Way back in the day (technically, back in October), we removed the window panes from the two back doors (read the post here).
By the way, that’s my dad helping me with the windows back in October : )
Fast forward ten-ish months and the windows are still naked. No window treatments. No blinds. Naked. Until the kitchen is finished, we don’t want to do anything too permanent or expensive. So I guess you could say we’ve been in window-treatment-limbo. The back door in the living room faces our neighbors’ backyard. Even though their deck is a pretty good distance away, sometimes we felt like we’re giving them a front row seat to everything going in Casa de Brown. On top of that, at night, the window of dark nothingness kind of freaked me out…
To cover up the “scary dark nothingness”, we’ve resorted to covering the window with craft paper, wrapping paper, and even pages from magazines. A more attractive alternative was well overdue. We came up with several low-cost options, but ultimately decided to give the ‘ole contact paper method a try.
At first, we thought about trying out this technique (via Design*Sponge) using a paint pen on contact paper for a detailed, artsy look…
Even though it’s a very cool technique, we want to be able to see out the window a little bit, rather than covering the entire window. We also wanted something a little more graphic yet subtle. So we decided to design and cut our own contact paper pattern.
I played around with a few different patterns, keeping in mind I would have to cut each peace and place it on the window by hand. In other words, simplicity was key. I then came across this Moroccan-Vintage-esque tile on Pinterest (here). Not only would it make a dreamy backsplash for a kitchen, but I loved the overall shape. I imported the image over into Photoshop, traced it, then started to lay out my window. I drew everything to scale so I could see how big I wanted each piece to be. This also helped me know how many pieces I would have to cut.
I printed the pattern on a piece of card stock to make a stencil (Click here to download the stencil!). With my DIY stencil, contact paper, scissors, and fine-tip Sharpee, and the Doris Day & Rock Hudson box set in hand, I hunkered down for a long night of tracing, cutting, and movie-watching.
It was tedious, but I felt really proud of myself when I had all 76 perfectly-cut stickers – enough for both back doors.
From this point on, the process is pretty self-explanatory. The contact-paper-as-window-film concept isn’t rocket science and has been done a bajillion times, I’m sure. But here are a few things I wish I would have known before I got started:
- When tracing the stencil onto the contact paper, draw on the paper side, not contact paper itself. Yeah, I know. I had a total blonde-moment.
- Rather than making a lot of little, short cuts when cutting out your design, keep the scissors moving. This will give you a much cleaner line.
- Make sure you clean the window as well as humanly possible before starting to applying the pieces to the window. After you finish applying each row, wipe off any finger prints you left on the window with a dry cloth before you start on the next row.
- When peeling the contact paper backing, do it slowly. If the contact paper creases or wrinkles the slightest bit, it will show up on the window, no matter how much you try to smooth it out.
- If you have a bubble, don’t try to rub it out too hard. When I first started, I would get a bubble and freak out and try to rub it out really hard and quickly. That always ended up with a crease so I had to do it over. I later found that rubbing out the bubble lightly and slowly worked much better.
When it was all said and done, and my hands had a chance to rest, Greg and I were both really happy with the end result….
We were actually kind of surprised how non-DIY it looked. If we end up loving it after the kitchen is installed, we might look into a more permanent application of the same design, like etching.
We’re also digging how it adds a layer of unexpected pattern to the not-finished-yet living room…
In case you have a naked window, and you’re wanting to try this out for yourself, I put together a handy dandy PDF for you to download – complete with the pattern template and the tips listed above. Click here to download!
Love everything about this and am definitely going to try in our new home. I have a question though…does it matter if you apply the contact paper to the inside glass or outside glass? Wasn’t sure? Thanks! Can’t wait to try!
Thanks! I’d definitely do the inside of the glass so it isn’t exposed to moisture or harsh weather. Hope that helps!!
gorgeous! love how this turned out.
Where did you find the contact paper? I’ve search for adhesive contact paper at several local stores and I’ve had no luck finding any.
