Transform A Dollar Tree Toy Into A Creative Way To Hide Fingerprints On Windows

If you have little ones in your home, with either two feet or four paws, you've probably given up the fight against smeary, fingerprinted glass. Regular wipe-downs for your windows and glass doors are a standard part of a cleaning routine, but cleaning up small family members' "window art" shouldn't be a daily chore. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, or so they say, so why not prevent smudgy windows with a creative, toy-based solution? Dollar Tree's Make It Magnetic Blocks Set can be a creative and colorful smudge barrier for glass, and you won't even mind looking at it.

Sheets of contact paper applied to a window, sticky side out, act as a base to hold these translucent shapes to the window, making them into faux stained glass art. The magnetic edges on the blocks will help hold a design in place along with the contact paper. To piece together your own pretty fingerprint (or nose and pawprint) barrier, purchase a high-quality clear contact paper, clear double-sided tape, and at least one pack of 25 magnetic blocks. Also set aside scissors and glass cleaning supplies.

The double-sided tape will hold the non-adhesive side of the contact paper to the glass while the sticky side will be a building surface for the magnetic blocks. The best part about this imaginative smudge solution is that you can remove it without damaging the glass.

Before launching into this DIY, keep in mind that the adhesive holding the block tiles in place isn't going to withstand lots of bumping or handling. Instead, think of this as an ongoing project; as the contact paper eventually loses its grip, you can try out new styles or even holiday-themed arrangements.

Start by pre-cutting the contact paper while the backing is still on. Decide where on the glass you want your design to be. You could concentrate it just where little hands like to go, create a frame around the outside edges, or cover the entire window — this would also be a good way to add privacy to your bathroom. Once you've gauged the size you'll need, cut the piece or pieces from the roll.

The tape will hold most securely to a clean surface, so give your target window a good de-griming with a budget-friendly cleaner. (Try one of these household ingredients you should be using to clean the glass in your home.) Attach strips of double-sided tape along the edges of the non-adhesive side of the contact paper, and press the taped material onto the glass. It may help the double-sided tape hold better if you wait a few minutes before carefully peeling away the contact paper's backing. Once the sticky stuff is exposed, press the blocks into a design you (or your kids) like, and check out how they hide smudges while letting in the sun's glow.