The first frost shows up on the car windshield, and suddenly the windows at home look bare. Shop fronts get painted glass every December. Your living room can have it too.
These 12 designs use washable chalk markers or window paint, and every one wipes off with a damp cloth in January. The shapes are simple: dots, triangles, lines, and stars. No art degree is needed, and kids can help with the low panes. A good playlist and a cup of cocoa help a lot.
Short on time? Short on time, so start with ideas 2, 4, and 5, which are only dots, stars, and sponge dabs. Images are AI-generated illustrations.
White Pine Tree Line Along the Bottom of the Picture Window
A row of white pine trees runs along the bottom third of a big living room window. Some stand 6 inches tall and some reach 14. Each tree is just a center line with short strokes angled down.
Mixed heights make a flat row look like a real forest. Mistakes vanish with a damp cotton swab, so nothing is final. Start with the tallest tree in the middle and work out to both sides.
Copy it: Clean the bottom third of one window today so the glass is ready for marker. (about 45 minutes, cost $)
Village Rooftop Outline Across the Kitchen Window
A white outline of little houses runs along the bottom of a kitchen window. Peaked roofs, square windows, and thin chimneys repeat in a row of eight. Tiny dots of snow float above the roofs.
Houses are only squares and triangles, so anyone can draw them. Sunlight throws the village as a shadow on the counter each morning, which is a lovely bonus. Tape a paper sketch to the outside of the glass and trace it from inside.
Copy it: Sketch a row of eight simple houses on printer paper tonight to use as your tracing guide. (about an hour, cost $)
Painted Ornaments Hanging From the Top of the Frame
Thin white lines drop from the top of the window at different lengths. A round ornament in red, green, or gold hangs at the end of each line. Seven of them fill the upper half of the glass.
Upper glass usually gets ignored, and this fills it. Tracing around a drinking glass gives a clean circle every time. Leave a small white curve on each ball, and it suddenly looks shiny.
Copy it: Hold a drinking glass up to your window tonight to check that the circle size feels right. (about 40 minutes, cost $)
Falling Snow Dots Made With a Pencil Eraser
White dots cover a window from top to bottom, thick near the sill and thin near the top. Big dots mix with tiny ones. Outside, the dark yard makes every dot glow.
Dabbing takes no drawing skill at all. Three dot sizes give the snow depth, as if some flakes are closer. Secret: dip a pencil eraser in window paint for round dots that all match.
Copy it: Find a new pencil, a cotton swab, and a small sponge brush for your three dot sizes. (about 20 minutes, cost $)
Five Line Stars Scattered Around the Front Door Glass
Gold and white stars dot the glass panels beside a front door. Each star is five straight lines crossed in one stroke. Sizes range from a quarter to a saucer.
Guests see this before they even knock. Metallic marker catches the porch light after dark and shimmers. Draw the big stars first, then fill the gaps with small ones so the spacing feels loose.
Copy it: Practice the five line star ten times on scrap paper until it comes out in one stroke. (about 20 minutes, cost $)
Sponge Frost in Every Pane Corner
Soft white frost fills the four corners of each window pane and fades toward the middle. Clear glass stays open in the center. From across the room it looks like a cold morning in an old house.
A sponge makes the texture, so there are no lines to get wrong. Less paint looks more real here. Wring the sponge almost dry and dab from the corner out, pressing lighter as you go.
Copy it: Cut a kitchen sponge into quarters so you have a small dabber for each corner. (about 15 minutes, cost $)
Green Wreath Painted in Each Upper Sash
A leafy green wreath about 10 inches wide sits in the center of each upper window sash. Short strokes in two greens form the leaves. Red dots in groups of three make the berries.
Painted wreaths never shed, droop, or need a hook. Two shades of green are what make the leaves look full. Trace a dinner plate lightly in white first, then paint the leaves right over the line.
