Get a long shutter at the store and copy this chic project

Don’t throw out those old shutters from a recent remodel. Instead, repurpose them into a multifunctional command center for your entryway, kitchen or home office. A few pieces of cork offer plenty of room for hanging postcards or wedding invites, while clipboards store documents within easy reach. Add a few screw hooks to the bottom for a convenient place to keep your keys.

Ready-made wall organizers can cost $100 or more, but you can make this one-of-a-kind version for the cost of some cork and a couple of clipboards. Not only is this homemade version bursting with character, but you can also customize it to match your existing decor. Plus, upcycled shutters have plenty of weathered charm and look more beautiful in your home than they would in a landfill.

Materials
- Long shutters, 4
- Electric screwdriver
- Needle-nose pliers
- Roll of cork
- Ruler or straight edge
- Pencil
- X-Acto knife
- Gorilla Super Glue Gel
- Clipboards, 2
- FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Paint in “Seaside Villa”
- Paint brush
- Floral contact paper
- Scissors
- Clamp
- Small drill bit
- Small screws, 2
- Screw hooks, 4
- Paint pen
- Small paint brush

Instructions
1. Remove any hinges and screws from the shutters with an electric screwdriver. Use needle-nose pliers to remove the tilt rods, if there are any. Discard the fixtures and adjust the slats so that they are all facing the same direction.

2. Arrange the shutters on the floor or your work surface so that there are three shutters positioned vertically and side by side. Position the fourth shutter horizontally above the other three. In this project, the horizontal shutter and the middle vertical shutter are narrower than the other two shutters.

3. Position a piece of cork near the top of the right vertical shutter. With a straight edge and pencil, mark where to cut the cork so that it fits snuggly within the edges of the shutter. Cut the cork to fit with an X-Acto knife. Glue the cork in place with super glue. Allow the glue to dry. Repeat with the left vertical shutter.

4. Use a clamp to hold open the clip on a clipboard. Paint the top of the board with “Seaside Villa”. Allow it to dry.

5. Measure and cut a piece of contact paper to fit the clipboard. To do this, position the contact paper on the clipboard so that the left edge of the paper lines up with the left edge of the board. Align the top of the paper with the bottom of the clip. Remove the clamp so that the clip holds the paper in place. Turn the board over and draw an outline on the back of the paper. Cut out the paper along the lines.

6. Remove the protective backing from the paper and attach it to the board. Trim the edges of the paper with the E-Xacto knife.

7. Position the clipboard below the cork you applied in step 3. With a pencil, mark where to insert a screw to hang the board on. Drill a guide hole through the slat with a small drill bit, then partially insert a small screw. Hang the board from the screw.

8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 to create and hang a clipboard on the left shutter.

9. With a ruler, measure and mark where you want two hooks to go on the bottom of the right shutter. Drill guide holes with the small drill bit, then insert the screw hooks. Repeat for the left shutter.

10. Using your leftover cork, create a “home sweet home” sign to hang on the top shutter. Use a piece of cork that is an inch or two tall and a few feet long. Sketch your text with a pencil or paint pen, then paint over it with “Seaside Villa” and a small paint brush.

11. Once the paint is dry, position the cork in the middle of the top shutter, then glue it in place. Allow the glue to dry.

12. Hang your completed command center on the wall. Add a few push pins to the cork, then enjoy!