and renewing your home can really help you focus and heal. It has saved me more than once. Best wishes on your journey until you meet with the love of your life once again.

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