You guys know I love sharing DIY projects with you all. But it dawned on me that I have never even shared my very first DIY project before.
This is what started my love for up cycling and refreshing old pieces of furniture with a little bit of paint and love! We found this massive 12 pane window for FREE!
We were cleaning out an old building as a church project several years ago. I thought it would look beautiful as a chalk painted window for decor!
My hubby and I were engaged at the time we found it, so we got it to use as wedding decor originally. But unfortunately with all the wedding planning going on, we never got around to actually fixing it up before the wedding!
So a few months after we were married, we found it again. And decided now it was time to fix it up and make it beautiful!
The Before: Removing The Glass From The Window
I unfortunately don’t have too many pictures of what it looked like before. Because like I said above, I didn’t realize my love for DIY home decor and blogging back then, so I didn’t think to do a proper before and after.
I wish I did because you guys would not believe the ugly purple glass that was inside that window to begin with!
So we had to bust out the glass carefully and remove any pieces in between the panes before we started painting it. It also had a really pretty chippy white/green color paint to it.
And I would have loved to have kept the original color. However, for some reason the sides of the window were just wooden and not painted. So I thought that wouldn’t look good when I hung it up!
The During: Sanding Down And Chalk Painting The Window
After busting out the glass to it, we then had to sand it down to remove all of the old paint. If you are working on an old piece like this, be sure to wear a mask when sanding because most likely the paint on it is lead paint.
Better to be safe than sorry in this situation!
Once it was all sanded, it was now time to paint it! Which if you haven’t known already, is my favorite part! I used Magnolia Home Chalk Style Paint in Garden Trowel.
This color is a perfect neutral gray color. I have used this color in several other home projects before. Such as when I repurposed an old family heirloom too.
I did about two coats of this paint on the window and then let it dry overnight. It was a little tedious because you had to make sure you got in between each window pane with paint real good.
It was definitely worth the hard work though because I love how the chalk painted window turned out!
The After: Styling The Chalk Painted Window
Once the window was completely dry, I decided I wanted to give it more of a rustic, chippy look like it had before I had to paint it. So I went back over it with some sandpaper to achieve this effect.
I am very happy with the results and it does look like an older window now because of that last little step. We then decided to hang our window in the hallway at the top of stairs in our home.
I like the placement there because it really makes a statement when you are walking up the stairs since that is the first thing you see.
I also always love to put a pretty seasonal wreath on it for every holiday. That helps to dress up the window a tad and give it even more texture!
Conclusion
This chalk painted window will probably always be my most favorite DIY project because it was the very first one my hubby and I did together.
It also sparked a light in me to discover that I love doing projects like this and it’s part of what inspired me to share on Instagram and start blogging as well.
Do you have a very favorite DIY project like this one too?? I would love to hear all about it below!
This is such a lovely idea!! You made it look so easy
Thank you so much! It actually was very easy to do!
Wow this looks amazing, love the decor you made.
Very creative…
Thank you so much. I am so glad you think so too!
It looks great and very simple to do. Thanks for sharing,
I love the story behind this project and how it fuelled your passion for DIY. Your finished project is beautiful and I love how you accessorize it! Thanks for sharing.
What a lovely idea and I love the look of it hung on your wall! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
That’s great you found the window for free & it turned out amazing! I also love that you add a seasonal wreath to it!
This is amazing, what a great DIY project! Looks fab with the wreath too x
Thank you so much! I am so glad you think so as well!
Aw it’s so interesting to hear about your first ever DIY project 🙂 thank you for sharing x
Thank you so much! I am so glad you thought it was interesting too!
What an amazing find! You did an awesome job fixing it up and I absolutely love the wreath! Thanks for sharing your first DIY project!
Thank you so much my friend. I am so glad you think so as well.
Super cool idea! Thanks for step-by-step guide…some of us have yet to complete a DIY project such as this. Bookmarking for later. 👍
Thank you so much! You should try a DIY project out sometime! You would love it!
This is such a lovely idea for a DIY project! It looks fab in your home too. Gosh you’ve made so much more since then!
