If you’re looking for some unique last-minute decorating touches for your home this year, you might consider holiday window painting. While this technique is popular with stores and restaurants all through the year, it makes a great holiday project as well. Even the most artistically challenged can create beautiful window displays with very little time and effort. And if you’ve got children, this is a wonderful way to let them add their own special touches to your home decorating this season.
This is what you’ll need:
Design: You can buy some templates, but one of the easiest things to do is to use children’s holiday coloring books for ideas; online clip art is also a good source. Sketch your overall design out on paper.
A bar of soap or a black marker: Any soap will do; you’ll use this for outlining your design on the outside of the window. Some people prefer the black marker because you can leave it on as an outline. If you do use a marker, test it by making a very small spot in the lower corner of the glass. Let it dry and see if you can wipe it off with a wet rag.
Paints and brushes: Tempera and poster paints are the easiest to remove later, but you can also use acrylic paint. If all you want is snowflakes, you can also use a product called “glass wax” sold by many automotive supply dealers. This product goes on in either liquid or paste form and dries to a white haze. It’s easily removable, and cleans the glass in the process! This product was incredibly popular for holiday window decorating back in the 50’s – your mom might have used it (the original product has is no longer made). Be sure you have several sizes of brushes; you’ll want one with a fine point for details as well as bigger brushes for filling in large areas.
Before beginning, you may want to cover the floor in front of the window with a drop cloth or newspaper to avoid paint spills. The next step is to make sure your window is extremely clean. Then, using your bar of soap, trace your drawing on the exterior of the window. Remember you will be painting in reverse, so draw it the way you want it to appear from the outside of the window. When you apply the soap to the window exterior, you’ll be able to see your outline without the soap interfering with the paint application.
Do any fine details and black outlines first; then allow the paint to dry before filling in the other colors. Otherwise if you wait to put in the details later, they will not show through the main color. You’ll see it on the inside of your window but not the outside. Let each color dry before applying another color next to it to avoid mudding the color.
Finally, wash the soap outline from the window exterior.
Clean-up after the holidays: Most paint should come off with soap and warm water. You may need a razor blade for stubborn spots. Be careful using a razor or scraper, however, so that you do not scratch the glass. Then finish up with a good glass cleaner, and your windows will be back to sparkling clear.
This idea can work for any holiday year ’round. You and your family could make this a weekend craft project and enjoy working together on creating your own unique decorations.
Window Outfitters is THE replacement window company in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. We want you to love your windows all year round, whether you add special holiday touches or not.
Window Outfitters is a premier Window Replacement, doors, siding contractor and installer. As Contractor in the St Paul, Minneapolis, (Twin Cities) Minnesota (MN) metro, we proudly serve, but are not limited to, the following areas: Minneapolis Energy Efficient Vinyl Windows, Replacement Window Contractors Minnesota, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Savage, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, Eagan, St Paul, Hastings, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Farmington MN, Chaska, Shakopee, Chanhassen, Victoria, Mendota Heights Anderson Windows Minneapolis, Marvin Windows Minneapolis.
