HOW TO RESIZE OLD CHIPPY SHUTTERS

I love the Rustic Luxe look!  So when I saw a pair of grungy, chippy, wet, snow coverd shutters on a recent antiquing outing I knew that they were destined to live in my dining room!

There was one little problem.... they were way to big to go on either side of the gilded mirror!

But that was really no problem at all! Here's how to cut a shutter down and resize it to almost any length...

Here is the shutter before...

This shutter had to be unhinged and cut down to 36 inches... just right to hang on either side of the dinning room mirror.

This was really an easy project. The whole thing took Bobby and I (and when I say Bobby and I , I mean Bobby) about 40 minutes to resize both shutters and hang them.

Please read all the instructions before cutting your shutters!




CUTTING THE SHUTTERS


I wanted each shutter to be 36 inches long so they would be 1/2 inch longer than the mirror at the top and bottom.

Because the hindges were frozen in place with years of rust we decided not to cut then out and compromise the integrity of  of the shutters. Instead we cut the shutters in the middle.

Measure carefully, and cut all the way through the shutter. Bobby used his table saw.


If you can measure the shutters from the top, you will not have to take apart the top rail of the shutters and put them back together. Use the top rail as is.

* IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SAW CALL YOUR LOCAL HARDWARE STORE TO SEE IF THEY WILL CUT THIS FOR YOU.

THE ANATOMY OF A SHUTTER

source





REFITTING THE TOP RAIL TO THE SHUTTER

IMPORTANT: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CUT THE TOP OF THE SHUTTER OFF, SKIP DOING  THIS SECTION BUT READ IT AND GO TO "REFITTING THE BOTTOM RAIL"



Remover the top rail (top solid piece... the arrows are pointing to it in the picture below) from the cut off top piece of the shutter.

The louvers will pull apart easily from the stile and so will the top rail.

When the top rail is removed from the cut off piece of shutter, it is now time to secure it back in to the shutter.



Make sure to line up the mouse hole with the top of the tilt rod.  This will assure that both pieces are facing front.

Remove as many louvers as needed to fit the top rail into the shutter. The top rail must fit exactly to the top of the stiles.



In our shutters, Bobby had to take out a louver and cut off about about 1/3 inch and put it back into the shutter so the rail would fit perfectly.

Fit the top rail snugly into the top of the shutter.

When the top rail is placed in the shutter matching the mouse hole with the tilt bar and the top of the rail with the stiles, clamp it so it does not move.

Turn the shutter over to the back side and secure the top rail to the side stiles with L corner brackets and screws.

REFITTING THE BOTTOM RAIL TO THE SHUTTER


Securing the bottom rail to the shutter is the same process as securing the top rail to the shutter.

Remover the bottom rail (bottom solid piece) from the cut off bottom of the shutter.


The louvers will pull apart easily from the stile and so will the bottom rail.


The bottom rail will not have a mouse hole so be careful to remember which side of the rail is the front.

When the bottom rail is removed from the cut off piece, it is now time to secure it back in to the shutter.



Remove as many louvers as needed to fit the bottom rail into the shutter. The bottom rail must fit exactly to the bottom of the stiles.

When the bottom rail is placed in the shutter make sure the front of the bottom rail is facing up. Clamp the bottom of the shutter together so it does not move.

  Turn the shutter over to the back side and secure the bottom rail to the side stiles with L corner brackets and screws.




TA-DA!

Shutters that are sized to fit the decor!

Here is another pair of shutters we sized to fit on the mantel...

I hope you will now be on the lookout for some chippy shutter to decorate you home too!


Remember to

CHIPPY SHUTTERS IN THE DINING ROOM

The dining room at StoneGable has been one big DIY project! From the hardwood floors to the homemade curtains to the  painted chairs and buffet!

Our newest DIY addition are the white, chippy shutters we sized to fit on either side of the mirror...

I found these wonderful grungy, chippy white shutters at my favorite local antique store ... The Barn.

 I went shutter shopping on a recent snowy day... trudging through a foot of snow to find the perfect ones. Dozens of shutters were stacked and lined up on the side of the barn, all snow covered and very wet.

And there THEY were! In all their wet, dirty, chippy glory!

Soon they were put into the back of my car and we were headed home to StoneGable!

When the got home we let them dry and gave them a good vacuuming. 

They were ready to hang...

However, there was one little glitch... they were very very long. Much too long to go on either side of the mirror in the dining room!

Bobby and I (and when I say "Bobby and I" I mean Bobby) took the shutters apart and sized them to work in the dining room. I helped with encouragement and picture taking!

Stop back tomorrow to see a Tutorial on HOW TO SIZE SHUTTERS. It's really pretty easy!

We were going to hang the shutters, but the wainscoting had the perfect ledge to lean the shutters on. 

I am a huge fan of the rustic luxe contrast. 

The gilded mirror and the chippy shutter are a good example of that style!

The shutters look right at home...

