Projects for Raised-Panel Shutters

Raised-panel shutters lend themselves to a plethora of innovative projects you can undertake. Use the shutters in virtually any room of your home; they provide practical solutions in cramped spaces as well as aesthetically pleasing art. Purchase the shutters new or search your local flea markets and antique stores for vintage pieces. Take a weekend to put together one or all of these projects ////////////////that are sure to provide years of enjoyment. Does this Spark an idea?

Drop Leaf Table

You don't have to sacrifice style to accommodate cramped spaces. Stain two shutters in ebony colored wood stain or paint them in the color of your choice. Adorn the indentations surrounding each raised panel with sea glass. Cover the shutters in 1/2 inch of epoxy resin to create a smooth eating surface. Connect the shutters with drop leaf table hinges. Attach table legs to the four corners of one of the shutters. Drop the leaf on this imaginative table when not in use and raise it when you are entertaining friends.

Kitchen Cabinet Doors

Reface kitchen cabinets with raised-panel shutters. Remove the old doors, leaving the hardware. Paint the raised-panels with chalk board paint in a color that complements the rest of your kitchen decor. In chalk, write the contents of each cabinet -- plates, stemware or pots and pans on the raised panels. You can also use them to write menu plans, grocery lists and chores for the kids. Attach the shutters using the hinges from the old doors.

Fun and Games

It's game time. Flank your dart board with raised-panel shutters. Use chalk to tally the scores on the raised panels. Connect a trio of raised-panel shutters, each with three panels, and hang them in your child's room. Paint the shutters with magnetic paint and drill a single screw into a top corner. Hang magnetic x's and o's from the screw. The shutters become an over-sized tic-tac-toe board your child can enjoy with friends.

Mirrored Wall Mural

You don't have to tolerate plain, bare walls in your living room. Create a conversation piece in the form of a mirrored mural made with your raised-panel shutters. Connect five shutters, each with measurements of 14 inches wide by 59 1/4 inches long, using hinges. Cut peel-and-stick mirrors in the same width and height as the raised panels. Stick the mirrors evenly on the panels. Screw the mirrored shutters into the wall, using 3-inch screws driven into wall studs to support the weight.