Who knew painting a window could be so easy?!
Do you have an old window or door maybe that has been needing a coat of paint for a while, but you just can’t bring yourself to take on all of that taping? Boy, have I got news for you…
The Easiest Way to Paint a Window!
I must admit, painting is not my favorite thing to do. Which is probably true for most of you I’m sure.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the transformative powers of paint. In fact, whether it’s a piece of furniture, a room, or even a simple jar, I’m pretty much in awe each and every time I use it!
But…
I really dislike how boring and monotonous painting can be. And, more than anything, I hate, hate, hate the tedious prep work that inevitably comes with painting.
I absolutely dread the careful edging and taping.
When I make up my mind to do something, I want it done yesterday.
At least when I’m slapping the paint onto something I can see progress happening, but with taping, all I can think about is all of the time I’m wasting for something I’m just going to rip off again anyway.
Which is why I cannot flippin’ believe it took me SO long to think of this simple little trick! For all of the windows I’ve painted (see them all here), just think of all of the time I could have saved with this one little tip…
Just don’t bother!
That’s right! Don’t waste your time taping off that window.
Did you know that paint scrapes off of glass with hardly any effort at all? I did, but somehow it’s taken me this long to clue in that I can use this to my advantage. I swear, a light bulb appeared right over my head with this one … with this $4 tool, I could skip the taping all together, paint away as if I had taped and then remove all of that extra, unwanted paint in a matter of seconds!
BRILLIANT, am I right?!
I finally tested out this theory with this Vintage Window Flower Box and it really did take me just seconds to scrape all of that extra paint off the glass. And honestly, it looked so much better than even my most careful taping jobs!
It literally just came off in long strips with one quick scrape! You can bet I’ll never, EVER waste my time taping another window again!
You can check out this brilliant (if I do say so myself!) trick in action with this Vintage Window Flower Box!
Have you discovered any of your own DIY tips or tricks? I’d LOVE to hear them!
Wishing you all SUCH a lovely day!
PS. You can find me sharing here and Savvy Southern Style.
Kendra @ www.joyinourhome.com says
Soo good to know, Kristi! Wow! Like you, I love the power of paint but don’t enjoy painting! Hoping your still relaxing and having a blast! xo
Kristi says
Thanks Kendra! I felt like such a genius when I thought of it 😉 We are having a fantastic vacation, thank you! Hope you’re enjoying your summer too!!! xo
Sam @ DIY Just Cuz says
I read about this trick in your vintage window flower box post and I still think it’s such a great idea! I don’t paint windows that often admittedly but my one of my cousins (co-authors) just bought a new house that she’s renovating and this would probably save her tons of time!
Kristi says
Oh gooooood! I’ll be thrilled to help someone make a crummy task like painting go a little faster! Thanks Sam!
Breanna says
I’ve used this trick before and it’s so amazing how well it works! Screw the tape, just paint away and worry about the mess later. Pinning!
Kristi says
YES!!! How did it take me so long to figure out? Thanks Bre!
Emily, Our house now a home says
How have I not thought of this?! I have taped, I have painted, I have also scraped paint off. Never thought of scraping after I paint. I too cannot stand the prep portion of a project. Or sanding, sanding is my sworn enemy. It takes so long and is really boring. I just want to get to the fun portion of a project. I love the end results with your window!
Kristi says
Right?! The prep is the absolute worst! I agree, sanding is pretty awful too. Thanks Emily!
Erlene says
I’ve always taped and this is such a time saver. I remember my BIL telling me to use vaseline and it would work too, but I’ve never tried that.
Kristi says
Thank you Erlene! I’ll have to try that one out too!
Sinea Pies says
My mom was the painter in our house when I was growing up. She always scraped the paint off the windows with a scraper but I had totally forgotten that! Thanks for reminding me, Kristi. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways! Pinned, tweeted and STUMBLED! LOL I am getting re-aquainted with StumbleUpon and I know a lot of DIYers will love this post! ♥
Kristi says
Thank you SO, SO much Sinea!!! It really does save a ton of time! I wish I could have taught my mom this trick years ago, it would have saved her SO many hours!!! And I’m just getting back into SU too! Thanks again!
Melinda says
Here from 2 uses Tuesday.
Brilliant!
Kristi says
Thank you SO much Melinda!
Kathi Riemer says
Thank you for the paining tips. I love your outdoor window decor.
Kristi says
Thanks SO much Kathi! I wish I had thought of this sooner, but at least I’ve got a trick up my sleeve for next time 😉
Julie says
I know a couple of professional decorators and they never tape, they just go for it and clean up any mess later. I’m definitely trying this little trick next time. Thanks
Kristi says
Thanks Julie! It definitely makes quick work of it!
Melissa Vera says
What a great tip. Thanks for sharing. Thanks for linking up on the #HomeMattersParty this week. Hope you will come back next week to link up again.
Kristi says
Thank you Melissa! It really is SUCH a time saver!!! Will definitely be there again this week!
Sherry says
Great tips!! Thanks for sharing with Home Sweet Home!
Kristi says
Thanks so much Sherry!
Amanda @ Dwelling in Happiness says
Ha, wow, I feel so silly! Why did I never think of that!? I HATE taping!!! Brilliant idea, Kristi!
Kristi says
Right?! I cannot believe I didn’t think of this sooner Amanda! Thanks girl!
emily says
It is an awesome idea. I have to say however if you are doing this on your home windows don’t forget to re-apply the bead of caulk that you will also scrape off. I re-painted honey oak windows white in my old house and scraped the paint off but didn’t realize I was also scraping of the caulk and ended up with really inefficient windows that got frost inside on cold days
Kristi says
That’s a great tip Emily! Having only needed to paint interior doors or antique windows, this is definitely something I hadn’t thought of! Thanks for sharing!
Gloria says
This paint scraper has been around a long time. Vaseline is also effective.
Kristi says
Thanks for sharing Gloria! I’ll have to give that a try!