Sugar Grove Country Creations features hand crafted home decor and gifts. You will find items such as hand painted salvage windows, grubby candles and tarts, rag dolls, ornies, bowl fillers, lighted rag garlands, primitive furniture and accessories. Occasionally we like to add furnishings and decor for children's rooms as well. If you don't see what you are looking for or if you find what you want and would like to have that item personalized, just email us. We love custom orders.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Windows painted by others....
2010 New Christmas Items
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tips for Painting Salvage Windows
The first thing is to obtain a window that is in fairly good shape. By this I mean that the glass panes are still intact and not loose and that the frame is sturdy. You then have to clean the window. I use vinager to clean the panes and window. This removes the years of mildew and mold as well as the dirt and grim from the windows fairly well. You may have to use a soft bristle brush to scrub the tougher areas. Some of the windows can be hundreds of years old and will require more cleaning than others. After the window is cleaned, allow it to completely dry, outdoors if possible. If the window has old paint on it that you wish to remove, you may need to wear gloves and a mask for this and use a good paint remover. Keep in mind that some of the paint may contain led, so take extra precautions if this is expected.
Now your window is ready to paint. First you may wish to base coat the window in a good primer or use a paint that already contains a primer in it in the color of your choice. Next you will need to add your background color. If the images you have picked out to paint on the window have darker colors, then a lighter background will work best and vice versa. You may need to add 2-3 coats of the background color for this to look right. You don't want to be able to see any light coming through the glass after you are finished with the background. Some people choose to paint the back of the window panes for added depth. This is done the same way with the exception of the primer, you will have to use the paint with the primer added in to do this. Be sure to let each coat of paint dry completely before adding the additional coats of paint. To speed this process up you can use a heat gun or a hair dryer.
You are now ready to paint your image onto the window. Coloring books are good sources for finding simple images for your windows. I free hand my windows, but if you like you can trace your image onto the base coated window using carbon or tracing paper. Paint in the image using your craft paints. I use the acrylic craft paint because it is inexpensive and comes in a variety of colors. Your image may also take several coats to minimize the streaks that only one coat will leave. Remember to let each coat dry completely before painting the next coat or this will pull the paint off the window and leave an uneven mark in the finished product. If you make a mistake, don't worry. simple paint over it and try again untill you get the desired effect.
After you are finished painting your window, you will need to seal it. This keeps the paint from chipping and peeling and also protects the window so that it can be cleaned and used outdoors if you wish. I use a clear spray paint/sealer. It is best to spray on light coats and let dry before adding the next coat. I usually seal my windows with at least 4 coats of this. It comes in matte or high gloss finish. I like using the high gloss best because it seems to bring out the colors better. If you basecoated your window on the back, you will need to seal it also.
To hang your window you will need to add some additional hardware to the back. You can find different options for this at your local hardware or department store. I use heavy duty wire and wood screws and make my own. I first insert my screws half way into the window and then wrap the wire around this tightly before I finish screwing them into place. Remember that the wire will give a little so you need to place your screws a little farther down on the window if you do not wish for the wire to show.
Your window is finished. I hope you enjoyed painting it and are pleased with the results. Please feel free to post pictures of the finished project, I would love to see it.
Welcome To My Blog....
Welcome to my blog. This is the first blog I have ever had. lol. I was actually entering a contest on Facebook and needed to add the site to my blog to enter. Well, since I didn't have a blog and had been wanting to start one, I figured that this would be a great excuse to do just that. As you already know, if you have read my about me page, I am a crafter and love all different sorts of crafts. I mostly paint and make candles, however. My favoritee crafts to make are the prim/country crafts. I love prim decorateing. You will probally notice that most of my painted items these days have willow trees, stars, saltbox houses, sheep, crows, etc. on them. That is because I try to paint items that I would love to have in my own home and this is what I am loveing right now. lol. If anyone has any comments, questions, etc. please feel free to post them. I love honesty. Thanks for stopping by.
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