I know: Monica, you need to get your seasons straight, right? I’m celebrating Spring in November because I couldn’t wait four months to share these beauties. Besides, red and green makes it almost Christmasy. I’m sure you recognize this window that used to be a mirror. I decided I had too many mirrors in my apartment and not enough art. And one can never have too much white paint, I say. The botanical illustrations are from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen, a four-volume German book published in 1887. Botanicus.org scanned the nearly 300 drawings and made them available to download for free! © 1995-2009 Missouri Botanical Garden.

Window frame and (free!) botanical illustrations

1. Choose your desired botanical images and download them here (or buy prints here). I chose illustrations that have red in them because they went with my decor, but there are many gorgeous illustrations in a rainbow of colors as well.

2. Open your downloaded illustrations in a photo-editing software program (such as Photoshop) to resize and/or crop the images to fit your picture frames.

3. If you have a high quality printer, print your images. If not, save your files onto a flash drive or CD and take them to a photocopying service. I paid $1.78 for each 11×17-inch print at FedEx Office. Use a paper trimmer to trim to size.

4. Frame each print and hang them on the wall. Easy peasy.

For a step-by-step tutorial on painting and hanging a window frame, click here.

Why anyone would paint over window panes is beyond me. But that’s exactly what someone did to this window that I bought at a salvage yard for $20. It took a couple hours to scrape away all the stray paint and caulking, but the effort was totally worth it, considering I now have a fun beach-themed shadowbox. I tore all the tropical photos out of travel magazines. I can think of many other uses for salvaged windows, so there might be more window projects to come.

Salvaged window = shadowbox frame

Supplies

• painter’s tape
• primer
• latex paint
• window cleaner and paper towels
• masking tape
• double-sided mounting tape
• cardboard (one piece big enough to insert in the back of the window frame)
• fabric (large enough to cover the cardboard)
• photos, postcards, seashells, or other memorabilia

Tools

• paint scraper
• paint brush
• vacuum
• utility knife and/or X-Acto knife
• self-healing mat
• scissors
• pencil
• metal ruler
• iron and ironing board

1. Using a paint scraper, remove all the stray paint and caulking. Vacuum up the paint dust and scrub the window clean.

2. OK, now I know why a lazy painter would skip this step. Taping off each window pane is tedious (but necessary) work. The fastest and most precise method is to tape all four sides of one pane letting the excess tape overlap, trim each end with an X-Acto knife, then move to the next pane.

3. Fill and sand holes, as necessary. Wipe clean. Paint one coat of primer. Let dry. Paint two coats of paint. Let dry overnight. Flip it over, and repeat on the other side.

4. Carefully peel off the tape when the paint is dry.

5. Using a utility knife, metal ruler, and self healing mat, measure and cut a large piece of cardboard to fit the opening in the back of the window. I got this large piece of cardboard from Freecycle.

6. Iron a piece of fabric that’s large enough to cover the front of the cardboard and wrap around the edge at least an inch.

7. Wrap the fabric around the front of the cardboard. Tape the overlap to the back with masking tape.

8. Insert the fabric-wrapped cardboard into the window to make sure it fits. Lay on your work surface and arrange your photos and memorabilia as desired. Then move the window aside.

9. Using double-sided mounting tape, affix the photos and other items in place.

10. Insert the piece of cardboard in the window. Mine was such a snug fit that it stayed in place on its own. If yours is loose, you can tape or screw the cardboard in place.

11. I leaned mine against the wall, but you could also hang it vertically or horizontally with two keyhole fasteners. Hang from a stud or use a drywall anchors or molly bolts.

“First rule in government spending: Why build one when you can have two at twice the price?” Any guesses what movie that line is from? I loved these salvaged window frames so much, I bought both. This one was a little worse for wear, but it was nothing wood glue and a fresh paint job couldn’t cure. I got the (free!) wallpaper samples from FabMo, a volunteer effort collecting discontinued fabric samples from the San Francisco design community. Thanks, Hannah and Jonathan!

Salvaged window = wallpaper frames

Supplies

• salvaged window
• wallpaper samples
• masking tape
• spray adhesive
• 2 keyhole fasteners
• 4 washers
• 4 small wood screws
• 2 felt pads
• 2 drywall screws
• corrugated cardboard
• primer
• paint (I used Benjamin Moore Aura in Steam [AF-15])
• newspaper or drop cloth

Tools

• drill and drill bit
• ruler
• pencil
• screwdriver
• utility knife
• sponge paint brush
• self-healing mat (optional)
• stud sensor (optional)
• level (optional)

1. First, repair any broken pieces with wood glue and nails. Clamp them together until the glue dries. Clean, sand any imperfections, and dust the window frame.

2. Prime and paint the window frame. I used spray primer, but decided it was too windy outside for spray painting, so I applied the paint color by hand. I’ve become a fan of sponge paint brushes for painting wood. They give a smoother finish, and allow more control over the flow of paint. Let dry several hours.

3. Measure the openings, then cut 18 pieces of cardboard (two for each opening).

4. Choose your wallpaper samples and arrangement.

5. Using one of your cardboard pieces as a template, cut the wallpaper samples to size. A utility knife, ruler, and self-healing mat made this part easy.

6. Adhere each wallpaper sample to a piece of cardboard with spray adhesive.

7. Insert each wallpaper-covered piece of cardboard into the window frame. Then insert another piece of cardboard behind each. Tape in place with masking tape. Not much tape is needed. The snug fit of the cardboard (plus the wall) will keep them in place.

8. Follow steps 7, 8, and 9 right here to finish this project.

I saw this window frame at a salvage yard and coveted it for a few months before finally buying it. Instead of the opaque Plexiglass it came with, I inserted mirrors. I love mirrors because they can make a small space feel airy and bright. This one offers an added bonus: the illusion of an additional window. I planned to paint the frame, but decided that I like the natural, rustic look of it. Plus, it matches the wooden doors in my apartment.

Salvaged window frame = mirror

Supplies

• salvaged window
• 1/8-inch-thick mirrors
• paper mailing tape
• 2 keyhole fasteners
• 4 washers
• 4 small wood screws
• 2 felt pads
• 2 drywall screws
• corrugated cardboard

Tools

• drill and drill bit
• tape measure
• pencil
• screwdriver
• utility knife
• self-healing mat (optional)
• stud sensor (optional)
• level (optional)

1. Choose one of the Plexiglass sheets, and make sure it fits in all nine openings.

2. Measure the piece of Plexiglass, and call glass stores for price quotes on mirrors the same size. Most glass stores in my area charge $10.50 per mirror, but I found one place that agreed to charge me $6.50 each. It pays to shop around—I saved about $40! You can usually pick them up 24 hours later.

3. Insert each mirror in an opening.

4. Using a utility knife, cut pieces of cardboard the same size as the mirrors. Protect your surface with spare sheets of cardboard or a self-healing mat. Depending on the thickness of your frame and the cardboard, you may need two pieces for each opening. My cardboard was thick, so I only used one piece each.

5. Insert the cardboard piece(s) on top of the mirror in each opening.

6. Tape along all the edges of the cardboard with paper mailing tape.

7. Drill pilot holes on the back, starting about one inch below the top of the frame. Screw on the keyhole fasteners. Make sure they’re facing the right way. I inserted washers under each fastener to give a little extra space underneath for the screw head to fit.

8. Adhere one felt pad at each of the bottom corners.

9. Measure the distance between the keyhole fasteners. Find the studs in your wall (by knocking or using a stud sensor), and drill drywall screws into the studs (or use a drywall anchor or molly bolt). Use a level and measure twice before drilling. Hang the mirror on the wall.