So, you have finally done what you said you were going to do for the last several years; you have replaced the old drafty windows in your home with new energy efficient ones. Now, the question is, what do you do with the old windows? This is an easy answer! Keep them and use them to create art or other useful items in or around your home. The trend right now is to turn old items like pallets, barn wood, old doors, sheet metal, and, of course, old windows into something that is both beautiful to look at and functional!

There are many resources that you can use to get inspiration for your home’s windows, but a good place to start is Pinterest. Pinterest can provide you with inspiration and instruction with just the click of a button! Listed below are five ideas that we have come across to hopefully get you started on the right track when re-purposing old windows that you may have lying around your attic or garage.

• Use old windows to create a headboard behind your bed. Use one window or several, depending on the size of the bed and wall, to create a unique headboard. As a bonus, photos or art can be placed behind the windows of the new headboard to create a personalized touch.

• Make a place to hang and store jewelry. Using an old window frame, chicken wire, a hammer, and a few nails you can create a shabby chic place to keep your necklaces, bracelets, and earrings that will have all your friends asking where you bought it from.

• Create a chalkboard to use as a calendar, menu board, or message board using the frame of an old window. This DIY project is a great way to add some style to your home along with a bit of organization.

• Use old window frames to create unique pictures frames. You can paint the wooden frame to add a pop of color or leave it as is for a more rustic feel. DIY window picture frames are a great addition to any room of the house.

• Use windows to create a DIY greenhouse. This project may require a bit of a higher skill level to pull off, but is a great way to re-use a large number of old windows and create an economical greenhouse that is environmentally friendly and beneficial.

Hopefully we have jump started your creativity, and you are ready to put those old windows that have been lying around to good use.

For more information about Window Nation and how we can replace any older windows that are still installed in your home with new energy efficient windows, give us a call today! We would be happy to help you get started choosing the right windows for your home and would love to see the after pictures of how you re-purposed those old windows!

Thanksgiving. A time for family, friends and fellowship. Getting your home cozy and welcoming while reflecting this time of thanks can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are six easy ideas for decorating your home this Thanksgiving.

Simple Thanksgiving votive candles. Candles can be used to illuminate your home or holiday table. Here are a couple simple ideas to create your own festive candles:

• Dried peas (green), dark kidney beans (reddish brown) and un-popped popcorn (yellow) layered in the bottom of a clear mason jar are the perfect combination for a base to set a small votive candle on. Tie a piece of brown twine or ribbon around the jar to complete these easy accents.

• Modge Podge some fall leaves to the outside of mason jars of various sizes or baby food jars, and drop a small votive candle inside or add a small battery operated candle. Finish with a piece of ribbon or twine tied around the rim.

Cranberry and twig bouquets. Fill a clear vase half full with cranberries. Add some dark colored twigs as the bouquet. If these aren’t colorful enough, you can spray paint the twigs for some flair or add some burlap or paper ribbon tied around the vase. Changing up the twigs and adding a bundle of wheat will give a harvest theme to this easy decoration.

Thankful tree. Place small twigs/branches in a vase. Cut out some small card stock style stiff pieces of paper. You can cut in various shapes like pumpkins, hearts, acorns, leaves etc. Punch a small hole in them and thread a small piece of twine through the hole. Write something that you are thankful for on each one of them and hang on the tree. Each day ask everyone to add at least one label of something that they are thankful for. You will be pleasantly surprised at all the things that will adorn your thankful tree.

Cinnamon wrapped candles. Place an elastic around a 3” – 4” wide candle. Place cinnamon sticks beneath the band. Continue filling around the candle until it is completely covered. Use varied heights for your cinnamon stick to add texture and depth. Once the candle is completely covered, wrap twine around the candle to hide the rubber band and tie off in a simple knot. These rustic candles are a great addition to almost any occasion.

Pine cone centerpiece or accent bowls. Pine cones are easy to find outside, or you can buy bags of them at a craft store. Fill your favorite wood or fall colored bowl with them. Adding a candle to the middle of the bowl and surrounding it with the pine cones is another option. Fill small baskets with pine cones, cranberries and cinnamon sticks for an aromatic accent that you can place all over your home.

Decorating for thanksgiving can be quick and easy. Following these Thanksgiving decor tips will decrease your holiday stress and increase your home’s holiday dress!

Fall is Here! Our absolute favorite time of year. The leaves are changing to beautiful, vibrant colors, the nights are rosey cheek cool and the sunny days still require sunglasses. Perfect. Mother Nature is redecorating the trees and shrubs. What are you doing to redecorate your home in the celebration of the arrival of fall? There’s endless ways to re-decorate to celebrate the fall and harvest season of the year. Here are a few of our favorite ideas to help your home look the part this fall season.

Traditional fall decorating has been to commemorate the harvest season, as fall was the last real harvest of the year before the cold winter months made their debut. Bunches of dried corn stalks wrapped around light or porch posts and mailboxes with a twine belt to hold them there, are simple, easy and inexpensive. Add color to these easy bunches by poking in some dried holly berry or small tree branches with some bright red and yellow leaves. Add a hale bale or two on your front porch or near your entrance door with some beautiful pumpkins, squash and gourds of different size and color. Pumpkins don’t have to be carved to be a fall decor, of course the occasional jack-o-lantern is fun to make and use!

Pumpkins, gourds and squash of all shapes, sizes and colors are very friendly for indoor fall decorating. Painting them different colors, in patterns or with fun faces quickly melds them into your existing decor, except with a fall flair. Setting out and using candles that are red, auburn, yellow or brown in color seem to bring the colorful fall leaves inside. Wonderful fall smells like cinnamon and apple will bring your taste buds back to the realization that it’s apple picking season. Which means a bowl or basket full of nice, bright red apples is an edible healthy addition to your fall decor.