My dining room is almost finished. In the next couple of week's I'll be adding the finishing touches!

And I'll share them with you.

For a detailed tutorial for resizing shutter for your home decor, click HERE

Remember to

I'm partying with...


WOW US WEDNESDAY

THE SCOOP # 107

Hello, StoneGable Friends!

Welcome to

THE SCOOP #107

Exciting news for next week!

Not only will you be able to participate in The Scoop but you can also show off your best Spring posts at our Mega Spring Linky Party going on at the same time!

The Scoop girls want this to be a linky party full of mega inspiration...

Please come and share all your regular Scoop entries... and any spring posts too!

I can't wait to see all your Spring ideas and creativity! I really need a big dose of Spring right now... another 3 inches of snow is predicted for tomorrow!

Welcome back to The Scoop #107

The weekly linky party featuring "the scoop" on the best posts from around the web!

More exposure + less time = win win!

We are

Anita from Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Debbie from Confessions of a Plate Addict

and Barb from The Everyday Home.

Yvonne from Stone Gable 
 Suzy from Worthing Court



Our host this week is...

Barb from The Everyday Home

Hello Everyone!

As far as Link Parties go, I am pretty proud and honored to be part of

this weekly event. Not only do I co-host with some pretty terrific women,

I get to see some pretty fabulous projects that you share with us.

They inspire me to be a better blogger and a better crafter.

So, thank you all.

Speaking of crafting... I don't know about you but I am sooooo

ready to add some Spring decor to The Everyday Home.

I can tell you are, too, by the most popular pins I am seeing on Pinterest.

I would love for you to follow The Everyday Home on Pinterest.

Here are some of my most recent and most popular pins...

The hutch in my Breakfast Room with my

Paint Chip Easter Egg Garland.

Paint Chip Easter Basket Name Tag

I can't wait to see your Spring and Easter projects in the upcoming weeks.

Just an FYI:

Please check out my online shop at Farmhouse Decor for some fabulous decor items.

Use Discount Code Farmhouse20Scoop for 20% off your next order.

Have a beautiful and blessed week, my friends.

xxoo, Barb

==================================================

Here are the Feature's of the Week:

Homemade White Cheddar Cheeze-Its

Organizer by Day shares her fabulous recipe to make your own yummy snack crackers.

===============================================

Easy Spring Centerpiece

Jane at Cottage of the Crossroads shares the newest green Mason Jars and how she created

a simple but cute centerpiece.

===========================================

Blue Willow Centerpiece

Wish a Dash of Color created this gorgeous tablescape that made me want to start pulling

out all of my blue and white dishes and create a pretty setting, too.

=============================================

Master Bedroom Project Reveal

The Comforts of Home shared her Master Bedroom and I just love her

painted shabby chic furniture.

=================================================

Awaiting the Birth of Spring

Rosemary Lane shares some stunning pictures that shows the promise of Spring.

===============================================

Thank to everyone who joined us last week.

We look forward to another great party.

Thank you for linking up, friends!

Please read the guidelines before participating:

• Follow and/or subscribe to your host blog.
• Be sure to include THE SCOOP button or text link to in your linked post...mandatory to be featured!
• By linking up you are agreeing that the photos are yours or that you have permission to use them, that we may use those photos to feature your project on a blog post, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter with a link back to your blog, of course.
• Please go to the source of a photo to pin it to Pinterest so that the originator of the post gets the credit.

THE WHITE CUPBOARD

Each season I like to change up the little cupboard in the dining room.

I was going to add spring things... but instead I just kept adding more and more white dishes. I love white dishes. They are like little pieces of art to me.

So, I'm holding off on the Spring nest and eggs and fluff and flowers for a couple of weeks to enjoy an all white cupboard with a few new Spring inspired soup tureens and bowls and such...

Most of my dishes and other tableware in the cupboard are not old. I've picked up many pieces at my favorite dish haunt HomeGoods.

This funny little built in cupboard tucked in the corner of my dining room has the most unusual arched shelves.  

I have only a small amount of shelf space to use as a display because of the curve. 

I must be very selective when picking things to go on each shelf!

I love love love to stack dishes... each soup tureen is placed on a small stack of assorted dishes with pretty edges.

(I must remember to paint the back of the bottom shelf!)

I got this rabbit baker (Wm-Sonoma)  last year. I think he is such a handsome fellow!

I recently found this fabulous cabbage soup tureen at HomeGoods. I scooped it up right away... and a few other pieces that matched!

One question StoneGable readers often ask me is if it is okay to display dishes that are different "whites".

I say celebrate it! Not all white dishes are the same color.

Notice the creamer and sugar bowl are a much creamier white than the leaf and berry plate behind it. And the plate to the left is a different white too!

I think the contrast is really beautiful!

I have a few surprises to show you in the dining room... here is a little peek at one Bobby and I have worked on...

Stop back on Wednesday to see the reveal!

Remember to