My Farmhouse Window

I posted this a few days ago, but I'm going to put it into the DIY Day over at A Soft Place To Land. Enjoy, and be sure to check out all the other great DIY goodness over at Kimba's!

OK, OK, really what kind of blogger am I if I didn't take before and after photos? A shame to the world of blogging, I know! But the back story is that I've had this window for a month or so now, it was on my to-do list, and I just happened to be fairly perturbed. And well, if you know me, being mad makes me do things. Yes, sometimes things I regret, but often its things I should be doing anyway. I clean, I organize, I paint, I create...I do!

So I figured I might as well take up all my pent up energy and do something productive with it. I picked up this window at Home ReUseAbles for $20 (they charge $5 per pane). It was still a bit more than I wanted to spend, but I knew exactly what I wanted, couldn't find anything else comparable, so I bought it. Originally I wanted an 8 pane window, but that would have doubled my price. I used money I had made from consigning some of the kid's clothes, as well as some money I made selling things off of kijiji.

I figured a tutorial would be a bit silly considering it was a stupidly simple project, but I think turned out great results. Basically I had to use a razor blade to scrape the old paint off the windows. I sanded as best I could all the old paint off of the face (a grey color). I wore a mask for this as it was very likely lead paint at that time. I taped off the glass and started painting. It took four coats to cover. I think mainly because there was some sort of varnish on there, and the paint wouldn't adhere very well in those areas that weren't sanded down to the bare wood.

It did reveal a beautiful wood underneath, but it really wasn't what I was going for, so I went through with my white. I considered distressing it, and may still do that if I get bored of it in white, but for now, I'm pretty happy with it.

The fabric I used was IKEA's Alvine Satin, which I adore. IKEA discontinued it, and it is now really hard to get. You can still buy it on eBay, but at twice the price you would have paid at IKEA. This is an old pillowcase that I picked up in the As-Is section years ago hoping to use it somewhere great. I love it! It adds a touch of feminine country to our living room. Yes, yes, I did just say "feminine country." That should read...tasteful country!

My farmhouse window

A closer look. Isn't that fabric gorgeous?

Hanging over the couch. This the wall opposite to my plate wall.

I attached the fabric with masking tape, although I should really get serious and use staples. I just wanted to try it out before I "commit." But the best part? I envision Christmas fabric, Fall fabric, Spring fabric. Even some pictures. Ooo, the fun I could have with this is endless.