What Kind of Paint Should I Use for Holiday Window Painting?
Decorations are a great way to get into the holiday spirit and build a sense of community with passersby (which is especially important if you are a business owner trying to encourage people to shop at your store). Some of the most popular decorations are holiday windows.
When you paint holiday windows, the only limit is your own imagination. You can create gorgeous holiday scenes with just paint and some artistic skills. However, you want to use paint that will make these scenes come to life but also wash off later so you don’t have holiday scenes in July.
Here are suggestions for the best kinds of paint to use for holiday window painting.
Tempera Paint
According to experts, tempera paint is easily the best solution for painting holiday scenes on your windows. Tempera paint is a fast-drying water-based paint that comes in vibrant colors. Tempera is great for windows because it is durable and long-lasting—paintings from 500 years ago done in tempera survive to this day, so your holiday windows will survive the cold, rain, and snow.
However, tempera is also easy to wash off once you are ready to clean up your holiday windows. For even easier clean-up, mix some liquid soap into the paint when you are getting ready to create your design.
Window Chalk
If you don’t have tempera paint on hand, another option is to use window chalk. Window chalk is not really chalk but a liquid perfect for decorating glass. It usually comes in marker-like tubes, so it is easier to control application than tempera paint if you don’t consider yourself much of an artist.
However, window chalk is much harder to remove from windows than tempera paint, especially if you are using large quantities to create a whole holiday scene and not just writing a short slogan. Some people need to power wash their windows to get all the chalk off.
Acrylic Paint
If all else fails, regular acrylic paint can also help you with holiday window painting. These thick polymer-based paints are fast-drying and easy to use. Acrylic paint is more beginner-friendly than tempera paint, which requires mixing to begin (you can just use acrylic paint straight out of the tube). Acrylic paint also flakes less than tempera paint but is still easy to wash off.
However, acrylic paint is much less resistant to weather events than tempera paint. If you live in a place that has a mild climate around the holiday season, you can freely use acrylic paint, but for everywhere else, use acrylic paint on the interior of your glass.
Window Painting Tips for the Holidays
Once you select the paint you are using for your holiday window, here are a few tips that can make the process even easier.
If you can, paint the exterior of the glass rather than the interior, as the reflection will hide your design.
Make sure you mix the paint according to package instructions and use new, fresh paint to keep colors vibrant for your holiday scene.