You can change your old windows into French windows without the expense of replacing them, and give your home a more beautiful, modern look. A French window pattern can increase the privacy of your old windows and make the view outside more picturesque, by slicing it into small rectangles. Even your old patio door can look charming if you create a frosted French door pattern on the glass. It’s easy and cheap to do. In less than an hour, an old window can be transformed into an elegant frosted French window.
What You Will Need to Change Your Old Window into a French Window:
You probably have some printer paper at home (8.5×11 inch paper). This is perfect for this project, but you can really use smaller or bigger sheets of paper depending on your taste. Just imagine that the sheet of paper will represent a square or rectangle in your French window pattern.
You will need at least one can of Rust-Oleum frosted glass spray paint. You can easily find this product at your local paint store, or at the Home Depot’s paint section. It’s a good idea to buy a few cans to be on the safe side, then return the ones you don’t end up using.
You probably have some kind of sticky tape at home (masking tape, cello tape… whichever you like). One roll is more than enough.
Step One:
Choose any old window or glass door in your home, except one inside a shower stall, because the humidity will remove the French window pattern overtime. You will be working on the indoor side of the window. To begin with, clean the glass thoroughly with a glass cleaner. Next, take the sheets of paper. You will be sticking them to the glass at equal intervals, so that each sheet will represent the area of the window that will remain clear glass, while the spaces you leave between the papers will be frosted, creating the French window pattern. It’s a good idea to measure the glass before you start. This way you can plan ahead how many sheets you intend to use and what the size of the space between them should be.
Take your sticky tape and create little loops to stick at the corners of each sheet of paper. Make sure that when you adhere the paper to the glass the sticky tape isn’t showing in the open spaces. In addition, make sure that the spaces you leave between the sheets of paper create straight horizontal and vertical lines that crisscross each other. If the lines will be crooked, your French window pattern will look crooked. If you’re not sure your eye can gauge the distances accurately enough, then use a ruler.
Step Two:
When you are finished with step one, a pattern of rectangles should be stuck to your old window, with the bare glass between the papers creating the crisscross pattern of a French window. If you are happy with the pattern, then you are ready to frost the glass.
Take your frosted glass spray paint and shake it well, in accordance with the instructions on the can. Going in straight lines, spray the exposed glass everywhere, creating several layers of frosting depending on how opaque you want the French window pattern to look. Remember that the more opaque it is (that is, the more layers of frosting you apply), the more realistic the effect will be, and the more resistant to scratching with time.
Step Three:
Once the frosted French window pattern is thoroughly dry, remove the sheets of paper from the glass. If there are any areas where the frosting smeared into the squares of clear glass creating the French window pattern, simply take a paper towel moistened with glass cleaner and wipe the smears away. If the work is very delicate, then use a Q-tip instead of a paper towel.
And that’s it. Your frosted French window is finished. When you clean it in the future, just be sure to clean the clear glass rectangles only. If you use window cleaner on the frosted lines you might diminish their intensity, but since smears and smudges will not show on the French window frosting, there really is no need to clean the lines at all.
Your old window will now look modern and beautiful, and the French window design will add beauty and elegance to your room.
