Recycled Paned Glass Windows

For the past 6 months or so I have been trying to find neat, old, paned-glass windows to use in various craft projects I have seen on Pinterest and the like. Apparently these have recently become a hot commodity, and the only place I have found them was at the highly overpriced but still terribly lovely antique/thrift store at 50th & Xerxes. Unfortunately, the ones I found were each at least $45, which is far more than I spend on any craft project, especially one that is supposed to be recycled. (I am fully aware that recycled isn't technically synonymous with cheap, but in my brain it is!).


I had an idea of making a window-pane project for my friends Matt and Marie for Christmas, to decorate their new home. They are both Minneapolis natives, love the city, and I found some neat sketches and paintings of different landmarks of Minneapolis (hooray for google image!). It was getting rather close to Christmas and I was very tempted to just pay for the window at Hunt & Gather, but alas, miracle of miracles, I didn't have to! I drove into my garage one day after work and there was a pile of cool old paned glass windows sitting there.


I live in a house/duplex where my landlords live on the first floor and my roommates and I on the top floor. My landlords also own a bunch of other properties, one of which they had recently renovated and apparently kept the old windows. As fate had it, though I never ever see Laurie or Matt (the landlords), I ran into Laurie one morning as we were both heading to the gym. I awkwardly asked what the windows were for and she said she just keeps them for craft projects (she has amazing taste and style, but I had no idea she was crafty!). She asked if I wanted one and told me to pick whichever one I wanted. Score!


Sorry for the book- but that is the main part of this story. I wiped down the window and decided I liked the rustic look and not to paint it or anything. I printed off pictures (standard HP color printer, printed on heavy cream cardstock) of various Mpls landmarks: the Basilica, Spoon & Cherry, Twins Stadium, U of M Campus, TCF Stadium, and (Matt's favorite), the Grain Belt Brewery sign. I used Mod Podge to adhere the prints to the window. I spread a thin layer of it on the back of each window pane and placed each print face down (so it would show through the window). The hardest part of the whole thing was probably smoothing out the paper so there weren't wrinkles or bumps. Slow and steady and it is not too hard. I used another coat of Mod Podge and let the whole thing dry. I had some photo hangers that I have randomly had for about 10 years which I nailed onto the two top corners (on the back side of the window). Voila- it was finished!

For the grand total of approximately $3.99 (the cost of the cardstock I purchased), I had a unique, fun, and pretty darn good-looking Christmas gift. Sorry if that makes me cheap Marie! My apologies for not including step-by-step photos, as I made this before the genius invent of this blog. Next time, next time. Hope you enjoyed and happy crafting!

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