How to Build Your Own Country Interior Window Shutters

Country shutters can be made from 6-inch wood pieces.

Nothing says country like shutters, and home-crafted interior window shutters can really set the country theme for your home. The shutters needn't be functional; they can be purely decorative. They don't even have to be louvered; they can be flat. If you make them this way, they are fairly easy to construct, and you get a lot of effect for a small amount of work.

Things You'll Need

• 3 pieces of pine wood, 6-inch by 8-feet
• 1-inch by 2-inch by 8-foot piece of pine
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Power saw
• Wood glue
• 12 wood screws, 1 and 1/2 inches long
• Power drill
• Paint
• 4 saw-tooth picture holders

Instructions

1. Measure the entire length of the window, including all trim. Cut 6 pieces of the 1-by-6's to this measurement.

2. Cut 4 20-inch long pieces of the 1-by-2's.

3. Lay 3 panels of the 1-by-6's next to each other. Align the top and bottom ends, leaving a 1-inch space between them. Measure 4 inches down from the tops of the 2 outer pieces and mark with the pencil. Measure 4 inches up from the bottoms, and mark again. Repeat for the second shutter.

4. Apply wood glue to one side of a cut 1-by-2. Place the piece horizontally on top of the lined-up 1-by-6's, inside of the top pencil mark, and lining up the side edges. Press and let dry. Repeat for the bottom crossbar, placing it on the inside of the bottom 4-inch mark.

5. Drill screw holes in the cross-pieces, centering them both ways in the 2-inch piece and in the 6-inch panels, both (one hole, centered both ways). Screw in the screws.

6. Sand the shutters to the desired degree of smoothness or rusticity. Prime and paint or stain and shellac, as you prefer.

7. Attach two picture hangers to each shutter, the first 1-inch down from the top and the other 1 inch in from the sides. Hang on the wall next to the window.

Tips & Warnings

• A metal tape measure or wooden yardstick are better than cloth ones, as the latter can stretch.

• Be sure your wood is cured so that it will not warp later on, causing unsightly twists in your shutters.

References

• Beach cottage do-it-yourself-shutters