04/13/14, by Cate Seiser
DIY Projects
Windows are the main focal points that break up expansive areas of siding on homes. This covered porch area didn't have any, however, so we thought it could benefit from the outdoor equivalent of wall decor.
This presented the perfect opportunity to create our most recent reader-requested project: turning a salvaged window into hanging outdoor decor. Featuring a pop of color, a convenient shelf, and of course, the salvaged window, the project is a stylish display on its own as well as a clever twist on the standard window focal point. We used it as part of a small serving station, here, and found that the glass could even double as an erasable menu or message board!
Rather than mounting the window directly to the house, we attached it to a piece of plywood cut to the same width. The panel is tall enough to also accommodate the shelf and shelf brackets below the window and a few mounting screws at the top. After painting the plywood green — just for fun — we predrilled holes through the back side of the plywood into the window frame (photo 1). Then we drove in screws to secure it in place (photo 2).
To reflect the salvage style of the window, we chose a few reclaimed boards to use for the shelf — they're glued together side-by-side to form a wide-enough surface. For stability, we screwed the shelf to the window frame (photo 3) and then supported it with decorative shelf brackets (photo 4).
When the project was complete, we mounted the plywood backer to the house with heavy-duty screws. And look! The original window pull is in a perfect spot to hang a few washable paint markers.
