What Kind of Paint Should I Use for Holiday Window Painting?

Painting windows is a fun way to decorate for the holidays. Whether you’re painting a window of your house, a shop, or anything else, you’re going to need to know the right paints to use. The wrong paints might not look nice or could be difficult to remove from your window once the holiday is over. Two kinds of paint that will work great for windows are tempera and acrylic.

Tempera Paint

Tempera is a great option for window painting. It’s usually long-lasting and is easy to remove with water. However, tempera tends to be more susceptible to flaking than acrylic paints.

Acrylic Paint

Acrylics are relatively thick paints, which makes them a good option for beginners. They can be used either on the inside or the outside of windows but will likely last longer where they aren’t exposed to the elements.

Paints to Stay Away From

If you’re painting a window for the holidays, you’re probably intending for the paint to come off when the holiday season is over. If you use the wrong paint, it could be incredibly difficult to remove from the window. Make sure to do your research on what kinds of paints will be easy to remove before you make any purchases. Some paints might be labeled for use on glass but this doesn’t mean that they are meant to come off easily. A lot of glass paints are designed to be permanent and will cause you a lot of trouble when you try to remove them.

Supplies You’ll Need

Before you start painting, you’ll want to check to make sure that you have all the right supplies. You’ll probably need more than one kind of brush to create the look you want. Think about your design before you start working. It’s a good idea to have a few basic brushes even for designs that aren’t complex. Have a wide brush and a thinner brush for flat colors and outlines. Fan brushes are great for interesting textures such as clouds, snow, and treetops. For letters, it’s best to use a long, thin brush specifically designed for lettering.

You’ll also need some basic window cleaner to make sure that the window is free of any dirt or marks. Make sure that the cleaner you use won’t make it hard for paint to stick to the window after it’s cleaned. You can use this cleaner again when you’re ready to scrape off the paint. Make sure that the paint is dampened with either the cleaner or with plain water before you attempt to remove it.

Direction of the Image

When you’re painting, also consider the direction that you want the paint to look best from. Do you want the paint to be visible to the outside? Then you’ll have to make sure to paint with the image in reverse, which will be hard if you’re not as experienced. If you want to have the paint viewed from the inside of the window, then you can paint as normal.