I bought it at Target, near the cleaning supplies section. It’s called “Clear” even though it’s technically frosted. Hope that helps!
Love this idea so much! I actually want to do this on a mirrored surface in my room. One question though, how is the upkeep? Do you did that you’re getting dirt build up around the edges of the pattern or is it fairly easy to clean?? Thank you!
We haven’t had any issues with dirty edges or anything. Actually, it looks just as good as the first day we put it on!
Does it come off easily? If I were to put it up in a rented home, could I remove it without it even looking like anything was there?
With our experience, it doesn’t cause any permanent damage. Just be sure you have some Goo Off on hand (the industrial stuff at Home Depot / Lowe’s works really well) to get the residue off. Hope that helps!
I learned a few tips from a woman who does vinyl signs:
After the glass is clean, spray a mist of water with a dash of dish soap in it. This will be moved as the paper makes contact. Not sure how it works in this case!
When you are pulling off the backong…or painter tape in other cases; keep it flush to the surface as possible.
If you get stuck with a bubble you can always pop it and work the rest out. Love this idea!
Thanks for the tips!
I am having one heck of a time having successful results with this. I cleaned the windows (with vinegar and water) completely dried and then applied the contact paper. I have tried with water and without and in my opinion I think using water to apply it works better with less bubbles however, I now have what appears to be a haze or streaks? I have gotten all the bubbles out but can’t figure out how to correct this issue. Could it still be that it is a little damp between the paper and the glass? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, I am at a loss on how to correct this and it is driving me nuts! Thank you in advance!
Hmm… Are you using clear contact paper? Even though it’s called “clear”, it’s actually frosted looking. I didn’t use water when I applied it to the window – just pealed the backing and slowly stuck it to the window (slowly to prevent bubbles).
If anyone has any tips for Jennifer, feel free to chime in!! : )
Hi, after you trace the design, is it the whole design you cut out or jist around the edges? If its the whole shape, is that what i place on t window or do i place the sheet that i cut the shapes out of. I hope i made sense. Thanks
It made sense, haha! You put the whole shape on the window. Hope that helps!
FYI: for leftover adhesive, you can also use lighter fluid – even on furniture. My mom bought an expensive wooden dining room set years ago and it came with stickers, wth? They told her to use lighter fluid. It’s greasy and adhesive comes right off with no damage.
Thanks ashley.
So the see through glass trim around the edges, will that look like that jist from cutting out the shape or did you have to do something extra.
Yep, just cut out the shape and the “trim” around the edges will come into form as you place each piece on the window. Hope that helps!
Ok, thanks alot.
I wonder if anyone has tried to use the Cricut machine to cut out the contact paper? I don’t have the patience to make that many cuts…Will research! Great look! Thanks for sharing!
This looks like an excellent tutorial for using contact paper in the Cricut!
http://fullofgreatideas.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-cut-contact-paper-to-look-like.html
In our lake house kitchen we have just clear window glass panels in each cupboard door. I wanted to cut some stencils with my cricut, stick them down and then put glass etching over the stuck on patterns. But then I have found some spray Frosted Glass by Rust-Oleum that I think that I would like to try. My question is; have you tried this method? This would be a permanent application. I love the glass door that has the different window panes. I would like to have the pattern that has the round ball like flowers on the long stems. Is this something you cut out on your own or is there a patter n for it somewhere? Thanks for sharing, great blog!
Since we were just looking for a temporary solution, we haven’t used any frosted glass products or anything like that. We actually still have the original Contact Paper design on the window and it still looks as good as the day we put it up. As far as different patterns, you could always check out stencils at your local craft store and use that as your template.
I used the Frosted Glass spray by Rust-Oleum on our front door windows. I really liked the way it looked when we first applied it, but after the first cold snap (the windows are not insulated), a strange pattern showed up, almost like a crackle finish. I also have glass on our back door and plan to use this method as a MORE permanent solution. Who’da thunk?
