Fireplace Shutters

➺Scroll to the end to see how I keep my kids happy to do these projects.

Yay-project completed! I spend the morning finishing these shutters in front of the fireplace that I had started over a month ago. These two cupboard doors were left over from the the piece that I made into my middle bookshelf in my the library room I started a couple months back. I white washed them as I thought, "I know I can use them for something," and then they sat in the garage for a month or two.

A couple weeks ago I came across an advertisement for a home decor store that I really like and was selling these cute fireplace shutters. They don't actually attach and are more just shutters slightly leaning against the fireplace to add decor. "That was it!" I thought, exactly what I was going to use my leftover cupboard doors for!

I then had to figure out where to find some metal pieces to complete the look of being barn doors of sorts and figure out how I would create the "cross" shapes on the front. I found all these pieces for cheap at a local Home Depot besides the handles which I got from a handle store nearby. I spray painted the metal bar pieces (I found out are called tie plates) and the handles I had found so they all matched. I first cut them with a basic saw box kit which I already had. I am pretty sure the saw box kit is seriously only 8 dollars if you don't have one. They are super handy! Then I imitated the same paint look on the wood "cross" parts as the cupboard door by painting them a light brown with simple craft paint and then white washing them with an old brush and watered down white craft paint.


The total project cost me $22. Yeah! Much better than the $129 per door I saw at the store.
What You'll Need:

• 2 Old Cupboard Doors that cover the length and width of your fireplace
• 2 handles to your liking

Plus,

Thin Wood Strips 39 cents each from Home Depot

 

Spray Paint $4.79

 

4 Tie Plates from Home Depot - $1.29 each 

Mitre Box and Saw Set

$7.49 Home Depot

Miracle Kid Moment

It doesn't always work out perfectly- let's be honest, but I have found when I spend at least 20 minutes one on one solely helping them with a project along the lines of what I intend to do or even "helping" me they are often happy to scamper off and play on their own afterward. I just tell them, "now we have to let these dry, why don't you go play with your toys for a while and then when they are dry we can draw on them."  Which I keep my word and we do later.  These are large popsicle sticks they painted and later we drew bunny ears and a face with a marker to have them be "completed." They were very happy.