There are several decorating projects that you can do with vintage windows. You can make a wall hanging, an artsy ceiling lamp, a rustic picture frame, a luminescent painting or collage and even garden art. The sky's the limit. Try your hand at one of these ideas for using old vintage windows in your decor.
Making a wall hanging from an old window.
Use stained glass paints or tissue paper to make a work of art right on the glass. To illuminate it, you can hang it in front of a sunny window or install a small fluorescent lighting fixture behind it. You can leave the old window frame paint intact, especially if it's cracked and peeling, for a rustic look. Otherwise, sand it down and paint it a solid color or leave it bare. Even without color., you may want to protect it with linseed oil or vegetable oil so that the glass doesn't become unstable or fall out.
Safety Tips for Working With Old Windows
Use a ribbon of hot glue or clay-based window caulking around the perimeter of the glass to keep it from falling out if the wood is very decayed. Inspect the glass in the frame a few times a year. Wood expands and contracts with the seasons, shrinking down in a hot summer and swelling up in the damp winter. Anything you do to keep the glass stable in the frame stands a chance of breaking it if the weather puts too much stress on the wood. Just keep an eye on it, checking for stability periodically.
Making Garden Art from an Old Window
You can make this junk-art sculpture with an old window, painted pie tins and other odds and ends. Use exterior quality spray paint and primer to color the pie tins. These have been cut into flower petal shapes and then rolled over a dowel or wire to curl the edges like a flower. In some cases, there are multiple layerd of pie tin cutouts working together. Each is painted individually. Stems are made from copper grounding wire or 1/4 inch wooden doweling. Glass beads make a nice addition to the centers of the flowers, and can be used to simulate flower detailing, or seeds. Hang from any tree limb to brighten up a winter landscape or bring a bit of whimsy and cheer to your summer garden.
Use an Old Window for a Picture frame
You may need to custom-order your matting, try a collage. A rustic old window frame with peeling paint would go great with a sepia toned portrait. Install a hanging wire to the back side of your window frame. Secure your matting and photos just as you would with a normal frame. Since the window is likely deeper than a regular frame, you can use a stapler to create an inner chamber to hold the matting into place. Be sure to pad it with a layer of corrugated cardboard to protect against moisture in the room. Clean the inside glass thoroughly before you put your pictures in. Depending on the size of the old window, this can make a striking frame that is suitable for a centerpiece, hang it over your mantle.
Making a Ceiling Lamp from an Old Picture Frame
If you're sick of looking at that old light above your dining room table, try an old window on for size. You can use spray matte or an acid-based glass etcher to bring down some of the glare. Use screw pins on the back of your window frame, two in each corner, to hang the window from small chains. Use larger chains for a heavier window. If you want a look more colorful than a matte or etching, try making a tissue paper collage or using stained glass paint to create a one-of-a-kind piece of art.
What else can you think of? An old window frame can house a bathroom mirror, a family portrait, and even be used as a makeshift greenhouse.