Thank you so much! I really have! I have caught the DIY bug I believe lol
As always, you are my DIY queen! I am obsessed with chalk paint right now and how I can use it to upstyle my existing bits
Rosie
Awe thanks so much my friend. I am so glad you think so! I love chalk paint too. It’s always so much fun to use to upcycle a project
Lovely! Your projects always leave me awed. If I tried something like this, I’d likely mess it up completely! However, I do have an itch to try my hand at a couple of little projects so maybe as we are re-modeling I might do it.
You should definitely try it out! Don’t be scared! I was scared starting out too, but you never know until you try!
This is a good project to do during lockdowns. Thank you for sharing it.
No problem at all. It was a very fun project!
Hi Charity. How nice to hear about the original inspiration for your DIY interest. Do you enjoy the actual DIY process itself or is it just the feeling of satisfaction/achievement when you have finished? Or both?
I love both! It’s fun to me when I am doing it. I find it to be relaxing to me and then of course I love a good end result when it is finished too!
Wow! You did an amazing job, well done! It looks incredible 🙂
xoxo Olivia | https://www.oliviaandbeauty.com/
Thank you so much my friend! I am so glad you think so too!
What a wonderful idea – you’re so creative! Thanks for sharing and it looks like it turned out beautiful in your space!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you think so!
this is sucha. beautiful project. wishing i had some artistic talent right about now 🙂
Thank you. I appreciate your kind words!
OMG, Charity!! This looks so cute. You’ve got the best eye for DIY! I want to do something similar for Fall too! The wreath on top complements it so well. Thanks for sharing!! Pinning to do for Thanksgiving this year!
Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
Awe yay! I am so glad you found it to be inspiring too!
I have never heard of a chalk painted window before, but I love what you did with this as a before and after! The finished effect is easily done, creative, and pretty on the eyes.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much! I love using chalk paint for different projects!
Wow pretty amazing project! It looks stunning! I have never thought you could do something to a window like that! I am impressed.
Thank you so much! I am so happy with how it turned out!
It looks fantastic I love the colour Cris
https://www.photosbycris.com.au/?p=14671
Thank you! I love the color too!
What a cool idea, I’ve never seen a chalk painted window before, but it looks great! Also sounds like a really fun DIY project to do with someone else, thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you so much! It was a fun project for my hubby and I to do together!
I honestly love your DIY project and this is another amazing one! Love how you styled it at the end and the step by step process. I think it could easily be put anywhere and look great x
Thank you so much! It really would look perfect anywhere for sure!
That’s so cool for your first project. I’ve always wanted to get into upcycling, but I don’t have the space due to living in a single room, nor do I have a car to go find and collect furniture to be upcycled
Yeah I understand that. Sometimes it’s hard to do if you don’t have the space for it.
I’d never heard of chalk painting before I read this post! It turned out so pretty 🙂 x
I love chalk paint! You should try it out sometime!
Your DIY posts are my favourite!! I love the final look of this – amazing post xx
Awe thanks Della! That made my day. I appreciate it!
This sounds like a great idea
Thanks for sharing your first DYI project 😉
https://uncuaderno4cero.wordpress.com/
Thank you. I am so glad you enjoyed it!
I keep wanting to chalk paint things but my partner is a huge fan of natural, old wood so we’re at a bit of a crossroads. This looks lovely though! ☺️
Thank you so much! Sometimes natural looks great too!
Great post! Thank you for sharing this DIY with us! The finished result looks amazing and the colour is so nice! The story behind this DIY is lovely! I think the first DIY project I did was a jam jar which was painted and repurposed as a pen holder for my desk!
Awe that sounds like a lovely first DIY project too! It’s so much fun to do!
This is really pretty and I love the way you style it too! You always have the best home decor. Can you come and redo my house? Lol
Lol yes! I would love to do that my friend!
What an amazing find! I can’t believe it was free! And I love that it has such special meaning for you. It’s such a great piece!
Thank you! I can’t believe it either and I love how special it is as well!
Cool project, very creative! I’ll definitely try it one day. Thanks for sharing xx
No problem at all. Glad you enjoyed it as well!
Absolutely amazing!! This is such a lovely idea for a DIY project! It adds beauty to your home too.
Awe thank you so much! I am so glad you think so too!