apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

We used to use a product called Glass Wax which was actually a window cleaner. It sponged on, dried and then wiped off fairly easily leaving the window clean. At Christmas they marketed stencils with holiday designs. Haven't seen it in years, but I seem to recall a similar spray on product although I don't know the name. I'd check craft stores and holiday specialty departments. The trick is finding something easy to clean off later.

I think it is the stuff used to "flock" Christmas trees... it leaves sort of a raised opaque white texture, no? It comes in a spray can (and called something like "Snow in a Can")... but if I remember correctly, it used to be kinda hard to remove...

Hey, and on AT , we don't EVER admit to being "old guys".

We are VINTAGE. :)

Haven't seen that stuff in ages. I'd try a garden center-turned-Christmas wonderland. I was told not to mention aerosol products (spray paint) on here once, but c'mon, that stuff's fun!
Not old, but still remember it! :)

try this stuff from the Vermont Country Store.
http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=11768&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=47&iSubCat=460&iProductID=11768

Frankly I love spray paint in any form and I've used it on all kinds of projects, including some of the murals I've done. It's fun, and hell, I don't smoke, so bring it!

BUT ... given the fact that so many people in here migrate from the Treehugger blog, somebody is BOUND to have some kind of home-grown earth-friendly alternative way of making that stuff. Maybe with a baking soda and a windex bottle?

Patrick, you're not even vintage, kiddo. You're prematurely grey.

SILVER. Prematurely SILVER. ;)

come to think of it, I think there's something homemade you do with Ivory Soap to make home-snow

Silver? How about prematurely blond?

This is the Ivory Snow snow recipe:
http://www.wwvisions.com/craftbb/santa/9060.html

The specific Ivory product used here was discontinued in 1978, so no guarantees that the recipe can still be made today.

jimkk, we used glass wax in our house too. a couple of years ago i saw a can at a hardware store here in manhattan, i couldn't believe it was still around.

frank,
if you live in NYC, i would head on over to Vazac's (aka Horseshoe Bar, or 7B, or the bar in Rent, etc, etc, it has many names)
i walked by this morning, and every single one of their windows is COVERED in the stuff (to great effect!)
i'd say i guess they know where to buy the snow!!!

Flocked trees remind me of my loopy former inlaws. They were (are?) heavy drinkers and every Christmas they'd grab those cans of fake snow and hose down the tree. Problem was, they did it after putting all the ornaments on - including the ones with old family photos in them so they became these blobs of white glop rather than the wonderful old black-and-white photos of relatives who long since passed. (And, no, they never thought to use copies so the photos were destroyed...)

Note to self - next time not only check out how the potential treats his mother but check out the whole crazy family during holidays - it would have been, er, educational... (or at least entertaining)

Actually, Libby, I think you're right. I can picture a world in which a holiday could ALMOST either "seal the deal" or put the final nail in the coffin.

You can get Glass Wax and stencils from the Vermont Country Store catalog. Hardware stores should have GW (and some have Christmas stencils).

The scent of GW is nostalgic! Mom stenciled the windows,and then a full Nativity scene on the living room mirror.

you can buy the stuff your looking for here at think link..its 2.99 a can..and is snow for the windows have the kids made stencils at home with cardboard:)..this cleans off in 60 seconds:)..so its a easy clean up:)
http://www.christmas-decorations-gifts-store.com/store/PPF/parameters/1276_122/more_info.asp