Custom Budget Shutters
Custom made shutters as a window treatment give a warm charming look that can cost big, as much as $500 per window. Try a creative do it yourself solution to get the look for less!
Bi-fold closet doors are inexpensive and available at any home improvement store for $25 - $30 each. Repurpose them and add inexpensive blinds to make custom shutters for any room in the house for under $100 per window.
Overview
You will be removing the top of the doors, cutting them down to size and removing the slats. Using inexpensive blinds, cut them to size to fit in the top portion of the door/shutter.
Instructions
- Use a pair of bi-fold doors per window, although smaller windows may be able to handle just one. Remove the top frame of the door carefully –you’ll need to use it later.
- Cut down the shutters to the correct height for the window. Now cut out the top half of the slats. A sharp handsaw can do the trick for this project, no sharp power tools necessary!
- Reattach the top piece with wood screws or even a strong wood glue, heck, Mighty Putty might even due the trick (Safety tip: Wear protective gloves when using any epoxy product!).
- Now’s the time to stain or paint the shutters – the wood is considered paint grade, but a colored stain can bring a warm wood look as well. Watch out for drips!
- Now use a different window treatment in the top portion, you can use blinds or fabric mounted within the top portion just like mounting them in a window. They’ll probably need to be cut to size.
- Hang the shutters using standard hinges, not using the hardware track that came with the door. It’s best to use a power screwdriver for this task.
With minimal carpentry skills and in just a few hours, you'll save hundreds of dollars on custom shutters!