Over the past few months I have been taking old window frames that my grandparents had from an old barn and turning them into pieces to hang on the wall. Each frame included two photos I took, which I then used the app Waterlogue to transform them into watercolor images. I then bought or created a collection of small items to fill the other frames. I wanted to share the final products!
The first frame I completed was one for my grandma. My mom and I had just helped paint her kitchen walls a fresh new color (a bright spring green!) and we thought it would be nice to utilize the windows they had given us. It was fun to show them what the once worn-out windows could become!
(Even though my reflection is unfortunately visible, you can see the actual silo from my grandparent's yard behind me!)
The first frame I completed was one for my grandma. My mom and I had just helped paint her kitchen walls a fresh new color (a bright spring green!) and we thought it would be nice to utilize the windows they had given us. It was fun to show them what the once worn-out windows could become!
Inside the frames I used burlap and focused on the farm they live at. Included are watercolor images of my grandparent’s barn and silos, and cutout of coffee (with a few real coffee beans below), a copy of a flatbread recipe my grandma wrote down (surrounded by mini kitchen tools), and an image of a seed packet with a wooden bird. The letter “H” represents their last name, Helgeson. To finish it off, I added a few doorknobs along the bottom.
The second frame I completed was one for myself. London is the predominant theme in my bedroom and I thought it would be fun to have a nice centerpiece in the room for above my bed. My bedspread is a navy blue color, so I created a sort of rainy blue London theme.
Inside this frame included two watercolor images I took during my time studying abroad in London. The image of the double decker bus was actually something that was far away behind my shoulder in an image. I liked the style of the bus so much, I cropped myself out of the picture and zoomed in. I was pretty excited it worked out perfectly (and it was much better than the images I had taken of buses on their own.) The heart-shaped doily (topped with a tiny spoon and a Harrods tea bag I had left over), the sparkly star, and the swan were all found when I went to a Craft Mall in the Wisconsin Dells. I added little pops of bright red throughout the frame to tie in with the red bus, which can be seen on the letter “E”, a red key, and a red crown above the swan.
My final window was a gift for a friend of mine. I wanted a more general theme, but knew she really liked stars and the color silver. So I started by going through the images I had and chose a photo I had of a tree (which I took in Twickenham, the town I went to school in during my time in London) and a rose (which was taken at Disneyland!) Included are shiny stars, a purple butterfly, and silver words that say “Believe” and “Dream.” I then tied it together with burlap and silver doorknobs along the bottom. My favorite part is the color paper star at the top!
The overall process of these windows wasn’t too difficult. The hardest part was cleaning and prepping the windows, since they were pretty old and a bit worn. The wood that was once facing the inside was actually quite nice though, so I considered leaving the natural wood there, but ultimately decided to paint them. This involved wiping down the window panes, scraping up dirt (especially in the corners of the windows), caulking to secure loose panes, and sanding any bumps on the wood.
After cleaning, I then taped up both sides and painted (I used Martha Stewart’s Vintage Decor Paint in Linen, which covered the wood very well.) After everything was dry, I removed the painter’s tape. Now it was back to cleaning and scraping a bit. It was very important to get any bits of paint or dirt off the inside of the glass, since once the items were placed/secured, it would be hard to get back in there.
I measured the panes and cut out the paper or burlap to fit. I then glued the items onto each cut out piece. Once dried, it was time to assemble!
My mom helped me each time with the most important part; securing everything in place. She cut out a piece of cardstock the size of each window pane and placed them behind. Then she hammered in small nails around the panes, which secured the items. Once all six openings were secured, she attached a large piece of poster board on the back using flat upholstery tacks. Finally, at the top she screwed in sawtooth hangers so the windows could be hung on a wall.
My mom is now the one who needs a window. She received two smaller windows from my grandpa that she wants to just put watercolor images of the area where she grew up. The dark wood on the frames looks really nice, so she is planning to keep it that way. We took a few more photos this past weekend for the frames, and I’ll update when they are completed!
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