Mom picked up old shutters from a garage sale & construct this seriously cool project

Is the area around your front door looking a little bland? A console table is a classic way to accent your entryway. This console table made from shutters offers extra visual appeal and comes with a clever place to hang keys. By using old shutters, you also help keep usable materials out of the landfill.
While this table may be a little more involved to build than other DIY projects, don’t let that scare you from getting started. As long as you have a power drill, you can assemble this table on your own. If you don’t have a jigsaw or orbital sander, simply use a handsaw and sanding block instead. Just be sure to secure any wood to a sawhorse or table and use protective gear like gloves and goggles before setting to work.
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Materials
- Shutters, 2 that are the same length
- Rag
- Needle-nose pliers
- Screwdriver
- Thick plywood cut to the size of your shutter
- 3/8-inch thick x 4-inch wide x 3-foot long wood plank for aprons, 3 pieces
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Jigsaw
- Orbital sander
- 3/4-inch x 1/2-inch corner braces, 8
- 1 1/2-inch x 3/4-inch corner braces, 8
- Screws, 32 (included with braces)
- 29-inch tall wooden legs, 4
- Gorilla Wood Glue
- Power drill
- Small drill bit
- Phillips-head bit
- FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Paint in “Bavarian”
- FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Paint in “Sheepskin”
- Paint brush
- Screw hooks, 3
- Decorative corner brackets, 2
- Small screws for brackets, 16
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
1. Prepare your shutters. Dust them with a rag and remove any tilt rods with needle-nose pliers. Remove any screws, hinges or other fixtures with a screwdriver and discard them.
2. Take the shutter you plan to use for the top of the table and turn it upside down. Center the plywood on top. Mark on the shutter where the edges of the plywood should be. Use wood glue to attach the plywood to the shutter. Allow the glue to dry completely.
3. Place the wooden legs in each corner of the plywood and outline them with a pencil. Measure the distance between each leg. Mark your apron wood and cut it to size so that it fits between each leg on all sides. After cutting, you should have four pieces: two longer pieces and two shorter pieces. Sand the sides and edges of the pieces.
4. Start assembly. Glue the legs in place to hold their position. Put the aprons in place. Position each apron in the middle of the leg so there’s about 1 inch of space between the apron and the edge of the plywood. If desired, glue the aprons in place for extra sturdiness.
5. Position the braces. Each corner should have four braces: two 3/4-inch x 1/2-inch braces attaching the tabletop to the leg and two 1 1/2-inch x 3/4-inch braces attaching the leg to the aprons. Mark spots for the pilot holes and remove the braces. Drill the pilot holes. Replace the braces and screw them into place. Repeat for all four legs and aprons.
6. Paint the table with “Bavarian” or the chalk paint color of your choice. Paint a second coat with “Sheepskin”. Paint the second shutter to match or with a contrasting color of your choice. Allow the paint to dry. If desired, finish the table with a clear wax (not shown).
7. Measure out spots to place the screw hooks along the top edge of the second shutter. In this project, a hook is placed at 9 inches, 18 inches and 27 inches. Drill the pilot holes and screw in the hooks by hand.
8. Place the second shutter on the back ledge of table to create a 90-degree angle. Position the decorative brackets where you want them, then mark the pilot holes on both shutters. Remove the brackets. Drill the pilot holes on the second shutter. Replace the brackets and screw them to the shutter. Drill the pilot holes on the first shutter. Screw the brackets to the first shutter. With that, your console table is complete.
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