• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • MEET CHRISTY & AMY
    • IF YOU’RE NEW HERE…
    • WORK WITH US
    • 11 MAGNOLIA LANE 101
    • DISCLOSURE + PRIVACY (the fine print)
    • BEST OF 11 MAGNOLIA LANE
  • TOUR OUR HOMES
    • TOUR OUR HOMES
    • CHRISTY’S MAGNOLIA COTTAGE
    • CHRISTY’S MCC HOUSE
    • Christy’s Stuttgart Flat
    • Amy’s Virginia Craftsman Home Tour
    • AMY’S VIRGINIA CRAFTSMAN Building Process
    • HOLIDAY HOME TOUR SERIES
  • CELEBRATIONS
    • EVENTS + ENTERTAINING
    • GIFTS
    • HOLIDAYS
    • RECIPES
  • HOME
    • CLEANING
    • DECORATING
    • ORGANIZING
    • ROOM BY ROOM
      • BATHROOMS
      • BEDROOMS
      • CLOSETS
      • CRAFT ROOMS + OFFICES
      • DINING ROOMS
      • KIDS’ ROOMS
      • KITCHENS
      • LAUNDRY ROOMS
      • LIVING + GREAT ROOMS
      • OTHER SPACES
      • PANTRIES
      • PLAYROOMS + BONUS ROOMS
      • PORCHES + OUTDOOR SPACES
    • TIPS
  • SHOP
    • SHOP OUR INSTAGRAM
    • SHOP OUR AMAZON STORE
    • FRIDAY FAVORITE FINDS
  • PROJECTS
    • CRAFTS
    • DIY PROJECTS + TUTORIALS
    • FURNITURE
    • PRINTABLES
    • WINDOWS, DOORS, + WALLS
  • LIFE
    • FRIDAY FREE FOR ALL
    • HEALTH
    • SIMPLY ON SUNDAY
  • TRAVEL
  • CONTACT
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

11 Magnolia Lane

Sharing our easy DIYs, decorating, entertaining and more!

Tutorial: How to Hang an Antique or Vintage Window for Wall Display

August 26, 2013 By Christy 18 Comments

This Post Contains Affiliate Links

28914 shares
  • 39
I’ve had a few emails asking about the best way to hang old windows for display.  Since I have one on my front porch and used to have one in my laundry room, I’ve had some practice figuring out the best way to hang these old pieces!

vintage window in laundry room

My windows are from the Nashville flea market, and I paid a whopping $5 apiece for them.  You can expect to pay more for ones that are larger, square (versus rectangular), or made of leaded or stained glass.  Some antique/vintage vendors make a habit out of collecting old windows, and those are wonderful places to frequent!

window front porch

 

Our posts contain affiliate links.  If you make a purchase after clicking on these links, we will earn a small commission, which helps to keep our content free.  You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise, since that would be tacky! Read our full disclosure policy here.

If your window is of average weight, a simple hook and eye screw will hold its weight without any problems.  That’s what I used for mine.  If your window is heavier, or it will be exposed to a lot of wind, you might try a d-ring or a cup hook.  If you’re hanging an old stained glass window, like mine (below), then you need to do something completely different to be sure you protect it–I recommend these French cleats for stained glass.

how to hang a stained glass window

{Here} are the hook and eyes that I used:

hook and eye hardware

I placed them about an inch and a half in from the edges.  Sorry about the dirty fingernails–I was pulling weeds out back just before I took these snaps!

hook and eye to hang windows

If you give a hook a small tap with a hammer, then it bites into the wood enough that you can usually screw it in by hand, without drilling a guide hole first:

hook and eye hammered into antique window

Like I mentioned before, these windows are relatively lightweight, and I usually hang them flush against a wall, so I use the hooks and eyes with picture hanging wire to hang them.  For a heavier window, or one that hangs in a way that leaves it open to wind (at the side or on the front of a porch, for example), I’d use D-rings and chain instead.

Here’s what D-rings look like:

d-ring picture hanger

 
You’d have to mount the D-rings on the back of your window, instead of the top.  I would probably use a chain from a lighting kit (the kind you hang a chandelier with); those are available in the lighting department of big-box or hardware stores.  By the way, you can spray-paint those suckers if you want a custom color–they usually only come in gold, silver, brass, white, and black.

