The other day my husband and I were driving down some back roads, enjoying our time sans children. We were looking at the various houses when I came across some great items sitting on the road beside someone’s trash. I am that wife that wants to stop and pick items off the side of the road; although, my husband is not too keen on my hobby.
It is funny, though, to watch him squirm while I am rummaging through discarded stuff. He hates knowing someone might see him. I have to say, some of my favorite pieces in my home revolve around items I have picked up on the side of the road for free.
In this particular pile sat an incredible, old window, the likes of which I have been wanting for quite some time now. I wanted one with the window panes still intact, and when I stumbled upon them in stores, the price was always out of my budget.
This window had all of its panes, and it looked fabulous! I stared at it for a minute, taking in all of the old, solid, beauty before I stuffed it in the back of our vehicle. This, all while my husband sat and shook his head.
The reason I wanted one with the window panes is because I always wanted to add pictures to them. I love the look separate panes provide for multiple pictures or even one large picture.
After getting my fabulous side-of-the-road-find home, I was not sure which way I was going to finish off the pictures for it. After thinking about it for a while, I decided to go with one large picture. I really fell in love with the way one large print looked behind the separate panes. Follow along with me to turn your own window into a photo display.
First, you will need to pick out a picture to enlarge. When I am doing a project with a large-scale picture I always turn to Staples for an engineer print. This particular print is usually for blue prints, so they are able to be quite large. A 24 by 20 print will run around $3.00; however, they are only available in black and white.
Be sure to have an accurate size before getting the picture printed, making sure everything in the picture will fit into the window frame. At this time, you will want to add any necessary hanging hardware.
If the window is going to hang on the wall, go ahead and add hooks or a wire to hang the window, and make sure to use drywall anchors. Windows are heavy!
To attach the picture to the window, I knew I needed something more than tape, as I wanted the final look to be as inconspicuous as possible. I finally decided to use Velcro Brand permanent adhesive dots. The adhesive powers of these little dots are not to be under-estimated! The saying, “good things come in small packages” definitely applies here. I have used them for many projects over the years, and knew they would hold just fine without being seen.
Now, the picture will need to be trimmed to size, and adhered to the edges of the window. Using the Velcro dots, space them around the edges.
If you would like to dress the frame up a little, you can add embellishments around the pictures, or add hooks along the bottom of the frame for hanging jackets. The options are endless. I will be using my decor in my nook above my fireplace. I am ready for a change in that space, and it needs a large-scale item. This window will fit perfectly.
April Sherrill is a staff writer for the Hamilton County Herald. Contact her at april@dailydata.com.