There are times when you need just a little more privacy. Perhaps your bathroom window faces a neighbor’s home. Maybe you want to sit on your patio, enjoying the sun without spectators. We had two potentially bothersome windows I felt compelled to cover. As an adult, I realized I’m not a big fan of curtains with their dust and their cat tantalizing swag. I like to allow as much natural sunlight as possible to enter our home. I wanted a way to shield clear views into our house without obstructing daylight. My mission was to make a privacy window.
Option 1: Vinyl Privacy Window Cover
A visit to our local hardware store yielded some promising results. They have rolls of frosted and patterned vinyl sheets you stick to your windows. I was impressed that they do not use adhesive, therefore there is no residue. I was a bit apprehensive about the longevity of such a product but chose to give it a try.
Option 2: Faux Stained Glass
Meanwhile, some of the patterns inspired me to try a couple of alternative plans as well. I noticed some of the privacy vinyl sheets looked like stained glass. I’ve always admired that look in small quantities. It is especially appealing on the windows of craftsman homes. I live in a pretty basic ranch home, but a little stained glass look on a small side yard or door window wouldn’t be too bad. I discovered our local craft store carries a product that produces a realistic stained-glass effect. It reminds me of the puffy paint we used to decorate sweatshirts with at slumber parties in the 90s. The paint claimed to set up clear. There is even “liquid leading” so you can design your window or follow a pattern. Cool! I’d give this a go as well.
Option 3: Hot Glue Textured Window
I had one more thought in mind. Going back to the stick-on window vinyl, I remember seeing kind of a raised clear pattern on a flat clear background. I liked the way it distorted the view without altering the light filtering from the other side. My brain works in mysterious ways. That’s how my mind, creates creations. I instantly envisioned hot glue on the glass. I could swirl and twirl and doodle to my heart’s content while creating a unique obstructed view into the window. This would be my third project.
Applying the Vinyl Privacy Window
I have to say, using the vinyl cling was by far the fastest and easiest method. I just measured, cut, and dampened the back of the product with a little water and a tiny dot of dish soap. It comes with a flat sort of plastic spatula to smooth out any air bubbles trapped underneath. Once done, it looked like a professionally frosted window. Very nice!
Applying the Faux Stained-Glass Product
The faux stained-glass paints were a much longer more involved multi-step process. I had to slowly and carefully pipe out the liquid leading then allow it to dry. Once completely dry, about a day later, I got to color in my design. It is kind of hard to keep the color within the border. I found using a toothpick, I could work the color into the thinner more intricate sections. Tiny air bubbles were another issue. I used the toothpick to poke them then wiggled it back and forth quickly to smooth the area back down. I also tried out some peel and stick strips of faux leading. They work great for strait areas, but terribly for curves. When everything was filled in, the colors still looked a bit cloudy. But once completely cured, two or three days later, it looked very realistic. Another win!
Applying the Textured Hot Glue Window
Now it was time for free play 😊. I heated my hot glue gun and went straight to work. Please note that it was a mild day outside when I tried this. I wouldn’t attempt it during cold weather. That could very well end with a cracked window. Anyway, I had so much fun just making loops willy-nilly until the window was completely covered with hot glue squiggles. This is one of those times that was just too good to pass up my sneaky antics. Sure enough, there in the window are all four of our names written in cursive, hidden in the abundance of curly ques.
Beautiful But Stringy
Once done, it was beautiful but stringy. Very stringy. Every time you lift a hot glue gun a long thin string of quickly drying glue forms and drops to the surface. I spent another good amount of time picking off the threads. But then, beauty!
How Has Each Privacy Window Method Held Up?
Now, how have they held up? I was pleased with the results of all three privacy window methods. The stick-on vinyl was the most temporary of the three. It, however, has not failed, pealed, or discolored. There is some reassurance in knowing if I ever tire of the frosted look, I can simply pull it off and the window underneath is unaltered.
The faux stained glass and hot glue techniques are much more permanent. You have to work to get them off the glass. After some time passed, I noticed exposed glass showing under the stained-glass paint. My guess is this is due to fluctuating temperatures and the material shrinking and expanding then lifting off the surface. The hot glue is there forever…. lol. It stuck like, well, glue! I did notice, that over time, the glue became a bit discolored. This can probably be attributed to u.v. exposure. I used the same technique on a window beneath grade and the glue became brittle after a couple of years. Not sure about that one!
So, there you have it. Three ways you can create some privacy with a little creativity. If I had to choose one, it would be the textured vinyl. I prefer the stained glass with peel and stick leading or the hot glue for smaller windows.
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~ Lora Lea
