How To Create A Post Rack From An Old Shutter

Old external shutters can be given a new lease of life with a little DIY know-how and creativity.  This project should only take you a few hours to complete.  You'll need some basic DIY knowledge when it comes to affixing the shutter to your wall.

Here's how to make an attractive and useful post rack and organiser from an old external shutter and a few bits and bobs from your local DIY store.

What you'll need

• old shutter
• paint
• paint brushes
• sand paper (coarse grain and fine grain)
• small wooden block
• stiff brush or wire wool
• a few cup hooks
• parcel tape
• card
• a suitable hanger

How to do it

1. The first thing to do is to get rid of any old paint from the shutter and clean it up until it's ready for painting.  To do this, simply give the whole thing a good going over with a stiff brush or some wire wool to remove loose flakes of paint.  
2. Next, use a piece of coarse grain sandpaper to rub away the remaining paint.  You'll find it easier to handle the sandpaper if you wrap a square of it around a wooden block.  Use the long edge of the block to work the sandpaper into the trickier areas of the shutter.  
3. When all the paint is gone, repeat the sanding job with the fine grain sandpaper to give you a smooth surface for painting.  
4. Now you can paint the shutter.  It's easier to do this if you can hang the shutter somewhere, perhaps from a beam in your garage, so that you can reach all the nooks and crannies.  
5. Allow the shutter to dry completely, and then apply a further coat of paint if necessary.  
6. When the shutter is dry, place it right side down on a flat surface.  Cut a piece of card large enough to cover the back of the shutter so that the slats are obscured.  This prevents any letters or flyers from dropping through onto the floor.  Secure the card in place with parcel tape.  
7. With the shutter still on its face, attach the hanger to the centre at the top of the shutter.  
8. Turn the shutter over and screw the cup hooks along the bottom at evenly spaced intervals.  You can use these for hanging up keys or other lightweight items.  
9. Finish off by hanging the shutter where required.  The wall fixings you'll need for this must obviously be strong enough to support the shutter's weight and will depend on the nature of the surface the shutter will hang on.

Instead of consigning it to the bin, you can create a stylish and attractive post and key organiser from your old external shutter by following the guidelines above.

For more information, contact professionals like Shutterflex.