DIY Shutters and Window Box

Let me tell you, it is so bizarre to actually have a post about something I did at my own house these days. The last little project we tackled was our front porch makeover and I was so inspired by that, that I decided to add some backyard appeal to my deck. There are many issues with this deck, but let's just start with this one little area:

First of all that window is in desperate need of love and attention. Secondly, there is absolutely no style to this area of the deck and thirdly, man, that deck needs power washing! Even though I knew I couldn't squeeze in power-washing, I had some pretty cute ideas to spruce this spot up and make at least one area of the deck look nice! Feast your eyes on this area now…

This is a two-step project: the shutters and the window box. I'll break each one down for you. Neither of them are difficult- you should be able to do this in only one day! Here's what you need:
For shutters: (6) 1x4 pine boards Liquid Nails (8) 4 inch decking screws (8) 1.25 inch nails Chop saw 3M Wood Filler 3M Sandblaster Bare Surfaces Sanding pad Exterior Paint
For Window Box: (1) 1x10 board (3) terra cotta pots ScotchBlue Painters Tape Drill Jigsaw (2) wooden brackets Spraypaint Exterior paint 3M Sandblaster Bare Surfaces Sanding Pad ScotchBlue™ Non-Slip Dropcloth

DIY Window Shutters Ok, let's start with those pretty shutters, shall we? I already mentioned that I bought six pine 1x4 boards. This should be enough for the vertical slats and the short horizontal cross pieces for your shutters, but check your measurements before you buy these in case your window size is different from mine.

1. Measure the height of your window and make sure to include any trim or framework around it. My shutters are the same exact height of the window- no more and no less.

2. Cut wood to size using a chop saw. My hubs tried out these Digital Worktunes Hearing Protectors from 3M and was in love. He's such a music guy and the fact that he could listen to his mp3 player while working made the fact that I was making him work after a 12 hour car ride home from vacation a little more bearable.: ) Oh yeah, my boards were 36 3/4 long, but again, measure your window first! I liked the look of three boards across, so I measured the width of those three boards to determine the width of my cross piece. It ended up being 10.5 inches, so he cut those too.

Looking pretty good so far!

3. Attach the three vertical boards together by running liquid nails along the sides. Clamp together and let dry.
4. Measure the distance of the cross pieces from the top and bottom. I liked the look of 4 inches, so we made a mark on each side.

5. Put liquid nails on the back of your cross piece and attach to boards. Clamp and let dry.

6. Because we didn't want to see any pesky nails, we decided to nail the cross piece in from the back. Once your liquid nails has dried enough, you should be able to easily flip it over and hammer in a few nails to make the entire shutter secure.

7. Paint them your desired color. We painted the shutters the same color that we used on the shutters on the front of the house. (Sorry no picture of this! It was getting dark and we were being dive bombed by beetles. Gross.)
8. Hang shutters on either side of the window with 4 inch decking screws. Fill in screws with wood filler, sand and touch up with paint. Voila! Cute new shutters that were super easy to build!

DIY Window Box I'm not sure that you can technically call this a window box, since, um, there is no box. But it has the look of a window box without having to build one and lets you play with some pretty terra cotta pots!
1. Measure the width of your window to determine the length of your 1x10 board. I actually had this piece of barn wood laying around in my garage…go figure!; ) Cut using a chop saw. \

2. Evenly space your pots on the board and place an"x" through the hole in each pot. Then, double-check your marks with a tape measure to be sure they're evenly spaced.

3. Figure out the diameter of the area under the lip of the pot (that way the pot will sit in the hole but not fall through). Divide that number by two (oops! Did I forget to mention there was math involved?) and make marks that distance all the way around the center point. For example, the diameter of my pot under the lip was five inches, so I divided by two and got 2.5 inches. Each mark is exactly 2.5 inches away from the center point. Got it?

4. Using a large drill bit, drill a hole at the center point. Make it large enough so that the jigsaw blade will be able to fit in there. Cut out the entire circle with the jigsaw. Repeat on the other holes.

5. For the pots, I went with a two-tone look. First I sprayed two of the pots with a terracotta red (I know, ironic. Why not just keep it the terra cotta color, you ask? It wasn't perfect. So there.) The other pot, I sprayed a really light aqua blue. Let dry completely.

6. Then I taped off the bottom of the pots using the ScotchBlue™ Painter's Tape. I had such good luck with it on my front porch that I knew it would do the trick! I sprayed the lip of each pot in the opposite color and let dry. I peeled the tape off and was thrilled with the result! What's nice about this tape is that it didn't pull any of the spray paint off of the pot even though it has been sticky hot here!

7. Paint the shelf and brackets the same color as the shutters. Attach brackets to the siding and then screw the board right into the brackets on the top. Add your pots and flowers and you're done!
Now, for the gratuitous beauty shots. C'mon, if you look this good, you're allowed to show it off.: )