Christmas window decorating ideas: stickers, lights and paper
Lights for the evening, chalk pens, clings and paper for the day: Christmas window ideas grouped by method, with a way to fix each one so it comes off cleanly in January.
A Christmas window is seen from two sides: from the sofa by day and from the pavement after dark. The ideas below are grouped by method, from lights and paint pens to stickers, paper, greenery and the windowsill. Each one comes with a way to fix it that leaves no mark on the glass or the frame, and the lights section works out how many metres of lights a window takes.
Christmas window decorating ideas at a glance
Most window decorations belong to one of seven families. They differ in how they attach, which side of the glass they read best from and whether they last until next year.
| Idea | How it attaches | Reads best from | Reusable | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curtain lights | Clear hooks on the frame or the curtain pole | Outside, after dark | Yes | The lead to the socket |
| Star or silhouette light | Suction cup with a hook on the glass | Outside, after dark | Yes | The weight limit of the cup |
| Chalk pen drawing | Drawn on the inside of the glass | Inside; reversed from the street | The pens, yes; the drawing is wiped off | Words must be written backwards to read from outside |
| Stickers and clings | Smoothed onto clean glass | Depends on the print | Yes, on their backing paper | Grease and dust stop them sticking |
| Paper cut-outs | Low-tack tape | Both sides, as silhouettes | If stored flat | Condensation softens thin paper |
| Wreath or garland | Ribbon from the frame or the pole | Both sides if doubled | Faux ones, yes | Real foliage dries out above a radiator |
| Sill display | Stands on the sill | Both sides | Yes | Real candles near curtains |
Christmas window lights for after dark
Lights are the only window decoration that still reads from the street after dark, and in December the sun sets before 5 pm everywhere in the UK, even in the far south-west. Three types do most of the work: curtain lights, shapes on suction cups and strings round the frame. The Christmas lights collection is sorted by use and by power source, so window, fairy and battery sets are easy to compare.
Curtain lights across the glass
A curtain light is a row of short drops hanging from one cable. Hang the top cable from clear adhesive hooks on the frame or tie it along the curtain pole, and let the drops fall to just above the sill. Many sets come with a remote for brightness, flashing modes and a timer. Warm white looks like candlelight; cool white reads as frost.
A star or silhouette on a suction cup
Light-up stars, trees and reindeer silhouettes are light enough to hang from a suction cup with a hook. Wipe the glass, moisten the cup slightly and press it onto the flat of the pane, not onto the frame or its edge. Check the weight limit of the cup against the weight of the light before you hang it. The Christmas window lights range groups silhouettes, stars and curtain sets in one place.
Fairy lights round the frame
Measure before you buy. Top and both sides is the width plus twice the height; the full frame is twice the width plus twice the height. Fix the string to the frame, not the glass, with clear adhesive hooks or adhesive cable-tie bases.
| Window (width × height) | Top and both sides | Full frame |
|---|---|---|
| 60 × 90 cm | 2.4 m | 3.0 m |
| 90 × 120 cm | 3.3 m | 4.2 m |
| 120 × 120 cm | 3.6 m | 4.8 m |
| 150 × 120 cm | 3.9 m | 5.4 m |
| 180 × 150 cm | 4.8 m | 6.6 m |
| 240 × 150 cm | 5.4 m | 7.8 m |
Round up to the next lit length on sale: a string that is too long can zigzag along the top, one that is too short cannot be stretched. The lead between the plug and the first bulb is unlit, so check that it reaches the socket. With no socket nearby, battery Christmas lights with a timer avoid a trailing cable. Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service advises checking that lights conform to the British Standard and unplugging them when you go out or go to bed.
A Scandinavian candle bridge or paper star
In Sweden, electric candles and paper stars go into windows a few days before Advent Sunday and usually come down on Twelfth Night, according to The Local Sweden. It dates the first electric advent lights to 1934, and most have seven candles. A paper star lantern lit from inside does the same job higher up the window. In 2026 Advent Sunday falls on 29 November.
Painted Christmas window ideas with chalk pens
Window painting uses liquid chalk markers or water-based paint pens that work on glass, such as Posca. White chalk is the window artist’s staple because it contrasts well with the glass. The marks are water soluble, so you draw on the inside of the pane, where rain cannot wash them off.
How to paint a Christmas window, step by step
- Clean the glass with glass cleaner and let it dry. Finger marks and grease stop the paint flowing evenly.
- Plan the design on paper. For a clean outline, tape a printed template to the outside of the glass with low-tack tape such as washi tape and trace it from the inside.
- Shake the pen with the cap on, then press the nib on scrap paper a few times until the paint flows.
- Draw the outlines first and fill in afterwards, light colours before dark ones.
- Write any words backwards if they are meant for the street: a design drawn on the inside appears reversed from outside.
- To remove it, wipe with a damp cloth, adding a little washing-up liquid for stubborn marks. Posca warns that on an old, scratched pane the pigment can lodge in the scratches for good, so test a corner first.
Designs that are easy freehand
- A row of baubles along the top of the pane, each on a drawn string of a different length.
- Snowflakes in the corners: three crossing lines with a small V at each end.
- A snowdrift along the bottom edge with a few houses or fir trees standing on it.
- A wreath drawn as a ring of short leaf strokes, with a red bow at the bottom.
- Reindeer, robins or a sleigh traced from a template.
Window stickers, clings and decals
Stickers are the fastest window idea and the easiest to take down. Most peel off cleanly and go back on their backing paper for next year.
