How to Use Old Panel Window Frames

Turn the frame into wall art. If it’s painted, strip or sand the paint off and repaint it, or just apply a coat of stain. You could carve designs into the frame or glue onto it such items as coins, tiles or broken tile or glass pieces. Decoupage photos, gold foil, newspaper, magazine pages or wrapping paper onto the frame. Hang beads, chains, small framed photos, arrowheads, figurines or carvings in each panel with wire. Once you’re done decorating, attach hooks for hanging the frame on a wall.

Make a table with the frame. One way to do this is to buy pre-made table legs, attach them to the window and place a cut-to-size piece of glass over the frame. This works well for a longer frame, which you could use to make a coffee table. Another method is cutting the frame to size and simply placing it atop the table, giving the piece a rustic look. This works well for an accent or end table. Paint or stain the frame, table and legs to match.

Use the frame in functional ways. If you have several larger frames, attach three or four together with hinges to make a standing room divider. Or suspend them, or just one large one, from chains in the ceiling to make a hanging room divider. This is a creative and eye-catching technique for a studio apartment; you can separate a bedroom area from living space or living room from a dining room this way. Another application is to partially bury a frame or two in your garden so that climbing plants can grow on them.