Spring/Summer Window Decor

First of all, let me apologize for these pictures!  They are pretty bad, I know.  It was a very sunny day so no matter what I did, the window acted as a mirror.  I tried to blur out images of the parking lot but this is the best I could do with what I had to work with.

I did a really simple window painting display at my son's preschool and thought it could be something fun to do at home as well.  If you find yourself feeling crafty and want to jazz up your own windows, just grab some acrylic paints and get started.  This was super easy and didn't take long at all.  I painted on the inside of the window because I wanted it to last through the summer, but you could paint on the outside and just hose it off when you are tired of it.  

I usually draw my design out on butcher paper and tape it to the outside of the window to use as a guide.  I did this with the larger flowers so I knew where to place them but then I freehanded the rest in.

(This is a shot from inside.)

Holiday Window Decor

In order for my oldest son to attend preschool, I volunteer my time at his school in exchange for tuition. One of the things I began in September is decorating the front windows for each season.  This could be an inexpensive and fun thing to do at home as well.  All you need is acrylic paint and a brush.  I even painted my back sliding door for my daughter's birthday party!  

For the winter scene I decided to do winter animals, Birch trees and snowflakes.  This can easily last through February.  Who knows, I may even add some hearts for Valentine's Day.  

I'm a planner so I first draw my idea out on a regular sheet of paper.  Then I lay butcher paper on my floor and draw out my design life sized.  I tape the butcher paper to the outside of the window and paint from the inside.  The hardest part for me is painting backwards!  Because you are layering the paint from front to back, you have to think and paint the opposite of how you normally would.  For example.  I actually started with the whites of the eyes, then after they dried I added the black for the eyes, as well as the nose and mouth.  Once that was dry I painted the rest of the face over the facial features.  I added the trees and snow last.  I probably should have done this over two days instead of one.  I ended up rushing the snow so I'm not completely happy with that part of it.  This was a big job but a simple design like snowflakes or a Christmas tree on your front window could be really cute.