G'day all, thanks for the lovely positive comments yesterday on our oh-so-perfect 
outdoor campfire.
Right, I think I've mentioned, just a few times, how much I detest the windows to the back of the cottage, the new extended bit? And how, if only, I had a huge budget I might splash out and refit every window in the house and use my exquisite taste to invest, pah! in some decent ones that I'd seen on the pages of a magazine.
Sadly that was never gonna happen anytime soon.
So the one thing I've learnt on this journey is to improvise and make the best of what I've got or more appropriately not got (you can read the story here) and so I've been looking out for shutters on my rounds. Not a sausage. I have never seen a shutter while out hunting.
Then I saw a very inspiring picture of a shutter (you can see it at my Inspiration Board, here) and then I surfed on into Thrifty Decor Chick who had the brainwave of making shutters out of fence posts. I read her post in amazement, ooh yeah.
How fast do you think I headed to the DIY store? ;-)
I scooped up the fence posts, a couple of dollars each and a few tubes of Liquid Nails and baby I was on a mission to get the Beach Cottage shuttered-up.
It was easy. I mean really very easy.
All I did was, taking Sarah's lead, paint each fence post with some outdoor paint, then glued them together to make a 'panel', then cut another post to the width of the 'panel' and then glued this to the front giving the look of a shutter for about $15 a window.
paint the fence posts with two coats of exterior paint
run Liquid Nails down the sides and butt together
Cut two pieces from an additional post, the width of your glued together posts and adhere one to the top and one to the bottom of the front of the 'panel'
leave to dry and then touch up the ends
Then I used Liquid Nails to glue the shutters to either side of those b e a u t i f u l windows.
I may have the ugliest windows in the world but I do have the loveliest teenage helper in the world…
We had such a laugh doing this and as we walked away the whole thing promptly fell down so we stuck up some masking tape and kept that on overnight…
Although this is stupidly simple, there are quite a lot of windows to get dressed up in shutters here in this tatty old cottage – I thought I would start with the back and the laundry window as this is the one that annoys me the most and is about to get new roof trim and lighting and the one that is the most difficult to photograph, I'm good like that.
To be totally honest (and I tell you this after I've put written a post about putting faux shutters on the wall with Liquid Nails) I am not a lover of shutters unless they are on the windows overlooking a square deep down in Toulouse with a window box of red geraniums …not quite the same on a 1980's aluminium window on the back of an old cottage in Australia. Non.
Though my opinion is that it looks better than what I started with, which is always a bonus when you use Liquid Nails…
Well, what do you think? I'd love to know your opinion.
Now I'm off to get some geraniums. In white
blogged for Kimba's Do It Yourself Day, thanks!
“Stupidly Simple” and Genius!
It’s cute as a bug’s ear, Sarah! I envision a little blooming window box at the bottom made out of the boards… Might not be possible though. Can’t tell from your windows just how they open and close.
Brenda
Love love love your handmade shutters! They look great!
Brilliant
Must laugh at the maskingtape though
Love, love, love this! You do realize that I will have to steal this beautiful idea don’t you!?
This looks so lovely, Sarah! Fabulous job!
Hugs,
Rachel
Love it Sarah !
Especially caaaaute !
Hugs ~Kammy
That’s a really clever way to take the focus away from the not so charming aluminium windows and the white looks so fresh against the colour of the walls. I can’t wait to see them with the geraniums!
I am about to attempt to remove one of my own liquid nails “installations” – a few shelves in my daughters ex-nursery – so that the space can be done up for her new bedroom. Hope I don’t have to replace the plasterboard (it seemed like such a good idea at the time….)!
Very Cute Idea…and not to mention how lucky you are to have a willing tenager to help…mine would have demanded payment
I love, love, love your shutters. What a great idea! I will copy this. I can see it in my daughters room.
Wonderful!!!!!!!!
hi there just wanted to say i love your blog,i think your shutters are fab,i have been looking at your ideas from previous post and i think your have brilliant ideas ,and its made me think about what i can do in my house.
kisses lisa
Oh I adore them. I have to steal your photo ok so I can remember? I want to go to your links to see what you were talking about. When I get some done I’ll share! Just lovely. I love your beach cottage wish you weren’t so far away I would love to visit.
Have a lovely weekend,
Sherry
Welllllllll I think you did a great job! A friend of muine also made shutters herself by glueing pannels on panels etc..
Now that I am here i would like to thank you for your other beach cottage blog with all the pictures! I am redesigning a bit the side bar of my blog and I mentioned it under a special topic with ‘inspiration for your house’ blogs!
thanks for the inspiration.
Al the best from Amsterdam, desiree
This is great! I am visiting via ASPTL.
Please drop by and enter my giveaway.
Have a blessed weekend!
I luv the shutters!!! So cute! Great idea. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful weekend. Connie
hi. i have similar windows. ( hug, sigh) and am in awe of your willingness to plunge into a project, photograph it along the way, and come up with a perfect solution for the $,time,energy,workcrew available. you ROCK!
i hope i can follow your example!! jkj
Sarah, I LOVE it!!! Anything “trimmed” in wood is just beautiful to me!!!
Hugs to you!!
Kristin
Wow! That is a super kool DIY idea!
That just goes to triple prove it – you can’t be living a life without Liquid Nails by your side.
I think I just drooled myself. So, yes; I like it.
My eyes are literally popping out of my head catching up on all the gorgeous beach cottage eye candy!!
xo, Laura
Hi Sarah, I had to come by and see your shutters. We shared the same post on Rhodas post today. Love the shape of the wood on the top of your shutters, it looks so cottagey. Have a great day,Kathysue