When I see things out and about thrifting, I don’t always know what I’m going to do with something or how exactly I will use it; I just know it has potential. That was the case with these shutters.
I had found some choppier ones at the same ReStore previously that I have had several different uses for, so when I saw these, I knew I could find a use for them.
These were actually new, came in a box, the whole 9 yards. I think that’s why I was having such a hard time figuring out how to use them.
Then, inspiration struck! I found these wall vases at Hobby Lobby and knew I wanted to flank the tv with them.
I wanted to layer them on something, and I had these shutters in the basement… VIOLA! Perfect match!
I wanted to distress them first. It’s still pretty cold here in Maryland, so I wasn’t trying to sand anything. A little searching on the inter-webs led me to the baby wipe sanding method. For this method, you take a baby wipe and rub it over your freshly chalk painted surfaces in the places you want to distress (edges, corners, places that would naturally experience wear over time. Disclaimer: I made a mistake when I first tried it. I tried using some leftover spray chalk paint… 1) it dried too quickly and 2) I didn’t have enough to cover them both. Here is what my disastrous first attempt looked like: 
I ended up taking an old brush and some Waverly Chalk Paint in Plaster and dry brushed the shutters. 
This ended up being the result. I like how the gray of the spray chalk paint peeks through.
Because I wanted to hang a vase with a flat back, I knew I would need to raise it above the rods. I took a supple scrap pieces of wood and placed them at where the top and bottom of the vase would rest.
This also gave them stability because it fixed the hinges in place.
I love how they turned out! I filled them with some florals from Michaels for now, but I will change it out seasonally. I’m happy to have another place to easily decorate for the seasons.
What do you think?
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