How to Make Window Clings at Home

Window clings are removable graphics made for smooth glass surfaces like windows, glass doors, and mirrors.

Unlike regular stickers, they usually use static or low-tack material instead of strong adhesive, so you can apply, move, and remove them more easily.

People use window clings for seasonal decorations, storefront displays, privacy accents, promotional graphics, and DIY crafts.

In this guide, you'll learn how to make window clings with simple DIY materials and how to make professional-looking window graphics with UV printing.

Image: Amar Preciado

How to Make Window Clings Using Traditional Methods

Making window clings with traditional methods is a fun weekend project.

It's budget-friendly, highly customizable, and perfect for getting creative.

The most common DIY method uses puffy paint (also known as dimensional fabric paint).

Step 1: Prepare Your Materials

Before you begin, gather all the necessary supplies. You will need:

• Dimensional Fabric Paint (Puffy Paint) or Window Cling Paint: These come in squeeze bottles with fine tips, perfect for drawing. You'll want a black or dark color for outlines, plus various colors for filling in the design.
• A Smooth, Clear Work Surface: The best options are a clear plastic sheet protector, a piece of acetate, or a glass cutting board. This is what you'll paint onto, and what the cling will cure on.
• A Printed Template (Optional but Recommended): A printout of the design you want to create.
• Tape: To secure your template and work surface.
• Toothpicks or a Needle: For popping bubbles and spreading paint into small corners.

Step 2: Create or Select Your Design

You can freehand a design directly, but using a template guarantees a cleaner result. Find a coloring book page, print a clip art image, or draw your own design on paper.

The design should have distinct, enclosed areas (like a stained-glass window) to hold the colored paint.

Tape your template to a flat surface, then place your clear plastic sheet protector or acetate directly over the template and tape that down securely as well. Your clear surface is now ready to receive the paint.

Step 3: Paint the Design

With traditional methods, you don't cut the cling out — you build it with paint.

1. Outline First: Using your outline color (usually black), carefully trace the lines of your template onto the clear plastic sheet. Ensure all lines connect completely; any gaps will allow the fill colors to leak together. The outline needs to be fairly thick and solid to give the cling structural integrity.
2. Let the Outline Dry: This is a crucial step. Wait until the outline is mostly or completely dry (often 1–2 hours, depending on the paint) before moving on.
3. Fill in the Colors: Once the outline is set, generously fill the enclosed spaces with your chosen colors. You want a thick layer of paint so the final cling isn't too flimsy. Squeeze the paint in, making sure it touches the outline borders on all sides to bond properly.
4. Pop Bubbles: As you fill, use a toothpick to gently pop any air bubbles that rise to the surface, or drag the paint to ensure it reaches every corner.
5. Cure Time: Leave the project flat to dry completely. This can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours. The paint will often turn from opaque to translucent as it dries.

Step 4: Test and Apply the Window Cling

Once you're certain the paint is completely dry and cured (it shouldn't feel tacky when lightly touched), carefully peel it off the plastic sheet, working slowly from the edges.

If it resists heavily or feels wet underneath, let it dry longer. Once removed, your DIY window cling is ready. 

Simply press the smooth side (the side that was touching the plastic) against a clean window — the smooth, non-porous surface grips the glass and holds it in place, no adhesive needed.

Image: Suzi Kim

How to Make Window Clings with a UV Printer

For commercial purposes, highly detailed graphics, or simply a more durable and professional finish, UV printing is a great option.

Depending on the material you choose, you can either print directly onto Static Cling Vinyl or create a window graphic with UV DTF.

UV printing lets you create vibrant, high-resolution window graphics on compatible films.

With the right white ink layer, you can create graphics that look vivid on glass and even designs that can be viewed from both sides.

Step 1: Choose Removable or Permanent Application

Before you start, decide if you want a removable window cling or a permanent window graphic.

This choice is important because the materials work differently.

Most commercial window graphics are placed on the inside of the glass and viewed from outside. This helps protect the graphic from weather, cleaning, and damage.

• Removable option: Use Static Cling Vinyl or another low-tack cling material. These materials use static or light grip instead of strong adhesive. They are usually easier to remove and less likely to leave residue. If you want a true window cling, this is usually the better choice.
• Permanent option: Use standard UV DTF. Traditional UV DTF uses A-film and B-film with strong adhesive. After transfer to glass, it bonds very strongly and can be hard to remove cleanly. In most cases, this is closer to a window decal than a removable window cling.

Be sure to check the instructions on how to remove UV DTF transfers safely before applying permanent options.

