Thread: Inexpensive and easy boarded-up window effeto combine with Brown Out lighting effect?

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Can anyone suggest project plans for boarded-up windows? I think this might go well with my Brown Out lighting effect for upstairs windows. It helps if it's dead simple as I'm pretty unhandy, e.g. don't have a workshop. Just really basic tools. Power drill, handsaw, screwdrivers...

Anyone done this with cardboard? What other cheap and light materials could be used?

here's one tutorial:

click here:
Foam Boarded-Up Windows

I don't know what sort of windows you have, so this might not work for you. My windows open like doors, so I was able to make boards for the windows out of styrofoam that I sandwiched a length of fabric between and then glued it together that way. This allowed me to tie the "boards" to the window. (The one on the back was shorter than the ones in the front, so people looking on wouldn't see the fabric I tied it with.) To do the rest I basically just carved up the styrofoam to look like old boards, and painted them. Pretty simple and pretty cheap too! (However, not very long lasting as far as props go. Hehehe )



Good luck! Let us see what you end up doing when you're done!

I'm doing boarded windows for the first time this year, but I don't have the patience to paint foam as in the tutorial. I was able to score some old fence boards off craigslist for free. I got some trim boards that were the same width as my window trim, painted them, and screwed/nailed the fence boards to them. I'll either come up with a way to suspend them from the eaves or just put some bolts in the frames to support them. If I do the bolts, I'll cut the heads off shallow so they don't stick out far and make it easy for someone to push the whole thing off in case of fire.

It certainly qualifies as inexpensive and easy. Not as light as foam, but not prohibitively heavy. I suppose you might need to come up with a different mounting solution if you are renting or don't want to put screws/nails in your house.

Here's the first (if the pic upload works).

Might not look as professional as these.....but Martha's Stewarts Halloween Mag has boards made out of long pieces of cardboard cut up on ends for jagged edges and thats it. They dont look bad at all.

I am planning to board my windows up this year as well. I was first thinking of making faux boards with foam.
Then it hit me one day "Hey dummy the foam is expensive, just scavenge a couple of wood pallets!"
So that is my plan, strip a couple of shipping pallets down, easy enough to find for free, heck the older beat up ones are actually better for this purpose, and then make frames similar to what Dexter has done...

i used old pallets from garden center turned out great

The two windows I used real boards on are at ground level and close to the front door - easy for me to work on and very visible to TOTs. I have another big window that is higher up and less accessible, but still visible; I may use foam or cardboard on that one just because it will be easier and safer.

I boarded up windows for the first time last year. Used boards stripped from pallets. Look around for the pallets with the thinner lightweight slats. I used 2x2s for the frames and screwed the slats on. My windows have a lipped overhang at the top. So I set the bottom of the frame on the window sill and the top leans out about 2 inches against the lip. That way the windows arent blocked. Here are some pics from last year.

Originally Posted by matrixmom

Might not look as professional as these.....but Martha's Stewarts Halloween Mag has boards made out of long pieces of cardboard cut up on ends for jagged edges and thats it. They dont look bad at all.

Thanks everyone. And thanks for posting photos. I've got upstairs windows to cover, so lighter (e.g. fake wood) might be better for my situation. I checked out the article you mentioned. Not bad. I may start with these this year, then graduate to wood if I feel the effect wasn't sufficient.