Sources


 
Back to my inexpensive, light-weight window…here’s the picture hanging wire I used.  It just happens to be silver to match the hook and eyes, but it also comes in gold.

picture wire to hang vintage windows

Send the wire through the eye screw and bring the short end underneath the long end.  If you leave about 6″ as your short end, you’ll be fine.

how to hang a window

Now, bring your short end through the back of the hook and eye and through:

how to hang a vintage antique window hook eye wire

Pull the knot so that it’s snug.  Now, take what’s left of the short end and wrap it around the long end:

how to hang an antique vintage window

Here’s a nice graphic I found online–I used option #1:

how to knot picture wire

{source}

When you repeat the process on the other side, you need to determine where you’ll be hanging the window and how much wire you’ll need.  In our old house, I needed the wire to be long so that I could hang the window in the crown molding instead of the brick.  In this house, that’s not as important.  When in doubt, leave more wire rather than less–you can always trim more off later.  And don’t forget to add an extra 6″ or so for the other knot!

I decided to hang this window on the wall in my laundry room.  Because it’s hung on drywall, it didn’t need a long wire.

window in laundry room

 

It also only required a picture nail to hang it:

nail to hang window

The window on our front porch has a longer wire, and I used a much larger nail to hang it.  Even though it’s against the wall, it still has to stand up to wind (hurricanes!) and lots of thunderstorms.

how to hang a window

And because I love you, I made you a nice, pinnable graphic:

how to hang a vintage antique window for display

My tutorial on how to hang silver plates, bowls, and platters on the wall is {here}, if you’re in a hanging frenzy.  Don’t go too crazy and hang everything at once, though! 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

Final New Christy headshot 2015
icon-facebook-1icon-instagram-1icon-pinterest-1icon-twitter-1NEW Google+
Click here to subscribe

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THESE POSTS... :

How to Build a Wall Mounted Plate Rack
Entryway Update: Built In Bookshelves
Back to Basics: How to Apply a Vinyl Decal
Tutorial: How to Paint Horizontal Stripes On...

Filed Under: DIY/Projects/Tutorials, PROJECTS, Wall & Door Decor Tagged With: hang, how to, window

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jill says

    October 26, 2013 at 10:44 am

    Was it ok with just one nail? I bought a kit that is rated for 50 lbs, but am still nervous.

    Reply
    • Christy says

      October 27, 2013 at 8:11 pm

      It has been fine with just one nail, Jill. They always seem heavier than they actually are. Go for it!

      Reply
  2. Priscilla says

    October 27, 2013 at 1:27 am

    I am writing for your tips on hanging a heavy vintage stained glass window. Thinking of hanging it in front of a window.

    Reply
    • Christy says

      October 28, 2013 at 2:29 pm

      Priscilla, I use French cleats to hang my stained glass window on the wall. Here’s a link to one at Amazon so you can see what I’m talking about–http://amzn.to/1OCoxl4

      You’ll need something different to hang it in front of a window. I’d probably use heavy chain along with eye screws to secure it on the top and the bottom. However, I’ve always hung mine on a wall so I can’t say for sure. Good luck with your window!

      Reply
  3. Whitney says

    December 5, 2013 at 2:32 pm

    I want to hang a antique window that’s very heavy (I am going to guess about 60-65lbs) but I would rather not put holes in the window itself…any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Christy says

      December 6, 2013 at 10:49 am

      That’s a tricky one, Whitney! Either lean it against something rather than hanging it (but it’s still not stable then) or wrap a chain around the support bars/brackets if it has one. My stained glass window has iron bars on the back to stabilize the frame, but regular windows with panes don’t have them. You might have to consider something like a French cleat (see the comment above for an example). Good luck!

      Reply
  4. Jill says

    June 4, 2014 at 9:22 am

    I have a old French door I want to hang length wise on the wall to display pictures and use as a coat rack. Any suggestions on how to hang this?

    Reply
    • Christy says

      June 4, 2014 at 2:22 pm

      Jill, I would use two french cleats–one on either side of the door. You can look at the link I posted above in the comments to see an example of a French cleat and where to buy. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  5. Deirdre says

    September 28, 2014 at 3:14 pm

    I was wondering does the windowpane flush against the wall? I have an art piece from an old windowpane and have it hanging exactly like yours but it sticks out at the bottom.

    Reply
    • Christy says

      September 29, 2014 at 10:11 am

      Deirdre–yes, mine is flush against the wall. The longer your wire is, the more likely that it will hang flush.

      Reply
  6. Ginger Williams says

    July 11, 2016 at 3:14 pm

    What gauge wire did you use? Was it reg picture hanging wire?

