A Room With A View

Have you ever wished you had a great view right outside your bedroom window but all you see when you wake up in the morning is the wall of the next-door neighbor's house? Well then follow these easy steps to create your own window with a great view.

What You Will Need for This Decorating Project:

1. An old window preferably with the glass still intact. You can find these at flea markets or salvage yards.

2. Poster or picture with a pretty view large enough to put behind the window.

3. 2 mug hooks

4. 1 nail

5. Wire

6. 10 thumbtacks

7. Hammer

If you want to paint the window, do this before moving on to the first step. You should consider though that sometimes the weathered, antique look adds a lot of charm.

How to Get This Look:

- Put the window on the floor and put the poster or picture on it so that the front is facing down.

- Use the thumbtacks to attach the picture or poster to the window.

- Make sure the picture is right side up.

- Lean the window against the wall so that you are looking at the back.

- Put the 2 mug hooks on the back of your window in the top corners.

- Make sure the opening for the mug hooks is facing down.

- Use the wire to create a "hanger" for the window. Secure the two ends of the wire on the mug hooks. Make sure there is a lot of excess wire so that when you hang the window the wire creates a triangle with 4-inch sides.

- Hammer the nail into the wall where you want your window.

- You can now add window treatments to it just as you would a normal window or wrap silk flower garlands around the wire.

Old windows can be used in a variety of ways. Here are just a few more creative ideas for the old window and a plain wall.

Decoupage pressed flowers on the different panes of glass. Try using whole flowers or just petals for an interesting country garden look.

Decoupage postcards from around the world into the panes or pictures of a favorite city, like Paris.

Paint the frame to match your child's room. Attach clothespins (also painted in a coordinated color) all around the outside of the window. As you child grows attach school pictures to the panes and let them use the clothespins to showcase their drawings, report cards and other mementos. When the child graduates you have a ready-made decoration.

Make etched glass designs in the panes or make faux stained glass out of the windowpanes. Your local craft store should have everything you need to do this, from instructions to materials.

Use the window to create a fun decorative piece in the kitchen. Get a shelf the same width as the window and paint it the same color. Put the shelf on the wall just above the window so they look like one piece. Put mug hooks evenly spaced along the bottom of the window frame and use them to hold cute mugs, wire whisks, ladles, potholders or other items. Put recipe books along with a few decorative items that match your kitchen on the shelf, such as a vase of flowers, decorative plates or a nice clock.

© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard.