Window Shades From Vintage Maps
Old House Journal|July/August 2017

Here’s a straightforward salvage project.

Brian D. Coleman
Window Shades From Vintage Maps

The homeowner has a spacious apartment in a handsome, prewar building in midtown Manhattan. He admits he’d not gotten around to putting up curtains in the bedroom, and his girlfriend was complaining about the lack of privacy. Looking for something a little unconventional, he remembered his child hood classrooms with those colorful, pull-down maps that fired the imagination. Using old maps (or cool new ones) to make window shades is uncomplicated. Mostly, you need a big table or another flat work surface.

easy step by step

1. PREP THE SHADE

Take a plain white vinyl window shade and roll it out on a flat worktable. Remove the wood dowel or lattice at the bottom and save it to replace later. Sand the shade lightly with 400-grit sandpaper so the glue will grip. Wipe with a tack rag or soft cloth to be sure the surface is smooth and clean. Prime the vinyl with a gesso canvas primer to give it heft and limit its absorbency. Sand the primed shade lightly, wipe with the soft cloth.

2. GLUE IT UP

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM OLD HOUSE JOURNALView all
Navigating the Lumberyard - Here's some lumber lingo you should know before you venture into a lumberyard.
Old House Journal

Navigating the Lumberyard - Here's some lumber lingo you should know before you venture into a lumberyard.

Here's some lumber lingo you should know before you venture into a lumberyard. Almost everyone fixing an old house will end up at a lumberyard-whether it's a local supplier or the organized aisles of a big-box home-improvement store.

time-read
5 mins  |
September - October 2024
a farmhouse renewed
Old House Journal

a farmhouse renewed

Sensitive renovations and restoration work preserved a house that dates to 1799.

time-read
3 mins  |
September - October 2024
AN OVERVIEW OF METAL ROOFING
Old House Journal

AN OVERVIEW OF METAL ROOFING

METAL ROOFS ARE RESURGENT, FOR GOOD REASONS.

time-read
1 min  |
September - October 2024
ENDURING BEAUTY IN WALLS of STONE
Old House Journal

ENDURING BEAUTY IN WALLS of STONE

Now back in the family who had been here since 1830, the old farmhouse is again ready for generations to come. Additions dating to 1840 and the 1950s were preserved.

time-read
3 mins  |
September - October 2024
ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS COME TO LIFE
Old House Journal

ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS COME TO LIFE

Owners and their designer celebrate the unique features of a 1912 Arts & Crafts Tudor.

time-read
2 mins  |
September - October 2024
For a Wet Basement Wall
Old House Journal

For a Wet Basement Wall

If there's problem common to old houses, it's a wet basement. I'm not talking about occasional flooding, but rather a basement that apparently seeps or leaks after even a rain shower or during snowmelt. Several approaches are available; sustainable solutions will get to the root of the problem.

time-read
1 min  |
September - October 2024
Patching a Plaster Wall
Old House Journal

Patching a Plaster Wall

Fix a hole in the wall with a few common tools and some drywall supplies. Practice your technique!

time-read
4 mins  |
September - October 2024
Roofing & Siding
Old House Journal

Roofing & Siding

Make note of these historical and unusual materials for the building envelope.

time-read
1 min  |
September - October 2024
The Riddle of the water
Old House Journal

The Riddle of the water

When water incursion happens, the roof isn't necessarily the culprit. Maybe snaking a drain line, or clearing debris from a clogged gutter, temporarily will stem a leak. But a recurring problem usually means other forces are at work. It takes persistence-and a team with the right skills and patience—to identify the source and apply a solution.

time-read
4 mins  |
September - October 2024
Light-filled Craftsman Redo
Old House Journal

Light-filled Craftsman Redo

For a dark kitchen in a 1914 Illinois house, the trick was anchoring white expanses with woodsy warmth.

time-read
2 mins  |
September - October 2024