Of course, if you want to have a fun and easy project to remind you of your childhood days then bring in some fall leaves, add crayons, wax paper and an iron and you can make some colorful and fun leaf accents. Use these accents to tack up on existing picture frames on your walls to add the fall flair without removing what is already on your walls. String the waxed leaves together to make leaf garland that can be used on mantels, light fixtures and over doors and windows. Stick these colorful waxed leaves up on your windows for a fall stained glass-like look.

Flowers like pots of Mums, and sunflowers that are intertwined with grapevine, cornstalks, pumpkins and even a beautiful bloom of a purple cabbage are an easy and pleasing way to accent both the outside and inside of your home. Decorating your home for the perfect season of fall doesn’t have to be expensive, stressful or hard. Using traditional harvest items and switching them up a little bit to add texture color or style is all it takes. The options are almost endless. Help honor and celebrate this fall season with some of our favorite fall projects, but don’t forget, above all have fun!

There is just something empowering about being able to say I built that with my own two hands. Do-It-Yourself home improvement projects are becoming more and more popular these days. Especially if your home is on a tight budget, like many are with today’s economy. Projects that you can do yourself can save you the expense of labor and give you a sense of accomplishment. There are some set backs to DIY projects if you have not done the proper research and invested the appropriate amount of time, they can be dangerous and more costly in the long run.

Here are a few DIY safety tips for getting things started on the right track. Take a minute to look these helpful tips over before diving into any DIY project.

• Safety First: The number one thing to be aware of when starting a DIY job is unsafe work conditions. It is easy to think you have to cut corners on safety when doing a DIY project. Safety is the most important part of any home improvement project. It could not only make the difference between getting the job done but also it could save your life. It is important to read all safety material when using power tools, have a spotter available when using ladders or heavy equipment and also go through the right safety routes when dealing with things like electrical wiring.

• Tools: Having the correct tools for the project will not only get the job done faster but also keep things safer. You can purchase or sometimes even rent the right tools to get the job done. Make sure you read directions fully before using any unfamiliar tools. Safety is always the first step to getting any project done. If you are unsure about how to use a tool ask a local hardware store clerk for tips and ask a friend to be present when using major equipment.

• Materials: having the correct material for your DIY project is essential to getting the job done right the first time. You can ask professionals at your local hardware store for help picking proper material. It is not always best to choose the cheapest material. This could slow down the project later on. Asking for help and choosing the right material for your job is the best place to start picking material.

• Measuring right: Making proper measurements for your DIY project is essential for a good outcome. If measurements are off by an inch it can hurt the projects outcome. The rule of thumb is to always measure twice and cut once. If your measurement is off you may need to buy more material or start the project over.

• Building Permits: Having the proper building permits are very necessary to any project. If you have not secured the proper permit and you build on an addition. The town will tell you to take down the whole project and redo it with the appropriate permits.

These helpful tips are just the beginning of your DIY project. Local hardware store staff can help assist you further with project questions. Safety is the number one concern when starting any DIY project. Keep things safe and enjoy the learning experience.

Summertime always seems to pass us by faster than a freight train. Before we know it, the leaves are changing and we’re left with feelings of regret for lack of pool time and margaritas. So, what steps can you take in order to make the most of your summer?

Make a Calendar

Sounds simple, right? It is! Visit www.calendarlabs.com and print one out!

Next, dedicate specific days to your favorite summer activities. Is cuddling up with a book at the pool important to you? Pencil it in on a Saturday afternoon, with specific times.              

Do you love relishing in refreshing drinks and summer snacks? Host a mocktail (or cocktail) happy hour, packed with light fare and fresh drinks, like this All Recipes Watermelon Lemonade. Pencil it in and send an invite! These are great for weeknights, when everyone is itching for a little summer night get together that isn’t too crazy.

Give Your Home Some Love

Making it through the summer without getting any work done around the house leaves many people feeling as though they wasted great “work weather.”  So make a commitment to complete two types of “homework”; one focused on necessary projects and one focused on having fun. 

Necessary projects– Still haven’t given the vinyl siding on your home a good spray with the hose? Still need to seal those windows? Figure out the most important tasks and plan for 1 or 2 [projects a month. Though they’re seemingly daunting tasks, you’ll feel good knowing you got them out of the way. And doing so leaves more time for all the fun things you plan to do!

Fun Remodeling– Nothing makes a summer more worthwhile than glamming up your home! Take the initiative to schedule a project once a week, something you can do outside on the patio (preferably with some leftover watermelon lemonade!) 

Still have that eyesore of a bench on your front patio? Grab some spray paint and stencils and create a work of art, like this one on www.homeandgarden.craftgossip.com. 

Hate getting up in the mornings? Turn that console table into a coffee bar and start every morning off with a little skip after whipping up a latte, like this one on www.diyhomedesignpins.com 

Feeling as though you were productive this summer is a great way to know you spent it well. And being productive doesn’t necessarily mean washing your vinyl siding or creating a coffee bar in your dining area; maybe it means you successfully hosted 3 summer happy hours and spent time with family and friends, or caught up on some alone time at the pool with your favorite book.

Whatever you do this summer, enjoy it; it passes us by in the blink of an eye!

Window Nation is a family owned and operated window replacement company.  For more information on replacement windows, new vinyl siding or entry door systems, please contact our team today!