Frosted Window Film

Over the summer I had my husband install an old door to replace the awful 70s door that led from our kitchen to our garage. I wanted to add some character to the kitchen, and this was a quick way to do it. The new door has a large window of glass. I liked that I could see into the garage and let in a little more sunlight from the tiny garage window. After a while though, I started to hate that I could see so well into our ugly, messy garage. Today I decided to fix that with a little frosted window film. [Kindly ignore the lack of hardware in the picture.]

I bought my film at Lowe's for $18. It can be a bit tricky to work with, but once you get the hang of it the film glides on. Read the instructions carefully, as they actually help you work with the film. They are serious when they say to clean your surface really well before applying the film. It's easy to cut. The hardest part for me is cutting in a straight line.

Instead of doing a full sheet of film, I decided to do horizontal stripes that would still allow me to peek into the garage. If you're thinking, "Carly, there's no way I can cut those lines straight and it will bug me forever," then just opt for something a little more abstract like wavy lines or angled lines. That may be an even better match for your style.

I cut my film into 4 inch widths on a craft board with one of those wheel cutters. It was pretty easy, though I will admit my cuts are still not super straight. I applied the film leaving a quarter of an inch gap. The instructions call for a squeegee, but I didn't have one. You know what works just as well? A bowl scraper. Instead of paying for a $8 squeegee that I might not ever use again, or more likely ever be able to find in my garage again, I used a 60 cent bowl scraper that I already had. I am very pleased!

The bonus of this film is that it's removable. It's also not that expensive and the roll is big enough to do several projects. I also used the film to cover up the window in my small bathroom. The view before was a sad look at our neighbor's unpainted window trim. Now it's a soft glow of light and added privacy.