Keep and eye out for old windows with wood frames at yard sales. They can be made into rustic looking picture frames. Find pictures that are a little smaller than the window and use a matte, which can be found at any craft store, to give it a finished look. Use tape or staples (put in sideways) to hold the pictures and mattes in place. Multi-pane windows can be used to frame multiple pictures. An inexpensive way to find artwork or pictures to frame is to use old calendar pages.
I love to use old windows to make windows where there are none. First I replace the window panes with mirrors or use mirror spray paint on the panes, then I hang this new window on the wall inside where I need a window Like on a bathroom wall or outside on a shed. I either put up a valance and/ or curtains, or window shutters and a window box. You would not believe how realistic this looks and the comments people have made.
This looks so cool and inviting, doesn't it? Word to the wise. Termites LOVE the hidden side chambers in old windows, so check them out carefully, and this is often one reason folks toss the older windows. If the wood seems o.k., shake it and let it sit on the driveway for about a week to see what crawls out, before placing it inside. I did this and wound up with a horrible small colony of Carpenter Ants I STILL cannot get rid of nor afford to do anything much about. It's the PITS, believe me. One of the few mistakes I ran into by picking up OLD things, especially made of wood(doors are the WORST). Often they've been sprayed before the previous owner placed them on the curb, but the eggs may still be incubating inside the cozy hiding places between the panes, joints, old screw holes, etc. If nothing seems to be inside....by all means spray them down, wait another few days, then wash well with hot sudsy water and let dry completely before trying to use in a decorative setting. I sure hope this helps someone who loves these things as much as I do. They are a premium in the antique stores around towns here, but they've been "treated", and cleaned well, believe me. Afterwards, they're a joy to behold in an unexpected place, corner, hallway, or dreary wall, and so very interesting for texture in an otherwise dull decor. Several together (2-3) make good "screens" with double-viewed photos in each pane, if truly connected together well. Remember that they're fairly heavy around children, too, as well as often having lead-based paint from older times past. I even like to see them on covered and screened porches beside a porch swing. God bless you. : )
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