    Reply
    • Christy says

      July 12, 2016 at 2:40 pm

      Hi, Ginger–
      Yes, it was. I think it came in a kit with some Ooks Hooks. Hope that helps!
      Christy

      Reply
  7. Svetlana says

    November 22, 2016 at 9:35 pm

    Did you repaint your windows?? I recently bought one and am a little nervous to think that the paint may have lead in it because the window seems so old…

    Reply
    • Christy says

      November 25, 2016 at 3:08 pm

      I did not repaint mine, but my dad did years ago. I think he wore a respirator just in case, but it was so long ago that I’m just not sure. Sorry I’m not more help!

      Reply
  8. Jennifer snouffer says

    March 29, 2017 at 10:31 am

    Thank u so much for your wonderful directions! I really appreciate you being so thorough! I’m going to use the wire and hooks that you recommended. Thanks And God bless you!

    Reply
    • Christy says

      March 31, 2017 at 3:52 pm

      You’re so welcome–I’m glad I could help, Jennifer!

      Reply
  9. Michelle says

    February 14, 2022 at 5:23 pm

    This is exactly the info I was searching for! Thankyou so much!!

    Reply
    • Christy says

      March 3, 2022 at 7:31 am

      So happy it was helpful!
      Christy

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Lowest prices. Straight Teeth,

•Don’t Miss A Thing!!•

•Do You Know Jesus?•

•Featured In•

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Copyright © 2023 · 11 Magnolia Lane· Blog Design by Little Blue Deer
Privacy Policy

11 MAGNOLIA LANE IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR US TO EARN ADVERTISING FEES BY ADVERTISING AND LINKING TO AMAZON.COM AND AFFILIATED SITES. AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE, WE EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES. WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN SEVERAL OTHER AFFILIATE PROGRAMS; THIS INCOME ALLOWS US TO MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF YOUR USER EXPERIENCE AND KEEPS OUR CONTENT FREE. WHEN YOU PURCHASE THROUGH ANY OF OUR AFFILIATE LINKS, WE EARN A SMALL COMMISSION AND YOU DON’T PAY A CENT MORE THAN YOU WOULD OTHERWISE; THAT WOULD BE TACKY!   READ OUR FULL PRIVACY AND DISCLOSURE POLICY {HERE}.
  ©11 Magnolia Lane 2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s authors and/or owners is strictly prohibited. Please email us at admin@11magnolialane.com for more information.

  • MEET CHRISTY & AMY
    • IF YOU’RE NEW HERE…
    • WORK WITH US
    • 11 MAGNOLIA LANE 101
    • DISCLOSURE + PRIVACY (the fine print)
    • BEST OF 11 MAGNOLIA LANE
    • Back
  • TOUR OUR HOMES
    • TOUR OUR HOMES
    • CHRISTY’S MAGNOLIA COTTAGE
    • CHRISTY’S MCC HOUSE
    • AMY’S NEW HOME BUILD
    • HOLIDAY HOME TOUR SERIES
    • SPRING HOME TOUR SERIES
    • Back
  • CELEBRATIONS
    • EVENTS + ENTERTAINING
    • GIFTS
    • HOLIDAYS
    • RECIPES
    • Back
  • HOME
    • CLEANING
    • DECORATING
    • ORGANIZING
    • ROOM BY ROOM
      • BATHROOMS
      • BEDROOMS
      • CLOSETS
      • CRAFT ROOMS + OFFICES
      • DINING ROOMS
      • KIDS’ ROOMS
      • KITCHENS
      • LAUNDRY ROOMS
      • LIVING + GREAT ROOMS
      • OTHER SPACES
      • PANTRIES
      • PLAYROOMS + BONUS ROOMS
      • PORCHES + OUTDOOR SPACES
      • Back
    • TIPS
    • Back
  • SHOP
    • SHOP OUR INSTAGRAM
    • SHOP OUR AMAZON STORE
    • FRIDAY FAVORITE FINDS
    • 11 ML ETSY SHOP
    • 11ML ORGANIZING SHOP
    • Back
  • PROJECTS
    • CRAFTS
    • DIY PROJECTS + TUTORIALS
    • FURNITURE
    • PRINTABLES
    • WINDOWS, DOORS, + WALLS
    • Back
  • LIFE
    • FRIDAY FREE FOR ALL
    • HEALTH
    • SIMPLY ON SUNDAY
    • TRAVEL
    • Back
  • CONTACT
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
28914 shares
  • 39