Good grief, the price of cedar is so high right now! Given the cost, we had to get creative with the materials for our window shutters and boxes. We really wanted a natural wood look for the exterior, so Brian ingeniously suggested using cedar fence pickets, milling them down for use as shutters. This idea cut our costs by about 70%!
Brian headed to our local home improvement store and picked up the necessary materials. Each shutter required 5 pickets, though a simpler design could be made with only 3. The window boxes generally needed 3 pickets, with the potential for fewer if opting for a simpler style. Back in his shop, Brian used his heavy-duty saws for milling, though he mentioned this could also be done with simpler tools and a bit more effort. He ripped and cut the boards to size, smoothed all surfaces, and rounded the edges with a 3/8 router before assembling everything with glue and brad nails. A natural color Polyurethane finish was applied for protection and longevity.
