How to Paint Holiday Windows

I just returned from painting a huge Christmas mural on the windows of a dentist's office.  It was a blast!  As a kid, my mom and I would go to nursing homes and paint their windows each year as a service project.  We loved talking to the residents and the joy it would bring as the characters came to life.  When my mom died in a car accident, I just couldn't face going by myself.  This year, I stumbled into doing the windows and am so grateful that I had this opportunity - I can't wait to see how excited the little kids are when they get there and see an enormous penguin on ice skates opening the front door for them!

A friend went with me to watch. I was a little intimidated about painting in front of people, but she was a great help and provided a ton of much needed moral support.  As I was painting, I told her that since she'd seen me do it, she could now go home or earn some extra holiday cash by painting windows on her own.  She said she couldn't draw a stick figure, let alone paint an elaborate mural. 

Hmmm...that got me to thinking.  You know, it really isn't hard to paint windows - even if you have absolutely no artistic talent.  So, I decided to share how to do it in the hopes that each person will bring joy to their neighborhoods by painting their own windows, bring joy to their community by donating a mural to a local business, AND earn all the extra Christmas cash needed to make this year spectacular without going into debt to do it.

Ready?  Here we go...

1.  Get your supplies.  Cleaner:  I like to use Windex glass cleaner and a squeegee to clean the windows.  (Note:  the Pampered Chef squeegee is amazing!) Paint:  You can use either tempera or acrylic.  I prefer acrylic because it doesn't run when it gets wet and it doesn't flake off when it gets dry.  Use regular acrylic from the craft store.  I buy a big bottle of white, black, red, green, blue, brown, and yellow.  Buy the little bottles of any other colors that catch your fancy.  I also buy one set of inexpensive paint brushes (make sure to get one 1/2" flat brush and one fine point for detailing), and a bunch of sponge paint brushes in assorted sizes.  I buy mostly the 1/4" sponge brushes because they work for just about anything.  Since I don't like to stop and change colors, I get 4-6 of these so I have one for every color I'm using.  Bowls:  I get a bunch of small Rubbermaid bowls with lids.  Use the smallest size.  You'll use these to keep your paint fresh.  Acrylic dries really fast!  You'll also need a bowl for water to rinse your brushes.  I just use an empty margarine container.  Whatever you find around the house is great.  Marker:  I use a black dry erase marker to "draw" my painting before I paint it.  Pictures:  What do you want to paint on the windows?  Get some reference pictures that you've drawn or cute greeting card images, clip art, etc. that you want to use.  Razor Blade or Credit Card:  To take down the windows, you will need a sharp edge.  Acrylic is similar to plastic, so it is very easy to scrape off.  Paper Towels:  My favorite brand is Viva.  Get a roll of good quality paper towels. They absorb more moisture, so you use less of them.  Spray Bottle:  You will fill this with warm, soapy water to take down your windows.

2.  Clean the inside and outside of the windows.  Paint sticks better to a clean surface, and you want everyone to see all your hard work, so prepare your "canvas" by making it sparkly clean.  Just spray with the glass cleaner and squeegee off.  It's fast and super easy.

3.  You will paint on the outside of the windows.  If you live in a cold climate, consider getting your painting done early, or dress warm - especially your feet and head.  You can wear gloves if you need to; but I have trouble painting that way.

4.  Plan your picture.  Determine the size, colors, etc.  It's most fun to tell a story with your winter scene.  This year I had teddy bears having a snowball fight with one sleeping bear about to get hit by a misdirected shot.  The kids love these little surprises.  It's also fun to hide things with special meaning or extras that people will really have to look for to notice.  This makes it really fun for the adults, too!

5.  If you can't draw a stick figure to save your life, no worries!  Find the picture you want to use and transfer it to a piece of butcher paper in the size you need.  You can ask a friend who likes to draw to draw it for you, or use an overhead projector, or use the graph technique to grid it onto the butcher paper.  Now, tape the butcher paper with your drawing on the inside of the window.  Voila!  When you go outside, you have a perfect template to use for your painting.

6.  Use the black dry erase marker to outline your picture.  Don't worry about the details (eyes, nose, mouth, etc.), just get the basic shape down.  This will be your paint template to help you know what colors go where.  I love working with dry erase marker because if I make a mistake, it wipes off easily over and over again until I get the drawing right.

7.  Begin painting, one color at a time.  I like to go through and do all of the "big" colors, starting with the colors in the center of the picture first.  Make sure you wait for each color to completely dry before working with a color next to it.  Don't worry, acrylic dries REALLY fast!  To conserve paint, don't put much in your Rubbermaid container, and put the lid on as soon as you finish using it.  This will keep the paint fresh and ready to use next time.  Note:  Acrylic does not last forever.  Make sure you shake the bottle well before using, and rotate your paints.  If you've had it for a couple years and notice a strange consistency or a sour smell, it's time to throw it out.

8.  Apply details to bring the image to life.  It's the details that make your picture "pop" and attract comments.  Take the time to really make your work special.  Study brush techniques to create "fur" on animals, etc. 

To remove:  To remove your painting, just get a spray bottle filled with warm soapy water.  Spray the entire image and keep it wet for about two minutes.  Then, go through with a razor blade or credit card (or your squeegee) and the paint will scrape right off.  When you're done, give the windows a good cleaning.

That's it!  As you do your practice windows (at home and as service to your community), you are working on your speed and taking pictures to use if you decide you want to go out and get a few jobs to earn some holiday cash.

Pricing:  For simple professional windows done all in white with a few ribbons and bows and maybe some holly added, I would charge $85 and it would take about 20 minutes.  For large murals, I charge $25-$35 per hour, with a set project fee.  It usually takes about 5-8 hours, so the fee is about $200-$300 depending on the complexity and level of detail.  Obviously, you will earn more from the simple stuff, but your reputation will be built on the complex designs.  Try to book 80% of your time with the simple stuff, and reserve 20% for the really fun, challenging, custom work that will look great in your portfolio.  As your reputation and your speed increases, so can your prices.

Have fun, and please let me know if you have questions and if you found this helpful.

Happy holidays!

Michelle