DIY Craft Projects using Old Vintage Windows and Doors

If you found a project particularly inspiring please email me.

I made this, thanks to inspiration from Rosemary's Home. I took a long narrow old window and simply added 4 table legs (they don't even match) and old trim as skirting between the legs. I painted the legs and skirting white and left the window it's faded & aged green. Painting took more time than assembly.

Added 7/13/07

Here's a window coffee table I made using the same basic design at the one above.

Treesa Suggs Submitted these 2 beautiful Window projects. See her instructions below

Patio Window:
I used glass globs on this piece, when using the globs I usually don't have a pattern in mind when I start. I just glue them down as I go along and grout after 24 hours. THis piece is also done with black grout.

Vintage flower window:
I love old windows, they are the eyes of the home. I use stained glass scraps, and cut them with my glass cutter. Then I lay the pieces out on the window and play with them until I am happy with the pattern, I then glue them down with 100% silicone and wait 24 hours to dry. I use sanded grout from the home improvement store, black is my grout color of choice, I feel it just makes the colors POP.

Jennifer G sends in this old window idea

here is a photo of an old window I got at the dump. I painted it and sanded it and then put an old blackboard in it (I know it looks kind of like a mirror)that I found in our basement when we moved in. Then I nailed some horseshoe nails in the bottom so I can hang my keys on it. Hope you like it.....jenniferG Thanks Jennifer and what a great way to re-use "free" items.

Old Screen window/Shelf

I found this old chippy window screen frame last weekend at a garage sale. I also found a chippy cabinet door at the same sale. I sawed the cabinet door long ways and made 2 shelves. I attached the shelves to the frame and made some support brackets out of scrap from that same cabinet door. I left all of the door hardware on the wood to add to the character of the piece.

close up of lower shelf, you can see the glass knob.

Added 7/05/07

The ultimate use for old windows, A Cat Perch.

This is a great quick project

Kim did this quick project for her Daisy Cottage: "This old window pane was one of many given away for free from a neighbor's home. For now, I thought I'd simply tape up a few vintagy cards and hang one of my straw bags on it."

Kim's Cottage

These are greenhouses made from old windows.

Picture taken at the Canton Flea Market. The one on the right belongs to Tina
They were designed by Linda Smith of The Blue Gate(see pic on left) in Wills Point, Texas. You can find her wonderful one of a kind garden accessories at Canton Trades Day in Canton, Texas. Or you can also contact Linda by phone~ @ 214-686-4338 to commission your own one of a kind cottage greenhouse.

"The Little House", Marshall Texas

I took these pictures at "The Little House" antique store in Marshall Texas. Ginger built these display pieces and I just loved them.

This is a bookshelf made from an old window and 2 old shutters

This is a great display, using 2 glass-less windows, hinged together with spoons hanging from them. This could be used to display hankies, ornament or just about anything.

These 2 old windows have been attached to this cupboard as doors.

Reader Projects

Thank you so much for your wonderful site! My husband and I recently replaced our old windows and I wanted to keep one to decorate as sort of a memento of our home's history. The only problem I had was coming up with a way to make it look pretty since our house had the less attractive rectangular two-paned windows. After browsing the web for some ideas, I found your site and came away with so much creative inspiration that I decided to decorate both the top and bottom of the original window. Here are the photos of the finished projects. Thanks again!

Kathy C submitted this great window project. I did this for my daughter and love the way it came out. I took an old 2 pane window and turned the top into a bulletin board and the bottom half into a dry erase board.

The Raggedy Princess submits these 2 window projects projects.

for this project, Joyluck added some pretty paper behind this window glass to add privacy to her guest bedroom.

Joyluck from the HGTV board submits these 2 window projects

Toni D made this table/shadow box, project

Jennifer submits this window project. She writes "this is one of my lastest im decorating my bedroom in my new home beach theme so i bought this poster size picture at a local michaels craft stor 30% off and painted and old window for the frame"

Craftylady made this display from an old window

Cindee made this window for her garden. Notice the barbed wire, and the tools on the sides. She added a mirror to replace the glass.

debapaka made this window collage

kudzukween's (from Ivillage, garden web)

I painted one side of each window green,then DH attached the 2 windows together with L-brackets,then he measured the width of the open ends to decide how big to make the box. He used old 1"x6"'s for the sides and old plywood for the bottom. I thinned down some white paint to "white-wash" it,and painted the inside of the box with thinned down green paint. Then he screwed old porch spindles(they were already white,a great yard sale find) on for legs on the outside of the box,screwing them from the inside,turning it into a table. Then the windows were fastened to the table with hinges on the outside of the windows to the box.

