DIY Network

Countertop Divider Screen Turn old shutters into cool new screens. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-612

Lasso a great look with shutters and rope.

If you're sick of looking at that stand mixer – or any other countertop appliance that's too bulky or essential to shove in a cabinet – B. Original and cover them up with divider screens made from old shutters.

A lot of the old shutters at thrift stores or yard sales are missing the middle panels. Instead of filling these in with fabric, Michele Beschen creates colorful panels of rope for a fun look. Scroll down for her how-to.

advertisement

Countertop Divider Screen

Materials:

old shutters
string or rope
drill with metal bit
safety glasses
hot glue gun
scissors
scrap piece of MDF
(2) 1/4" bolts with nuts
2 pieces of angle iron
2 wing nuts

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F

• Look for old shutters at thrift shops and yard sales. Many of these are missing the center pieces – making them perfect for this project.

• Measure a piece of rope against the shutter to determine the length needed. Use that piece as a guide to cut more pieces of rope.

• Michele Beschen builds a frame to create her rope panels for the shutters. To do this, drill holes for two1/4" bolts in a scrap piece of medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Slip the bolts up through the MDF from the bottom.

  Safety Alert: Always wear safety glasses when using a power drill.

• Use a drill with a metal bit to drill a hole in each angle iron to accommodate a 1/4" bolt.

• Thread a nut on each of the 1/4" bolts (figure A), then slide an angle iron over each bolt. The nut will work as a spacer to accommodate the rope.

• Thread the wing nuts over the bolts (figure B). This is the frame that will hold the rope still while making the rope panels. Gradually tighten them down on the angle irons as strips of rope are added.

• Slide strips of rope underneath the angle irons (figure C). Line up the pieces of rope at one end; the other end can always be trimmed flush. The goal is to create a flat panel of rope large enough to cover the empty space in the shutter.

• Once the rope is in place, use a glue gun to apply a strip of glue across the ropes at one end (figure D).

• Add more lines of glue across the ropes every few inches. Pull the ropes taut and squeeze them together when applying the glue to keep the ropes straight and smooth.

  Safety Alert: Be careful when working with the glue gun, especially if gluing close to your hands. If hot glue gets on your hands, set the glue gun down safely and immediately flush the skin with cold water.

• Loosen the wing nuts and remove the rope panel.

• Fit the rope panel on the inside back of the shutter frame. Use the glue gun to tack the panel in place at one end of the shutter (figure E), then run a bead a glue along the inside lip of the shutter to secure the sides of the rope panel (figure F). Be careful not to let glue ooze out onto the front of the shutter.

• Trim any excess length from the panel, if needed.

• Glue down the other end of the panel. Hinge the shutters as desired and enjoy your new countertop screen.