Making windows

I used these old, lovely leaded stained glass panels, saved from a broken patio candle lantern, for the double livingroom windows.

I printed out two nice color pictures of a street side (approx. 8.5" x 8"/ 22 x 20cm for each double window), and used them as a canvas to glue on the glass panels, and the window frames.

For the window framing I used some old wood remnants (I didn't want the windows look too new), and a piece of wooden paint stirrer to make the window sill.
Balsa wood or anything else you can find will do fine, too!


The frame pieces all measure 7" / 17cm.
(Do some measurements yourself here, your dollhouse might have a different size, and of course the windows would have to look proportionate to the rest of the house.)

I carefully glued one of the glass panels directly on the picture, lined with the picture's edges.
Using the first glass panel as a guide, I arranged the window frames and the other glass panel, and glued them in place.
I filled the gaps between the frames with a drop of wood glue, and let it all dry overnight.

Finally I painted the frames and the sill, and let them dry.



If you don't have glass panels, or don't want to use any, you can laminate the pictures and so make them look like fake glass.

You can build the window frames using a piece of grid paper. Make sure the frames line up properly, and be careful to keep the corners square. Hold the frames and the window sill in place with pins (see picture), and glue them together with a drop of wood glue in the corners. Let it all dry overnight.

Paint the frames in the desired color, and let them dry.
Now you can glue each window frame down on a laminated picture.



When the frames are dry and firmly set, you can use a sharp exacto knife to trim the pictures the right size.
Now your windows are ready to be glued on the walls!

* GRAVITY IS YOUR FRIEND *
Especially when you are gluing on windows..
Glue on the windows while the room is on it's end, so they can't shift from the force of gravity!

Use the top edge of the wall for a guide. Put a pencil mark at about 3" / 7cm from the top edge of the wall: that's where the top of the windows will be.
Then mark the side edges of each window, with an equal space between the side walls and the windows.
Glue the windows on the wall, between the top and side marks. Be sure to use a level so that you glue them on straight!

Finally, weigh down the windows with a heavy, flat object (be careful with the sill!) so they sit well into the glue. Leave them to dry for a few hours.




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