How to make a fake window

Cheer up a room that has no window by adding a fake window to a wall. Although the window will let in no extra light, it will still serve to perk up the place simply by adding a splash of color and dimension. Purchase a cork board, dry erase board or something similar, the size of the desired window. You can use a poster, or jigsaw puzzle to place a scene in the window. Glue or otherwise affix the poster or puzzle to the board. Flat, thin pieces of wood can be used to section off the poster for the appearance of glass panes. Hang the board up on the wall and sturdy the board where it won't swing or sway if bumped. This might require you to screw, glue or nail the board to the wall. After the fake window is in place, measure it for curtains. You can simply hang the curtains up over the board or do a fancier, layered look.

Use a valance and panels around the window, then put sheers behind it. Pull the panels back and secure with curtain tie-backs, letting the window show, but barely, through the sheers. Make sure the panels and the valance cover the top edge and sides of the board. Place a narrow cornice board over the window for even more depth. Fancy curtain rods add to the look, as do curtain tassels and other noticeable decorations.

Another way to do this project is to purchase a real window unit and attach it to the wall. Again, you can put a poster behind it, and with the real window, you can open the curtains. It's important that the poster be very realistic-looking if you'll be opening the curtains. You can attach the poster to the wall, then add the window unit or you can add the poster directly to the window. To attach the poster, glue, staple or tack it to the part of the window which will face the wall. Affix it to the frame of the window and the scene won't look like it's pressed up against the glass. This is the best way, since trying to fit pieces of the poster into each pane will give a chopped look to your scenery and be more difficult to do. To use a jigsaw puzzle for the scene, attach it to a board, then secure the board to the window frame. After you have your scene in the window, attach the window to the wall by screwing or nailing it. If you're using a jigsaw puzzle, you'll have to keep the sheers closed on the window. Otherwise, make or buy a valance, panels and sheers, if desired. The curtains can be pulled back or left down if using a poster. You can also opt for a more simplistic look by simply placing a valance over the top of the window, then placing plants around the window.

Posters for this project can be animals in the woods, a boat on the ocean, rows of houses, a garden, mountains, a bubbling brook, a country church. To make the window look especially convincing, don't choose posters like an angel in a garden, football players on a field, rows of teddy bears or The White House. Also, decorate around the window by placing a small set of book shelves in front of it, or set up a daybed, with the window behind it. You'll see what looks best as you hang curtains and further decorate the new window. Change the look occasionally by hanging different curtains or re-arranging the plants or daybed. It's not that difficult to change the scene, either. Just remove the window from the wall, pry up the board, place new poster in, re-nail the board and re-hang the window and curtains.