Cheap and easy hack to frost a window for privacy.
You don't need expensive privacy films to cover your doors or windows! This easy solution is inexpensive and gives you instant privacy.
This DIY is so simple and cheap, and helps with an annoying privacy problem that would be expensive or messy to fix otherwise. I've actually shared this "hack" before (a looong time ago), but it's one that's worth sharing again!
I've used this for frosting glass on glass doors and interior windows and it is a great, inexpensive solution. Plus, it's easily removed if you ever change your mind.
You can easily do this to any flat glass surface with very few tools and a little time.
The first time I did this was on our glass pantry door ten years ago:
I was able to frost our glass pantry door for next to nothing! (Although getting the film placed perfectly on those panes was a PAIN.)
A few helpful readers told me about this trick forever ago. Who knew transparent contact paper is the easiest and cheapest way to make a window private? I was so pleasantly surprised when this actually worked!
We had a big bathroom window in the old house that I made private with this as well. I didn't think I'd need to do it again, until we moved into this house and realized the powder room window was placed in a less than ideal spot:
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Ha! Just…not the best. I've always felt for our guests especially. 😝
I don't know what took me so long, but I finally did this private window trick again and it worked like a charm.
Now there are a few ways to do this, but I promise you this is the easiest. You can buy frosted window film, but those options are more costly. You can also use a frosted glass spray paint, but that's messy — you have to worry about overspray and fumes…and it won't hold up well over time on a window or door that gets a lot of use.
You can also use a glass etching cream to do this permanently, but I would only try that in extreme cases.
For this DIY method of frosting glass, you'll need transparent matte Contact paper:
