After replacing your old windows, don’t throw them away! “Upcycling” old windows is a green way to make way for newer, more energy efficient windows. And not only do you save a few windows from the landfill, you get one-of-a-kind decorations for your home.
We’ve got some great ideas to recycle your old windows. Here are five of them to get you started!
#1 Make your window into art.
Old windows may not be particularly energy efficient, but they make very pretty wall art! After removing your old windows, consider sprucing them up and hanging them on the wall. You can change up the look of the window by painting the wood or even the glass itself. (Painting the glass is a great way to achieve the “vintage glass” look.) You might even consider adding additional features (like a window box for real or fake plants).
This option works well in many homes, whether they have a modern or vintage aesthetic, because you can tailor the window to suit your style. It’s also a wonderful idea for stained glass or other kinds of decorative windows: they’re art pieces already!
#2 Use your window as a coat rack.
Gone are the days of giant, clumsy-looking free-standing coat racks. Today, many homeowners prefer to have a wall-mounted coat rack. (It’s both more attractive and practical.) If you are looking to ditch your old coat rack, consider creating a new one out of a window. You can do this by attaching hooks along one side of the window and mounting it to the wall nearest your door.
(Bonus idea: if you already have a built-in coat rack bench or something similar, you can do the same thing and use the window as a key rack.)
#3 Create a picture frame out of your window.
Mounting your favorite family photos in an old window is a wonderful way to display them, as it’s unique and eye-catching. There’s also so many ways to do it: you can paint or distress the wood, you can go with or without glass, and you can insert multiple pictures or one picture.
This idea also saves you the trouble of buying and hanging multiple frames!
#4 Use your window as a headboard.
If you have a particularly large window, consider using it as a decorative headboard for your bed. Like the other ideas in this list, you can change the appearance of both the window frame and the glass to suit the style of your bedroom.
This idea works well if you want a unique headboard to embellish your bed. (However, if you want a comfy, upholstered headboard that you can lean against, this one probably isn’t for you.)
#5 Create new furniture out of an old window.
There are an almost limitless number of pieces you can create using an old window. You can use a single window as the tabletop to create a beautiful coffee table, end table, or even a dining table—simply by fastening legs to the corners. You can also use four windows attached to a single framework to create a striking curio cabinet: just add hinges and a handle to the front-facing window.
Questions? Call Us!
We hope this post gave you some inspiration for your next window DIY project! (Also check out our previous post on upcycling old screen doors.)
If you have any questions about replacing your old windows, Jack’s Glass is here to help! We’ve been helping Kentucky homeowners make their homes more beautiful and energy efficient for more than 70 years. Call us to talk to one of our residential glass and design experts.
