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How to create your own festoon window

Christmas tree cut-outs with christmas lighting beneath them sitting on a window sill at night.

Overview

Sometimes, the smallest of changes can make a huge difference to the look and feel of living spaces – it’s no different when it comes to the festive season! A festoon window is the perfect way to introduce some Christmas cheer to any space, get your creative juices flowing and transform how the room feels.

Traditionally, a festoon is a decorated wreath, or chain of flowers/ribbons that hang from two points in a loop shape. Therefore, a festoon window is generally a window display that features some sort of hanging decorative chain. Over Easter, this could be made up of Easter eggs or bunny footprints, while over spring, you could include a wreath of beautiful flowers.

As we’re creating a festoon window for Christmas, we’re going to feature fairy lights and some traditional Christmas shapes. However, you can include anything you like! From paper snowflake chains to Santa hats, the decoration ideas are endless!

Tools and materials

Tools and materials

    Steps

    1Gather your tools and materials

    Below you'll find all the tools and materials you'll need to complete this project.

    2Choose your window

    The first step is to choose a window in your house that is yearning for that sparkle. Ideally, it would be outward-facing so that your display can be admired from both the inside and outside of your home.

    3Decorate the surroundings

    Start by decorating the bottom of your window. We're going to start with some wooden Christmas trees, made out of balsa wood. Decide how many trees you'd like to include and lay out the appropriate number of wood sheets. Outline a tree shape on each one and then cut out using a box cutter.

    4Protect your workspace

    Next, lay out a canvas drop sheet to protect your work area. Put on your rubber gloves and safety glasses.

    5Paint your balsa trees

    Place the balsa wood on the drop sheet and spray with your choice of spray paint. We've used metallic silver, but you can use whatever you like! Once you've sprayed one side, leave it to dry.

    When one side is touch-dry, flip the board and spray the other side. Leave to dry. Repeat until you have painted all your trees. Then place your trees at the bottom of your window sticking on with double sided tape.

    6Place the hooks

    It's time to create the frame for your festoon. Place an adhesive hook on either side of the window frame, towards the very top. Depending on the instructions and the surface of your window frame, you may need to leave the hooks for an hour or so to truly secure.

    7Hook your fairy lights

    Once the hooks are secure, take one end of your fairy lights and wrap it around one hook. Then, begin to drape your hooks from side to side, attaching it to either hook and allowing the lines of fairy lights to droop lower and lower. Once you've reached the end of each pack, wrap them around one of the hooks to keep them in place. Repeat with the remaining packs of lights for a truly festive effect!

    If you'd like to make it a more family-friendly DIY project, ask the kids to start creating their own decorations out of paper. They can cut out shapes and colour them in, ready to be placed underneath the festoon. You can also add tinsel and other existing decorations to really brighten up the display.

    8Turn it on!

    Once you've finished your decorations, it's time for the finishing touch! Plug the power board into a powerpoint, and each fairy light plug into the power board. You'll see your D.I.Y. festoon window come to life!

    Best of all, you don't need to take your festoon down when January comes around. Simply replace the Christmas decorations at the bottom of your window with some seasonal ornaments, or a flower display. You can change your display throughout the seasons, or dress it up for special celebrations throughout the year.

    If you do choose to take your festoon window, don't forget to store your fairy lights correctly so that they don't tangle – and leave you with a mess in a year. We love wrapping ours around an empty toilet roll, or a coat hanger, before being packed away for the next project.

    9Make your own

    Find all the materials you need in our craft supplies section to create your own festoon window. 

    Health & Safety

    Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

    Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer. You can also use a simple test kit from Bunnings to indicate the presence of lead-based paint.