What to do with cast-off windows in the garden

Old, vintage windows can be hung in the garden in many ways, painted or decorated with other flea Market or recycled objects. With our design tips, you’ll be on your way to decorating a vintage window of your own.  Look for design ideas here!

Julie Brown’s double wash tub holds a lovely painted and decorated window

Julie Brown from Flower Garden Swank found this window at a Flea Market, decorated with a stair baluster on each side and a rusty piece of metal as a ‘roof.’ The dreamy window panes are painted with a light aqua paint in a ‘wash’ that looks as if it’s stained glass.

Julie’s window forms a background for anything she wants to feature on the wash tub ‘table’

A creative garden crafter, Julie says, “I found it at the flea market for $15. I thought it would be a cool piece to copy and sell.”  A window like this mounted on a table or in this case a vintage double sided wash tub with the original lid makes a great background for flower pots. Julie says “I usually put four potted red geraniums in the window box… I love geraniums!”

Julie’s window has a box built into the bottom for potted flowers

Julie Brown’s indoor ‘garden’ window

Julie’s indoor garden window is a delight all year, especially in her northwest Indiana winters. She says, “There is a man who lives nearby and he paints these amazing windows. This is my cat, Dusty.”

Brenda Propst’s rooster painted window

Brenda Propst‎ shows off her latest project to hang on her patio, she says. “I have been thinking about antiquing the frame!”

Linda Gladman’s fence hung windows

Linda Gladman says, “My two year old clematis bloomed today … there is something about them that shouts happy.” We think so, too,  with such a unique background as these simply painted window panes.

To paint your own windows to hang in the garden, get out the paints and find simple designs online. Try your design on paper first, or print out the picture you want, tape it to the underside or the glass and paint over it.  Easy and fun!

Debbie McMurry’s window-ledge window

Pretty paintings

Jeanne Sammons’s ivy painted window

Jeanne Sammons says, “For any of you who are ‘painters’ out there, here’s my old window I have by my potting table and garden shed… painted by a good friend and given to me as a gift. I wanted to share how beautiful it is! Get out your paintbrushes!”

Stormy Day’s sunny summer window

Kelly Dickinson’s chickens make us smile

Kelly Dickinson‎ says, “ Here’s my hanging ‘coop’ made from an old window!” Kelly painting reminds us of using a sponge-paint method to make the ‘feathers.’

Tina Garrison’s wonderful window!

Tina Garrison explains, “This is my recycled window, painted then sprayed the glass black. I hung it on the shed to look like a ‘real’ window!  It was a fun project made in my Mom’s kitchen for her to watch me make.”

A Mirrored Window

Another great project that ‘reflects’ your charming style in the garden is a mirror or mirrored window frame.

Becky Norris’s garden mirror

Becky Norris‎ tells us, “Here is the newest addition to my garden. I picked up this mirror at auction for five dollars. It was already green so I dry brushed the pink on the raised wooden designs and applied stained glass in roses and a fleur-de-lis pattern. I sealed the entire mirror with wax and then covered the back with silicone to seal it from the elements and hung it on the fence. I was given two plate racks which were prefect for the plates I had just bought at auction especially for my garden fence.

I made a stencil and used the Armor Etch etching cream on the mirror. it says, ‘When I stand before God at the end of my time, I hope that I will not have one single bit of talent left…and I can say… I used everything you gave me!”.

I am so happy with the results.”

MaryDee Moore’s spooky window

MaryDee Moore painted this old window as a whimsical Halloween porch decoration. Spooky!

Incorporate Some Kitsch

Linda Koskinen’s curtain clad window

Linda Koskinen tells us, “This is a homemade ‘outdoor’ window I hung with chains onto an arbor that was made especially for it.  I change the curtains every year by picking up kitschy curtains from the Sally Ann!

Linda’s stunning window is hung with chain

Gorgeous outdoor windows from Daylilies of the Valley have the perfect setting!

Have you done something with wonderful windows in the garden?  Post your ideas on our Facebook Page

More FMG Windows

Flea Market Windows: How to make a decorative ‘Mini Greenhouse’

12 Ideas for your Winter windows

A Greenhouse from Old Windows: Elegant Ideas of Tyra Hallsénius Lindhe