Copy it: Pick the two windows that face the street and wipe the upper glass clean today. (about 45 minutes, cost $)
Paper Snowflake Stencils Sponged in White
Lacy white snowflakes in three sizes float across a bedroom window. Every flake shows the cut pattern of a folded paper snowflake. No two match.
Cut paper does the hard part for you. Kids can fold and snip while you handle the glass. Tape each paper flake flat, sponge white paint through the holes, then peel it off slowly.
Copy it: Fold and cut three paper snowflakes tonight from plain printer paper. (about 40 minutes, cost $)
String of Colored Bulbs Swagged Across the Top
A thin black line swoops across the top of the window in three loose swags. Fat bulbs in red, yellow, green, and blue hang from it every few inches. Each bulb has a tiny white shine mark.
This one gives the cheer of string lights with no cord and no outlet. Bright colors show up well in daylight, when real lights look dull. Draw the cord line first, then add bulbs in a set color order.
Copy it: Count how many swags fit your window by holding a piece of string across the top. (about 30 minutes, cost $)
Snowman Family at Kid Height on the Patio Door
Three snowmen stand in a row on the lower part of a sliding glass door. The tallest reaches about 3 feet, and the smallest is knee high. Orange carrot noses and striped scarves add color.
Low glass belongs to the little ones, so give them that zone on purpose. Their art stays in one place while the rest of the door stays clear. Bonus: paint at that height helps everyone notice the door is closed.
Copy it: Mark a line of painter's tape at 3 feet on the patio door to set the art zone. (about 30 minutes, cost $)
Glowing Candle Painted in Every Pane
One simple white candle stands at the bottom of each pane in a grid window. Yellow teardrop flames sit on top, each with a soft orange center. Twelve panes hold twelve candles.
Repeating a small shape looks neat and calm, almost like wallpaper. Painted flames give the old candle in the window look with zero fire risk. Cut a candle shape from a cereal box and trace it so all twelve match.
Copy it: Cut one candle template about 4 inches tall from a cereal box tonight. (about 50 minutes, cost $)
Snowy Hills and a Crescent Moon Seen From the Sidewalk
Rolling white hills fill the bottom of a front window, with a thin crescent moon high in one corner. Lamp light from inside makes the white paint glow against the dark house. Small dots of snow drift between hills and moon.
Big simple shapes read from the street, where fine details blur. Neighbors on evening walks get a little show. Step outside once before the paint dries, since spacing looks different from 20 feet away.
Copy it: Walk out to the sidewalk tonight and pick the window that shows best from the street. (about 35 minutes, cost $)
When to Set This Up
Paint the weekend after Thanksgiving, on a cloudy day when the glass is cool. Wash it all off in the first week of January with a damp cloth and glass cleaner.
Skip These Mistakes
- Skip regular acrylic craft paint, which can be a chore to scrape off.
- Do not paint on window film, tint, or screens, since color can stain them.
- Avoid painting in hot direct sun, because the paint dries streaky before you finish a line.
Quick Answers
How do you get Christmas window painting off the glass? Wipe with a damp microfiber cloth, then follow with glass cleaner or water and a splash of white vinegar. Thick paint may need a second pass. Test one corner before you start.
Should you paint the inside or the outside of the window? Inside is easier. Rain and frost never touch it, and you can work in warm socks. Simple shapes look the same from both sides of the glass.
What works best for Christmas window painting? Liquid chalk markers give crisp lines, and washable window paint fills bigger shapes. Check that the label says washable and made for glass. Clean the window first so the color grips evenly.
Painted glass makes a house look like someone had fun in it. One row of little trees takes less than an hour and costs less than a wreath. Start with a single pane tonight and call it practice. Then keep the windows going with the light and kitchen window ideas below.
Read Next
- 12 Kitchen Window Christmas Decor Ideas to Enjoy While You Wash Up
- 14 Indoor Christmas Lights Ideas That Make Every Room Glow
- 12 Christmas Window Decor Ideas That Glow From the Street
Save This for Later
