Asked on Oct 29, 2016

Anyone have any ideas for upcycling glass louvers?

Here in Hawaii we have tons of them cheap, both clear and frosted. They are sold as individual pieces of glass when people tear out the windows.
  25 answers
  • Pam Cooper Pam Cooper on Oct 29, 2016
    #1) Remove the glass and use for a backsplash. They can be painted (or paper, photo's, etc.) on the inside and attached to walls. Can also be a single wall feature. #2) Cut into strips and use for windchimes. #3) Recycle 'intact' into an outdoor greenhouse.
  • Laura Williams-May Laura Williams-May on Oct 29, 2016
    Yes I thought about that idea too . Do you have any recommendations on the technique to use to attach as a backsplash because any glue will show through . I also plan to use them as medicine cabinet shelves in a custom cabinet in the bathroom that will be built between wall studs to fit the length of the available louvers.
  • Tom3546931 Tom3546931 on Oct 30, 2016
    Use the glass in selfmade picture frames?
  • Valerie Valerie on Oct 30, 2016
    What about making a garden shed for seed propagation?
  • Emily Emily on Oct 30, 2016
    decoupage is my craft so I see an immediate use of these slats for that. I am showing a piece I did for my own kitchen. Of course your pieces are narrow. Mine is put on with glass clips. You could paste to the wall but if you value what you are using the glue would probably damage it. You could also construct a table out of them and paint the inside of the glass. You could have holes drilled in the ends (don't know who would do this) and use them for wall decoration. I made a border for a bulletin board out of cutout photographs of my grandchildren. The width of your slats would be perfect for something like that. (pictures cut out, pasted face down to back of glass and glass painted.)
  • Mary Kemp-Boylan Mary Kemp-Boylan on Oct 30, 2016
    You could use them as glass shelves. Pretty bracket, place glass on them and done. Looks great in bathroom, or by a vanity.
    • I have a house here in So. CA that has them - and I am replacing the windows and was wondering the same thing - thanks! Will turn a few into glass shelves - and maybe make a bunch of picture frames as mine are all clear and considering how old they are - in excellent shape!
  • Kate Sullivan Kate Sullivan on Oct 30, 2016
    When we lived in Hawaii, I used them to make them beautiful shelving using 1" x 4"s. I built a rectangular box that basically wedged between the floor and ceiling. Before I secured the tops and bottoms, I routed lines every 8 to 10 inches along the insides of the long edges for the glass louvers to slide in. Once the "box" was assembled, I slid the glass into the grooves. Because the box had no back, the color of my walls became the backdrop for my treasures (coral, cork carvings, jade, etc.). Since we lived in military housing, they were not permanent and because they were only 4" deep, they had a very small footprint.
  • Bombshell Bombshell on Oct 30, 2016
    I'd paint the backs of them and use them as a back splash in my kitchen. This guy has a cool idea for them: http://dancrane.com/2013/04/29/art-project-us... I also love the idea of using them for shelving. Or what about drawer dividers?
    • Can11204200 Can11204200 on Oct 30, 2016
      Put them in a running bond pattern and they would look great as the backsplash...great idea!
  • Mary Kemp-Boylan Mary Kemp-Boylan on Oct 30, 2016
    You can also paint them with glass paint to match your decor
  • Gail Sisson Gail Sisson on Oct 30, 2016
    Yes i would make them into glass shelves across the new window and put small herbs and flower plants on them this looks great you can find lots of pics of this on Pinterest hope this helps
  • Sue Sanders Sue Sanders on Oct 30, 2016
    Had one narrow frosted bathroom louvered window just for light and had it taken out and replaced with a solid frosted panel. I didnt keep the removed window as didnt need the glass for anything. When I said narrow I mean like 5" wide by 3 ft long.
  • Bombshell Bombshell on Oct 30, 2016
    Absolutely, thanks! I'd love to do that in my kitchen:)
  • Jean Proctor Jean Proctor on Oct 30, 2016
    Pose this question to the people who use Unicorn Spit stain and I bet you'll come up with a ton of suggestions, Unicorn Spit on glass can make it look like stained glass...
  • Susan Turek Susan Turek on Oct 30, 2016
    They are great as shelves inside the window frame. In the kitchen you can grow small pots of herbs on the shelves, bathroom plants love the humidity.
  • Lois Bentley Lois Bentley on Oct 30, 2016
    Make wind chimes out of them.
  • JoAnn Yozura JoAnn Yozura on Oct 31, 2016
    Make a glass windmill yard sculpture.
  • Sandy MacIntosh Sandy MacIntosh on Oct 31, 2016
    How about using them for dividers in drawers
  • Suzy Price Suzy Price on Oct 31, 2016
    Use them as floating shelves
  • Lawrence Szmulowicz Lawrence Szmulowicz on Feb 06, 2020

    Does anyone who has used glass panels from louvered/jalousie window as shelves know how much weight they can safely hold? I plan on putting plants on the shelves. Thanks in advance for any guidance!

  • Bob LaPointe Bob LaPointe on Mar 18, 2020

    When I was a kid, I worked at glass shop and use to make terrains out of lovers.

  • Carrie Barbee Carrie Barbee on Aug 04, 2023

    You could but dried flowers , or flowers or coins anything you really want n resin it on top and then screw 2 holes to top n bottom n use a washer n rubber piece n make floating wall panels if u acrilic paint the bottom it will tent through to the top .

  • Bianca Bianca on Aug 06, 2023

    No

  • Deb K Deb K on Aug 12, 2023

    Hello, hope this link inspires you!

    https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/222506037818767528/