Mom brought home some old shutters, completely transformed them into pure beauty

Why settle for a run-of-the-mill coffee table when you could have a straight-up statement piece? This coffee table made from an old shutter offers serious style even if you’re on a slim budget. To make the finished table feel even cozier, place a galvanized metal tray and vase on top. Then, slip magazines onto the shelf beneath the shutter to ensure your living room stays free of clutter.
Even novices will find this coffee table easier to build than it looks. Wood glue and angle brackets make assembly a breeze. The only time-consuming task is waiting for the glue, paint and stain to dry.
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Materials
- Shutter
- 1-by-10-inch board
- Plywood board
- Jigsaw
- Orbital sander
- Electric screwdriver
- Pencil
- Black angle brackets, 8
- Small screws, 16
- Gorilla Wood Glue
- Wooden table legs, 4
- Measuring tape
- Sanding block
- FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Paint in “Maui Sand”
- Minwax Wood Finish Interior Penetrating Stain in “Honey”
- Paintbrush
- Paper towel
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
1. Dust off the shutter with a rag. Remove any screws, hinges or other fixtures with an electric screwdriver, and discard them.
2. Measure and mark the 1-by-10-inch board to be the same width as the shutter. Repeat, so that once cut, you’ll have two pieces of the same width.
3. Place the shutter on top of the plywood. Line up two sides of the shutter and plywood, then draw an outline of the other two sides of the shutter onto the plywood.
4. With a jigsaw, cut out all the marks you made in steps 2 and 3. You should now have the bottom of the coffee table and two side pieces. With the orbital sander, sand all the sides and edges of the boards and plywood.
5. Lay the plywood flat on your work surface. Place one of the boards on top of the edge of the plywood, so that it forms one side of the coffee table. Position two angle brackets along the side, then mark where the guide holes should go. Drill guide holes into the marks, then screw the brackets to the bottom of the table. Glue the side of the table to the bottom, then finish screwing the brackets to the side. Repeat for the other side of the table, using a measuring tape to match the positioning of the angles.
6. Turn the shutter upside down. Place the bottom of the table upside down on top of the shutter. Attach the bottom of the table to the shutter with two angle brackets on each side as you did in the previous step. If you'd rather not use wood glue in this step, it isn't required.
7. Position a wooden leg in one corner of the bottom of the table. Use a measuring tape to make sure the leg is about 2 inches away from each side. Glue the leg in place. Repeat for all four legs. Allow the glue to dry.
8. Use a sanding block to lightly sand the sides and edges of the table. Wipe off any dust with a rag.
9. Paint the top of the table with “Maui Sand." Allow it to dry.
10. Stain the sides, bottom and legs of the table with “Honey.” As you stain, wipe off the excess stain with a paper towel. Allow it to dry.
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