How to Make Your Own Window Pane Frames

Remove the old putty from the window frame with a wood chisel, a putty knife or a jackknife. Take time to remove every trace of the old putty. Add a chemical solution, such as Easy Off oven cleaner, over the seams to dissolve any additional putty that might remain, to ensure a safe extraction of the pane.

Remove carefully the pane of glass from the window, starting at the loosest corner, then following around in a clockwise fashion to extract the pane completely. If any broken areas exist, use a different pane that is fully intact. Minor scratches can be polished over, but panes with full cracks and broken edges should not be used.

Clean the pane of glass you desire to use for your frame. Use a glass cleaner to really cleanse the surface of the pane. Polish any scratches with a glass polish, then finish cleaning the pane of any residue.

Apply a basic frame, either from a craft store or from your collection at home, to the corner of the pane, and then measure the glass size you need to cut, marking the length with a marker. Remove the frame, and cut the glass with a glass cutter.

Sand down the edges of the cut glass with a fine-grit sandpaper. Sand all the edges thoroughly to prevent injury. Clean the surface of the glass again to rid the surface of sanding debris and fingerprints. Apply the pane glass to the frame, then add pictures or collages of images and collectibles you treasure.

Place the back panel onto the frame, and secure it with proper nails and a hanging device. Place your picture frame in a space that will allow you to be reminded often of the fond memories of your chosen collection.