Here is the project page that inspired her

Reader Comment and Idea:
I loved this idea, but of course must add my own twist....for the windows that are 'pane-less', build this same structure and plant your morning glories in the interior and --- oh my, I can't wait to get out to the shed and get those old windows!!! Thank you. Love the site and the fact that what I have seen so far isn't 'junky looking'!! I will be watching and most likely contributing my ideas as I go along, as I can't help but do that........ Linda

This window was turned into a pot rack by chonlahan on HGTV Message boards. What a great idea.

She has this advise about this project. " It was a pretty simple project. I used large hooks to attach the chain and large hooks to hold the pots and pans. I think the most important thing is choosing a sturdy window and how you secure it to the ceiling. It could be quite heavy and you need to choose ceiling anchors and chain appropriate to the weight of your pans. I decorated on top of mine with ivy, grapevine wreath and a metal bowl of silk roses. I wouldn't use anything very heavy on top of the glass.

"I Do Rock" from the HGTV Message Board, made this potting display bench from a group of old windows.

East Texas Artist, Lorna Price, offers Watercolors of your home at a reasonable price.

Contact Margo for information.

I found this at a nearby antiques store. I think it is made from those room divider screens we had in the 70's.

This is a very large, functional greenhouse made from old windows and shutters by mao_tse_mom over at Garden Web.

These windows are made into fountain dioramas. Picture taken at the Tyler Flea Market

This window graces Rosemary's Porch

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Jennifer made this nice flower box from an old window

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You might find some inspiration from these books

Safety

I'd like to say a quick word about safety. Please use common sense when doing any of these projects. Use Caution with saws and power tools. Remember to wear gloves and eye protection. We want you to enjoy years of junking and crafting, so please play it safe.

Caroline from Gardenweb did these great Window Planter Boxes around her pool.

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Dianne tells about this window project. "Then I needed a visual divider between my vegetable garden and collection of hostas so I took 3 windows (also removed the glass). I positioned them on their sides, hung beads and crystals in the center of each pane and attached them on the top and bottom with 2x4 for stability. They serve as a low wall"

These ideas are from GardenWeb Forums, you can read the entire thread (lots of great ideas)

here.

Rosemary's projects

Beautiful Long window made into a sofa table

Great Window, with Double Shelf

Large 6 light window with Single Shelf

Added 5/30/07
Lindy submits these 2 projects

She says:
The phonebooth is made of french doors
tin ceiling tile was screwed onto the back of the window. The box was made from old door parts.

This idea was submitted by Soov. An old window frame has been dressed up with a french feel.

jamiet tells the story of this old window. "I have this very high space that I wanted to decorate with a hanging window. I had a window that was too heavy so I traded with a friend for a smaller, lighter weight window. Hers is way cuter than mine, so I feel very blessed that she wanted to trade with me."

This idea was submitted by tina56. She took several old window frames and strung them together to make a divider for her outdoor patio space.

This old window was hung from Robolady's porch for an unusual visual illusion.

Afterall who needs a window when you are already outside?

This idea was submitted by Tx-Girl. She built a mock wall out of leftover bricks, placed an old window in it and added decorations, to make an outdoor room, and divide her yard from the field beyond.

A Few more of Robolady's projects

This old glass window was missing a few pain, but it wasn't a "pain" to fix

Here's an old window, Robo added some decoration to the top (look above the center Pain) and It makes a great Wall Decoration. You could also put photographs behind it for a shabby chic picture frame, or add hooks to the bottom and make it a rack for keys, coats, towels, or leashes

Stained glass window, just hung on the wall

Two more from TX-girl

One from Primpainter

More ideas in this section

Shelves & Display

Many more window ideas here

Window Ideas from Dave's Garden

Cool Window Shelf

Paintings on windows

I've designed my site to be like a giant idea file. Simply click the link below for the idea folder you want to open.
You can always come back here by clicking the link that says "return to main t2t page".
Enjoy