Recycle that Shutter! A Creative Kid-Friendly Project for Fall

It’s fall, and the kids have been back to school for awhile now. If you’re like most parents, you’re undoubtedly suffering from two very common, but very different maladies: the my-kids-are-getting-sick-of-school malady and the we-are-so-disorganized malady.

It’s easy to start out the school year with a wealth of energy, enthusiasm, organization tricks and good intentions, but the truth is that somewhere around mid-fall, all of those start to break down – for both you and your kids.

If you’re ready to reboot and reorganize, check out this fabulous shutter craft project designed by Jamie Dorobek over at C.R.A.F.T. With a few tweaks, this crafty creation can become the perfect mid-fall refresher and school supply organizer for the whole family.

Step One: Find Your Shutter

Although you may have never considered it before, spare shutters are actually pretty easy to find. You can easily procure one of these at eBay, Amazon or Etsy; however, if you prefer, you may also find shutters at antique stores or garage sales.

Look for a shutter that suits your style preference – something clean and new for a modern look or antique and weathered for those of us who can’t get enough shabby chic. Make sure the shutter is large enough to accommodate lots of items as the point of this craft is to help you and your kids stay organized.

Step Two: Paint and Decorate

Once you’ve found the perfect shutter, it’s time to paint. Jamie’s original creation sports a zany diagonal section of bright yellow paint in contrast to the pure white of the shutter (see how she made that happen here), but the possible ways to paint your shutter are unlimited.

Include your kids in the project and let their creativity inspire you. You could opt for painting each slat in varying monochromatic shades, apply paint with a crackle coating for an antique look, or, for a fall theme, tape leaves to the shutter and then spray paint over it, removing the leaves at the end for beautiful leaf outlines. Decorating the shutter may involve stones and shells, leaves and ribbon or even fall favorites like candy corn and miniature pumpkins.

Step Three: Organize

This may be the most essential step: organization. Jamie recommends over-the-door hooks, command hooks, a magnetic knife strip, clipboards, ! wire baskets and a clear command caddy as tools for organization; however, with good adhesive or hardware, you could affix almost any container or organizing tool to your shutter. The possibilities are nearly endless, so make your choices according to your child’s age and organizational needs.

Step Four: Fill It Up!

When your shutter is completed with its hooks, caddies, baskets and clipboards, it’s time to gather up all your children’s scattered school supplies and organize them. Place assignments on the clipboards, notebooks and folders in the baskets and backpacks and coats on the hooks.

There are all kinds of variations for this project. If you want one for your kitchen, use command caddy organizers for cookbooks, notes, recipes, grocery lists and the other million things every mom has in her kitchen.

Finally, sit back and relax with some warm apple cider to congratulate yourself on completing a successful and useful fall craft.