Sometimes design elements go out of style for puzzling reasons. For instance, one creative piece of décor that I’ve ALWAYS loved is the window treatment. I can remember the intricate floral outlines on my grandmother’s windows as clear as day. Fortunately, there’s a way to get this effect without much elbow grease. This project is cheap, easy, and yields gorgeous results!

I know that we all have that common daydream of waking in the morning to a vision of airy sunlight and a secluded yard with no neighbors in sight. Sadly, not many of us are blessed with this unspoiled view. If you want to keep in that natural light while still maintaining a sense of privacy, then window treatments may be a good option for you.

For this task, all you will need are a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch, cold water, a paint brush, and some lace fabric. No need to buy expensive material for this one—any type of lace in good condition will do!

DIY blogger Annabel Vita decided to try her hand at this treatment, and did a splendid job of documenting her journey. She started by mixing 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with equal parts cold water. Then, with a medium sized paintbrush, she spread the mixture evenly onto the desired window.

Then, it was time to prepare the lace. Any thin lace cloth will do, provided that it is wrinkle-free. If your material has some creases, be sure to iron those out first.

As you can see, Annabel made a cut to the lace so that it would settle up cleanly and evenly to the pane.

Next, she applied her newly-cut lace to the window by going over the material with another thick layer of the cornstarch-and-water mixture. She says that the best way to go about this is by smearing on “random patterns of brush strokes” so that they don’t look too “regimented.” And that’s literally it! Annabel says that it took her only ONE HOUR to finish this treatment. Talk about efficient! Though this kind of window treatment looks great in any room, for the sake of longevity, it should be done in a space that does not encounter too much humidity—not a bathroom or kitchen, for instance—as the lace has a tendency to peel off in moist environments.

If you ever need to move out, or just plain get sick of the look, it’s easy as pie to get rid of! Simply spray some warm water onto the lace and peel it off.

If the cornstarch mixture remains sticky, slap on some kitchen gloves, get a bucket of very hot water, and scrub the residue off the window. If hot water doesn’t do the job, consider working with some all-natural apple cider vinegar.

We just love the results! If you have an ugly view, this is definitely the way to cover it up without losing that natural light.

Have you completed a window treatment project? If so, were you happy with your results? Tell us all about your experiences in the comments section below!