Faux Frosted Glass Privacy Window

Today I'm sharing a project that has been on my 'to do' list since moving into my house 2 1/2 years ago. My conundrum involved what to do to add some privacy to the front entryway door. I didn't want to cover the window with curtains as it would block too much light yet I did want to establish some privacy when looking into the house from the street.

 

Luckily, I came across the perfect solution when reading a blog post at Seventh House on the Left where transparent contact paper was used as 'window film' to add privacy! I LOVE this idea because it's a non-permanent way to add privacy as well as some visual interest to the entryway!

The process is pretty easy, but time consuming. Essentially you trace the shape you want onto contact paper, cut out lots and lots of shapes (I used 45+), then apply your design to the window. I downloaded my shape from Seventh House on the Left and then used my Silhouette Portrait cutting machine to do the work for me. This saved me a lot of time and ensured that my shapes were all cut the same. You can used good old fashioned scissors, however!

The transparent contact paper looks like frosted glass when applied to the window. You can pick up a roll of contact paper at places like WalMart, Target, and craft stores. When applying the design to the window, I measured to find the exact middle of the window and placed my first shape in the center then worked out from there.

The design isn't perfect but when the entire window is covered, it's really difficult to notice any imperfections. I did have to make sure I smoothed each piece down really firmly to avoid air bubbles. I cut out some extra shapes so that I could replace any that did develop bubbles that I couldn't smooth. Around the edges I used an X-Acto knife to trim an overlapping pieces.

This project is a really low cost, high impact way to add privacy, design, and interest to any space. A bonus feature is that when the sun hits the door at just the right time of day, a pretty pattern is cast onto the walls of the entryway! LOVE!!