How to Sponge Paint Windows for the Holidays

You probably think of the beautiful, seasonal decorations often painted in drug or department store windows as something that you would never attempt at home for fear of never being able to get the paint off. If you did, you would probably need special paint and incredible artistic skill, right? Of course not. You can easily create beautiful, fun sponge paintings on your windows using regular--albeit "doctored"--acrylic paint that can be found in any arts and crafts store. Here are guidelines to help make your windows more festive for the holidays.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sponges
• Scissors
• Acrylic paint
• Liquid dish soap
• Bowls
• Window cleaner
• Non-scratch dish sponge
• Paper towels

1. Cut the sponges into simple holiday shapes. For Christmas, you might use stars or snowflakes. You might paint the outline of a tree on your window, then use circles, triangles and other geometric shapes as the "ornaments."

2. Pour some of the acrylic paint into a bowl. You can make multiple bowls or just stick with one or two colors. Just barely cover the bottom of the bowl.

3. Add 1 tsp. of dish soap to each bowl of paint. Make sure it is spread through the entire bowl of paint. You can stir it or shake it gently from side to side. The important thing is that the mixture is thoroughly blended or you may not be able to wash the paint off the windows later.

4. Dip one side of the sponge into the paint. Do not let it become saturated.

5. Press the painted side of the sponge lightly against the window. You should be able to do this several times before the paint runs out. You can create designs or paint pictures using the sponges. Snowflakes are particularly popular when you use silver or gold metallic paint.

6. Wash off the paint using the window cleaner. Most of the paint will wipe away easily with a paper towel. If you have trouble, use a non-scratching dish sponge to get off any difficult spots.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure that you get acrylic paints for this project. They are usually located in the kids' section of art or school supplies stores.
• Use egg shapes for Easter, or shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day. You can even use the stars to make a big flag for the Fourth of July.