New Ideas for Old Windows and Old Window Shutters

Hanging old windows and old shutters on the wall is nothing new for people that use these items to decorate with.  But add your own twist to these vintage decorations, by turning them into storage baskets and flowerbeds.

Window Planters

To create a hanging flowerbox from an old vintage window, you need an old, window frame and a flowerbox.  The flowerbox you use needs to be the same width as the window frame.  If you can’t find one to fit the frame, you may have to make one yourself.

To make a flowerbox:

Cut 3 boards (1”x6”) all the same length to match the length of the window. These three pieces are going to be your two long sides and the bottom of the box.  Cut two 8” pieces of the same board for the ends of your box.  For your flowerbox to match your window frame, try to find old pieces of wood to make your flowerbox with.

Attach the two long sides to the bottom, so that the bottom piece of wood is in between them and cannot be seen from the front or the back.  It will look like a rain gutter at this point.  Lastly, take the two short pieces of wood and attach them to each of the open sides.

Once you have the box ready to go, attach it to the frame of the window.  The box should be in front of the window, so that the bottom of the box and the bottom of the window align.

Storage Baskets

Who doesn’t need more storage around the house or the in the garden?  By utilizing vintage shutters or windows that you already have hanging up, you could add a little more storage space to your life.

The concept is relatively similar in how to create the window flowerboxes above, but this time instead of a flowerbox, we are going to attach a vintage, metal basket to the bottom of a shutter or window frame.  The metal baskets cannot be made, but instead need to be found at an antique store, garage sale, or anywhere else you can find vintage items in your area.  You can choose any basket you want, but it needs to be lightweight and the same width of the window or shutter you are using.

Once you have found the basket to use, cut the back off the basket and replace it with the window or shutter that you plan to use.  Attach the basket to the window or shutter securely using construction staples, screws or any other hardware that works best for the particular basket and shutter or window you are using.

When you have finished, hang on the wall, and you have a new storage basket.  In the bathroom, you can use it to hold rolled up towels or washcloths.  In the garden, you have a new place to store your gloves and other small garden tools.  No matter where you put it, you have just created a unique storage space that is both functional and uniquely beautiful.