- Wash the glass to remove dirt and grease, and let it dry.
- Lay the stickers out on a table with the backing still on and plan the design.
- Peel each one and smooth it onto the pane from the centre out, pushing bubbles to the edge with a credit card or a squeegee.
- For a water-applied decal, spray the glass first, slide the decal into place, then squeeze the water out with the card and wipe off the excess.
Before you order, check which side of the glass the design is meant to be read from, especially if it includes words.
Paper decorations for a Christmas window
Paper costs little and turns into a silhouette against a lit room. Fix cut-outs with small pieces of low-tack tape and keep them off panes that run with condensation.
- Paper snowflakes: our guide to making paper snowflakes has the folds and cutting patterns.
- A paper street: houses cut from printer paper, lined up along the bottom of the pane and lit from behind.
- Gingerbread figures cut from brown card and decorated with a white pen.
- Tissue paper silhouettes, which glow when the room light is on but need a steadier hand.
- Paper chains and honeycomb paper baubles or trees hung from the curtain pole.
- Origami stars on thread, hung at different heights.
Advent windows: one number a night
Some villages and streets run an advent window trail. Each household takes a date from 1 to 24, dresses its window and reveals it on that evening with the number worked into the design, so the street fills up like a calendar. Large paper numerals, a chalk pen number or a light-up digit all work, as long as the date reads from the pavement.
Wreaths, garlands and greenery in the window
Greenery works on the frame, on the glass and hanging in front of it.
- Hang a wreath on a ribbon from the top of the frame or the curtain pole. It is seen from both sides, so for a neat back view fix two wreaths back to back.
- If the window sits above a radiator, choose a faux wreath: real foliage dries out quickly in the rising heat.
- Run a garland along the top of the frame and down the sides, with fairy lights wound through it and pine cones, berries or eucalyptus wired in.
- Thread dried orange slices on string or ribbon for a garland that hangs across the glass.
- Hang clear glass baubles filled with greenery from the curtain pole on ribbons of different lengths.
- For a sparse look, hang pine cones, small baubles and candy canes on fishing line, evenly spaced across the pane.
The windowsill display
A Christmas village or a nativity scene often lives on the sill, out of reach of excited children and away from knocks. Lay white felt or fluffy fabric as snow, then build the scene at different heights: taller houses or trees at the back, small figures at the front and a few LED candles or a lantern for light.
From the street, the window is seen with the room behind it. Cushions, throws and mugs from the Christmas home decor range in the same colours as the sill tie the two together.
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service advises sturdy holders that collect wax and cannot tip over, keeping candles at least one foot (about 30 cm) from curtains and anything else that can burn, never leaving them unattended, and flameless or LED candles as the safer option. Its Christmas advice adds: never place candles near the tree or furnishings. On a sill beside curtains, choose flameless candles.
Christmas window display ideas for a shop, salon or office
A business window has to stop people on the pavement and tell them what is on offer. Treatwell’s Christmas guide for salons suggests three themes that need no special kit:
- Woodland: thin branches arranged as a small forest, with artificial snow, pine sprigs, baubles, snowflakes and a few toy woodland animals.
- Mirrors: as many mirrors as you can find, hung from the ceiling next to the window and dressed with silver and gold tinsel, beads and baubles.
- Minimal: pine cones, baubles and candy canes hung on fishing line at even spacing.
Put the opening hours and the December offer at eye level, in the style of the display. Treatwell notes the Catholic tradition of starting to decorate on the day Advent begins, four Sundays before Christmas, which in 2026 is Sunday 29 November. If you also light the front of the building, see how to hang outdoor Christmas lights safely.
Frequently asked questions
How can I decorate my window for Christmas?
Combine one layer for the evening with one for daylight. Curtain lights, a light-up star or an electric candle bridge carry the window after dark; stickers, a chalk pen drawing or paper snowflakes work by day. Fix everything with suction cups, low-tack tape or clear hooks so it comes off cleanly in January.
What are the best Christmas decorations for windows?
Lights for the street view, because nothing else reads once it is dark: curtain lights for wide panes, a silhouette or star for small ones. For daytime, window clings and chalk pen designs are the easiest to put up and take down, and clings can be stored for next year.
How do you stick decorations to a window without damaging it?
On the glass, use clings, a lightly moistened suction cup or low-tack tape such as washi tape. On the frame, use clear adhesive hooks or adhesive cable-tie bases and check the weight limit printed on the pack. Avoid nails, drawing pins and parcel tape on painted frames.
How do you remove Christmas window paint?
Liquid chalk markers and window pens are water soluble. Wipe them off with a damp cloth, add a little washing-up liquid for stubborn lines, then polish the pane with glass cleaner.
Why does writing on my window look backwards from outside?
Anything drawn on the inside of the glass is seen in mirror image from the street. Write the message on paper, tape it to the window facing outwards and trace the reversed letters from inside the room.
Can you put candles in a window at Christmas?
Real candles on a curtained sill are a fire risk. Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service advises sturdy holders, keeping candles at least one foot from curtains and away from the tree and decorations, and never leaving them unattended. Electric candle bridges and LED candles give a similar glow without the flame.
When should Christmas window decorations go up?
Advent Sunday, the fourth Sunday before Christmas, opens the Advent season: in 2026 it falls on 29 November. In Sweden, window candles often go up a few days before it. An advent window trail runs from 1 December, a Tuesday in 2026, to 24 December.
