How to Decorate Window Frames

Clean a window frame before decorating.

Window frames are often hidden by draperies and curtains, so decorating them is not always a priority. If your window frames are more visible, they can have an impact of the décor of your room. Windows are focal points in any room, so help them look their best by giving plain frames a bit of attention. Decorative painting techniques and commercially available imagery help bring the uninteresting frames to life.

Things You'll Need

• Cleaner
• Cleaning cloth
• Letter/word templates
• Painter's tape
• Pencil
• Acrylic paints/paint pens
• Artist's brushes
• Rub-on transfers
• Scissors

Instructions

Decorate With a Message

1. Clean the window frames to remove any dust or grime. Allow the window frames to dry completely.

2. Tape letter or word templates along the sides of the window frame as well as the top and bottom. You can create a running message, poem or inspirational verse around the window frame or you can randomly place single words along the perimeter of the frame.

3. Trace the outline of the words or letters in light pencil. Remove the templates.

4. Fill in the outlined words or letters with acrylic paint. An artist's paint brush works best if the letters are wide; use a paint pen if the letters are thin. Allow the paint to dry completely.

5. Spray the painted window frame with polyurethane to protect the acrylic and to add shine to the surface of the frame.

Decorate with Easy Art

1. Clean the window frames. Allow the frames to dry completely.

2. Cut around the desired rub-on transfer image, leaving 1/8 inch at the edge. Rub-on transfer sheets are available in most craft stores. Each sheet contains multiple decorative transfers. The transfers hold colorful, hand-painted images that you can apply to wood, glass, ceramic and other surfaces.

3. Remove the protective covering on the face of the transfer.

4. Position the rub-on transfer onto the surface of the window frame, face down. Begin rubbing the edge of the transfer with the rubbing stick provided in the package. While rubbing the image, peel back the protective cover. Make sure that all of the decorative areas transfer to the frame as you go. If one section does not transfer, immediately replace the protective cover and rub that area. Continue rubbing and peeling off the back until the image is completely transferred.

5. Continue until you have dotted the window frame with decorative transfers.

Tips & Warnings

• Stamp words or images onto window frames for a fast and simple decoration.

References

• How to Draw and Paint: Acrylic Painting Techniques

Resources

• Rubberstamping: Rubber Stamping and Embossing