How to Paint on Your Windows

A cozy project for a cold winter day, with hot chocolate : use this instructable as a cool way to decorate your home or to paint on a shop-window if you have a business. The supplies required are minimal and safe to use with children, and easy to clean. Alternatively you can also paint on a mirror with the same technique. 

NB: Please keep in mind that taking pictures of a window is quite hard. The result looks a lot better in person.

Time : a cold afternoon

• Meudon white / chalk powder   ← THE magic ingredient
• Paper
• Pencil
• Adhesive tape
• Water
• Paint brush and/or dry marker

Meudon white, also called chalk powder, is only composed of calcium carbonate. You can find it in a hardware store (maybe in the household product section). It costs between 5€ and 10€ for 500 grams. 500 grams is enough for you to draw on windows for the rest of your life.

You can choose one from the internet or draw your own. Try to choose a drawing without small details for your first try.

Some ideas that may help you choose a design : one-line drawings, flowers and plants, snowmans, snowflakes, gingerbread man, a snowy town, a super-hero, animals, mandalas… For instance I like to change the design each season : palm trees during summer, jack o'lanterns for halloween, snow during winter, flowers during spring

But of course be creative and choose a drawing that you like !

Transfer your design to a big piece of paper, by drawing it, printing it or tracing it. You can either use a big paper or tape many normal papers together.

You may think that you can draw freehand directly on the window, but I find it very difficult. So I really recommend preparing the drawing on a piece of paper. At least for your first try using this technique.

Mix one spoon of meudon white with two spoons of water. Stir until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.

You can adjust the ratio by adding more powder or more water depending on the consistency that you prefer. 

If the mixture is too liquid, big drops will fall and ruin your drawing. On the other hand, if it’s too dry, and hard to apply consistently.

While you paint, the paint might start to separate. If that’s the case just stir it a bit with the paintbrush.

You are now ready to paint! 

It’s a good idea to start painting on the top left (top right if you are left handed) corner so that you don’t unintentionally erase the drawing as you go.

You can either use a paint brush or an old and dry marker to paint. To use the marker, just dip the tip in the paint and use that to paint. I find that the paint brush is best suited for covering large areas, whereas the dry marker gives more control for finer details.

You can also experiment by using a sponge or other tools to apply the paint !

When you first apply the paint, it will be a bit grayish and translucent. But don’t worry, once it dries it will turn white and opaque.

Please let me know how you like this technique and what other ideas or experiments have you done !

If you make a mistake or simply want to erase the drawing, it’s very easy. Just wait for the paint to dry (3 to 5 minutes) and use a rag to clean the window. 

Meudon white can also be used as a clean creamer for cleaning metal surfaces such as robinettery or other non-porous surfaces. Mix ⅓ of powder, with ⅓ of water and ⅓ of white vinegar. Apply the mixture with a rug and then rinse with water. Your faucet will be shinier than ever !