Materials:
four 1"-thick pine boards measuring the height window and 1/4 the width of window
four pairs of hinges
sandpaper
two handles
screwdriver
desired paint color
lint-free rag
Steps:
- If desired, have a lumber yard cut boards to size. Most of them will make cross as well as rip cuts. For the length, measure from the top of the casing to the top of the sill and subtract 1/4 inch so the shutter won't rub on the sill. To calculate the width of each board, measure the window width from the outside edge of one side of the casing to the other. Then subtract 1/4 inch from the total measurement. This should be enough to compensate for the hinge joints between the shutters and a small space where they will meet. Divide the answer by four to get the necessary width of boards.
- Sand all of the boards to remove any rough saw edges and little splinters of wood.
- Add color to the boards by wiping paint on with lint-free rag. This way, some of the grain shows through and gives the shutters a rustic look. If desired, paint them a solid color or even stain them. Make sure to cover both sides and all of the edges, since they'll be seen from the inside and the outside of your home.
- Depending on the height of the boards, you need to attach two of them together with the hinges mounted anywhere from four to eight inches in from the top and bottom of the boards. Attach another pair of hinges at the same levels on the other side of the board that will attach to the side edge of the window casing. Take a moment or two to figure out if the hinges are being attached correctly. The middle part of the shutter should come out towards you when it is mounted on the window, then it should swing to the side and lay flat against the wall right next to the window casing.
- Once both sides of the shutters are mounted, close them over the window, determine handle placement and attach them.
Note: There are two tricky areas of this project, one is getting the width of the boards just right so the shutters will close without too big of a gap between them. The other is attaching the hinges to the boards correctly.
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