For us, we’ve had this method on our windows for well over a year now, and it STILL looks just as good as the day we applied the Contact Paper (but note that we don’t have kids, haha). I’d say go for it. If you don’t like it, you can easily take it down : )
I dabble in interior design when I am not grading papers or writing lesson plans
. I have used the frosted etching spray on 3 window projects I have done for clients. I also did 2 transom windows on either side of my front door. To start, I cut a template from card stock and have used various sized painters or masking tape to make lines. (I chose a diamond pattern.) Since you aren’t keeping the card stock pattern taped to the window, I only made 2 templates. (I enlisted my mom’s help and taught her the process as I worked to complete her French front doors.) I taped off the pattern working across the center of the window first and then down to make sure it was even, centered, and straight to the eye. Just an FYI…If your window has individual panes, I recommend measuring a pane and then creating a shape/size that will allow at least 3 repeats of the pattern within the pane, otherwise it looks a little off. After taping the entire window area in my pattern, I then taped newspaper to the outside casing of the window frame and door to make sure any “overspray” did not get on them. Depending on the desired frosty-ness, you can spray on another coat evenly once the first has been given about 45 minutes to dry. I left the tape and newspaper up for a couple hours just to make sure it had cured and completely dried. I removed the newspaper and then carefully began pulling the strands of tape away at 90 degree angles from the window. My first window frosting project was done back in 2004 at our “started home” and the current homeowners still have it up 
. It cleans great with a little bit of soapy water, don’t scrub too hard though. In my current house, fingers and nose prints from my kiddos have kissed the windows and are always easily removed!!
I do love your contact paper idea though! Your chosen design pattern is awesome….makes my diamonds look boring
Thanks so much for your info! This will be really helpful for everyone!!
I’m just curious as to how you got each piece perfectly placed? Did you use a ruler? And if so how many centimeters did you put in between the pieces? I guess what I’m getting at is how did it come out perfectly spaced on the window?
I used a small, folded piece of paper that was about a quarter of an inch wide as a “guide” to know how far away to put the next piece on the window. As long as you keep the same space between the top and the bottom on each piece, you’re good to go and everything will even out and end up perfectly spaced. Hope that helps!
I love your idea. Can you think of something similar to do with large windows with muntins between the interior and exterior glass? I have two such oversized windows in the corner of our master bathroom on the main floor of our house. I love the light, but I’m more modest than my husband:)
Thanks! If you already have a muntin design, I’d maybe try a solid frosting process to keep the light, but still enjoy the design. Hope that helps!
This is prob a dumb question but….do you put the contact paper on the inside of the door or the outside?
Not a dumb question : ) They go on the inside to protect the Contact Paper from moisture and the weather.
I am going to do in my bathroom window and take down the blinds. It’s in the shower. Do you think that will work, or too much moisture? Thanks
It really depends. I’d suggest putting a little piece of Contact Paper on the window to test it out and see how well it stands up to the moisture. Hope that helps!
Hello Jennifer, Hugs from Brazil, my experience is that in the shower, you should take all the moisture from the glass before applying the sticker. after applying the sticker, must wait about two hours for drying. After that the adhesive can suffer the action of moisture and does not come unglued.
Hello Jennifer, Hugs from Brazil, my experience is that in the shower, you should take all the moisture from the glass before applying the adhesive. after applying the adhesive, must wait about two hours for drying. After that the adhesive can suffer the action of moisture and does not come unglued.
Thanks so much!!
This is such a good idea! I’ve had trouble finding just the right pattern of frosted window film, and it never occurred to me to cut out my own shapes!
Thank you for the stencil and for this post! I love your blog and your style
I did this DIY to my hideous bathroom and even though it’s far from looking pretty, it made a HUGE difference!
http://cleaningjunkie.com/2013/04/23/diy-bathroom-window-privacy-film/
Looking forward to more of your DIY’s!
Judy