Ditch The Curtains: Create A Beautiful Vintage Window Design With This Affordable DIY
If you long to ditch the curtains in favor of beautiful leaded glass windows, but are put off by the hefty price tag, you're not alone. Vintage leaded glass can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per window. However, with a little ingenuity, you can create a similar look for far less.
YouTuber Your Home, Renewed, had a simple window design idea for faux leaded glass using inexpensive automotive striping tape. It's an affordable DIY that only looks expensive, and it adds priceless charm to a home. It can even be safe for renters because the tape is easily removed. Just loosen the corner of a strip with a plastic scraper and peel it at an angle.
The video creators came up with this brilliant idea because the gas between the panes of their bay window was failing. So, they wanted to camouflage it until they had the budget to buy a replacement window. However, they found that decorative window film designed for this purpose would run them a few hundred dollars. Luckily, this creative solution cost them about $40 instead.
Create your own curtain-free vintage window design
To upgrade your windows on a budget, without curtains, first design your pattern. The DIYers mapped out the grid with masking tape first to test out spacing.A large ruler and a dry-erase marker can also be used to mark out the grid before applying the striping tape. Because the marker wipes off, you can try different patterns to see what you like best before you commit.
Different widths of tape can be used to switch up the look or to create more detailed designs. For example, WOD Tape's Vinyl Pinstriping Tape comes in several widths starting at ¼ inch. You can also get tape with a metallic sheen if you'd like.
In leaded glass, the glass is sandwiched between the lead strips, called cames. To create the same illusion, apply tape to both sides of the glass. Instead of overlapping tape lines, cut your intersecting strips with a sharp utility knife so they butt perfectly flush against each other. Be careful not to stretch the tape as you apply it. Stretching will create tension that will eventually cause the stripes to peel away.