I found several old multi-pane windows in our barn when we moved. I cleaned them up and added mirrors and a cardboard backing for inserting pictures into the "frames"! They are great and friends and family all want them for Christmas! My second try, I used colored tissue paper as backgrounds for my pictures and cut-to-size scenes from wallpaper border to create a western theme! These are great and easy!
By Joybug
Create Artwork With Old Books
Another idea, I found an old Alice in Wonderland book and took it apart. The illustrations were beautiful. I picked out six of them and put one in each section of the window panes. I backed each with a piece of foam board, then stapled a piece of floral fabric to the window so no one could see the "stuff" underneath. It came out really nicely. I sold the piece at a consignment shop in my town. I'm on the look out now for more old books that have pretty illustrations, maps, or floral prints. The books are harder to find than the windows!
By Sarah G.
Greenhouse
My stepfather made greenhouses out of the raised beds in his garden with recycled multipane windows. I've also seen plans in Sunset for a garden workshop using recycled windows.
By Jess
Home Decor
I have painted a 8 pane window frame, removed glass too, it's chocolate brown to go with my living room color and hung it behind my couch. Another 3 pane window, I left the glass in, painted it, used eye hooks and chain and hung it on a wall going down a stairway from my bedroom loft. The last one was an old stained glass window, cleaned it up and using eye hooks and chains hung it on the one side of a two large window that doesn't open on the one side, they all look great, can't wait to get at the others in the garage when it is warmer out
I take old windows, from garage sales or antique stores and cut out old wool scraps into flowers. I then glue them to the window glass or screen using cable for the stems and some fancy stitching on the leaves and flowers. They look great and I sell them at a local consignment store.
In my livingroom, we have high walls that extend up to a vaulted celing, at the top their is a 5 foot section that runs the length of our livingroom, about 23 feet. I never really knew what to put up there. Their was track lighting, used to shine on something. We had some South West pictures up there for a couple of years but I never really liked them. Then I remolded the livingroom. When I came across different size windows, 1pane, 2 pane, 4 pane, 6 pane, some multi trianglar pane, I thought that would be cool. I cleaned them up leaving their rough, paint chiped, destressed apearance. I hung them running along the top of the wall, not even but one higher or lower than the others to get the right look. I love the way it turned out, it is neat and a great conversation piece.
A coffee table, you can use it distressed or sand and add color..whatever. Add 4 legs..coffee table. Hinge 3 together (same height) room divider or screen.
Sarah G's suggestion leaves me wondering where you put the flowered fabric. On the back of the glass? Or before you put the foam backing on the front of the window
To find old windows: look on the side of the road. Alot of people in Vermont put them on the side of the road with a "free" sign, when the weather gets warm. Sometimes I see them at recycle/reuse stores. It's too bad there aren't more people out here that want those windows! They are most certainly not in short supply!
These are great ideas, but where can you find old windows? I want to make a faux window in my kitchen. You mount a poster with an outdoor scene behind the glass and hang it on the wall. I just can't seem to find an old window.
Someone had posted a prior idea that they had done on this site. They had taken an old window, painted it then put legs on it and pictures inside each window frame then put a piece of glass (or plexiglass, I can't remember) on top. It was cool.
Here's my idea: Strip any old paint and allow to dry. Then, paint the frame your desired color. Next, find a pattern for stained glass that you like and use the Gallery Glass paints to paint your design. I've found the paints at Walmart and patterns also. Hope this helps someone.
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