Step 2: Prepare Your Window Cling Design

Because window clings are viewed on glass, preparing your design differs from printing on opaque products.

Glass is transparent and light passes through it, which affects how colors are perceived.

Key design requirements include:

• High-resolution image: Ensure your design is crisp and clear (at least 300 DPI) to avoid pixelation when viewed up close.
• Correct dimensions: Size your design accurately for the intended window space.
• Transparent background when needed: Unless you want a solid square or circle, ensure your PNG or design file has a transparent background so only the graphic itself transfers.

Step 3: Prepare Your Printer and Material Setup

After you choose the workflow, make sure your printer setup matches the material format and application method.

• For Static Cling Vinyl sheets, prepare your flatbed or sheet-printing setup.
  
• For UV DTF, prepare the printer, film path, and supplies needed for the A-film and B-film workflow.

Make sure the material is flat, clean, and free of dust, fingerprints, or curled edges.

Clear materials show imperfections easily, so small particles or uneven loading can affect print quality.

If you are using the eufyMake E1, place sheet material securely on the Standard Bed, and prepare UV DTF film according to the UV DTF workflow.

{{ component: "product", handle: "eufymake-e1", sku: "BUNDLE-V8260J40-1-V7240010-1", addToCart: "true"}}

Step 4: Position Your Design

After the material is ready, open your file in eufyMake Studio and use Snapshot.

Snapshot lets the E1 camera capture the real print area. This helps you place the design exactly where you want it on the material.

For flat window cling materials, this step is usually simple.

When Snapshot is finished, drag the design into place in the software. Then check the size and position before you continue.

Step 5: Set the Print and White Ink Settings

Next, choose the print settings that match your material.

Then set the white ink layer based on how people will view the graphic.

We recommend to follow these recommendations:

Make sure to select the correct mounting side before printing. In UV DTF, the adhesive side is fixed during printing, so you cannot flip the transfer direction later when you apply it.

Step 6: Print and Apply Your Window Cling

Once the material is positioned and the print settings are confirmed, start the print.

For Static Cling Vinyl, print the design directly onto the film, then cut it to size and apply it to clean, dry glass.

For UV DTF, print the design onto the A-film, then laminate it with the B-film and transfer the finished graphic to the glass. 

For the complete production process, see this detailed guide on how to make UV DTF transfers.

How to Apply Window Clings

Proper application ensures your window clings look great and last as long as intended, free from distracting bubbles.

Whether using DIY clings or UV DTF transfers, the preparation is similar.

Step 1: Clean the Glass Surface

This is non-negotiable. Any dust, grease, or fingerprints will prevent the cling from adhering properly and will be visible from the other side.

Clean the window thoroughly using a glass cleaner or rubbing alcohol and a lint-free cloth, and ensure the surface is completely dry before proceeding.

Step 2: Position the Window Cling

Before removing any backings or transfer tapes, hold the cling up to the window to determine its exact placement.

For larger clings, use a small piece of painter's tape at the top edge to create a temporary hinge.

Step 3: Apply from One Side to Reduce Bubbles

For a DIY cling, place one edge down first and slowly roll the rest of the design onto the glass, smoothing it out with your hand.

For a UV DTF transfer, peel away the backing film (A-film). Carefully place one edge of the transfer tape (B-film with the design) onto the glass.

Using a squeegee, credit card, or brayer, firmly press the design down, working from the starting edge across to the opposite side. Firm, even pressure helps push out any trapped air bubbles.

Step 4: Remove Transfer Film Carefully

For DIY clings, this step is skipped. For UV DTF transfers, once the design is firmly burnished onto the glass, slowly peel away the clear transfer film (B-film), pulling it back flat against the glass rather than straight out.

If any part of the design lifts with the film, lay it back down and burnish it again before continuing.

Traditional Window Clings vs UV Printed Window Clings

Choosing between these two methods depends entirely on your needs, budget, and desired outcome.

Traditional Window Clings:

• Pros: Very inexpensive, excellent activity for kids and families, requires no specialized equipment, easily removable and reusable.
• Cons: Time-consuming to make and cure, lacks fine detail, colors can fade over time, limited durability, not suitable for commercial use.

UV Printed Window Clings:

• Pros: Professional, photo-realistic quality, capable of highly intricate designs and small text, extreme durability (water and scratch-resistant), can create double-sided graphics, efficient for bulk production.
• Cons: Requires a significant investment in a UV DTF printer and supplies, learning curve for software and machine operation, transfers can be difficult to remove if permanent adhesives are used.