Mariah Carey has called the start of Christmas season and this year it's about making your home cosier and more festive than ever before. Creating a feeling of being enveloped in the twinkly warmth of candlelight and reflection of burnished baubles. Of being smart and sophisticated but not exactly subtle. So it's no surprise window painting ideas for Christmas have been elevated to an art form, moved out of the crafty world and become an aesthetic backdrop to a stylish scene. Christmas decorating this year is generally going maximalist. Glitter, glinting crystal and color are being layered against snowy scenes and white and Scandi palettes. 'There are no limits, more is more, be celebratory, this year more than ever,' agrees the leading international interior and product designer Jonathan Adler. 'At Christmas, sparkliness suddenly becomes ok, as does making everything a disco ball. Add sparkle to everything - glassware, napkin holders, objet. You won’t regret it.'
WINDOW PAINTING IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS
The easiest way to embrace this Christmas window decor trend is to get a window painting pen like this pack of colorful markers from Amazon, and freestyle. A simple reindeer illustration, above, is relatively straightforward to reproduce, or you could follow the lead of Lynsey Powles, who filled in the panels of this window with a bauble graphic.
Or a graphic bauble scene, complete with a charmingly simple cityscape, as in the Berlin apartment of Melanie Kharad.
But if you want to ensure artistic brilliance without relying on your own hand then the simplest approach is actually less about painting, and more about gluing. Adhesive decals have levelled up, and and can be used to create a feeling of festivity in moments.
Christmas window decals are a little like all your other Christmas tree decorations - you can re-use them year after year. 'Once Christmas is over you simply peel the decal off the window and put it back on the backing paper it came with,' Marie of Dizzy Duck Decals says. 'Then simply store it away.'
Decals are quick to adhere. 'Spray your window with water, peel the decal from the backing paper and position on the window,' Marie says. 'Use something like a credit card to smooth the water out from underneath the decal, and keep smoothing until all bubbles are gone. Wipe excess water off the window, et voila! Your Christmas window décor is sorted.' The trick to getting them to sit evenly, Marie says, is easy. 'Use plenty of water when applying the decal, and don’t be afraid to apply pressure when smoothing the decal out. Also, don’t forget to keep the backing paper so you can store again for next year!'