Porthole Windows

User-Contributed Project

User-Contributed Project

This project guide is not managed by MAKE staff.

Create and install your own custom round windows.

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We are working on a midcentury kitchen renovation and we wanted round windows, but custom ones are expensive. So my father and I made these from scratch!

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Add Note Edit Step 1 — Porthole Windows  ¶ 

  • Determine the size of your window and pick up the supplies. We used a 12" diameter concrete mold, 12" diameter flower pot, and 12" diameter plexiglass.

  • Step 1: Cut holes in your wall. You might want to check out This Old House to see instructions on how to do this.

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Add Note Edit Step 2  ¶ 

  • Put together your window. We measured the dimension from the outer wall and figured out that the piece of cement mold we needed to cut was 4" to fit flush with the sheetrock on the inner wall. I had the plexiglass cut to size at my local plastics shop. Insert the plexi in the tube with the plexi closer to the outside of the house.

  • It should look like this picture!

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Add Note Edit Step 3  ¶ 

  • Next you are going to cut the top of the plastic planter off to make the outside frame for the window. Ours was 1" in depth.

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Add Note Edit Step 4  ¶ 

  • The flower pot top is now your outside frame. We chose forest green because the rest of the window moulding on our house is that color.

  • Put your new frame on your circular window box.

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Add Note Edit Step 5  ¶ 

  • You are now ready to install your windows.

  • You will need to push your window into the holes you cut out in the wall from the outside. We already did framing on the inside and added a new stud for the one we had to cut out. All of that work depends on your home and where you are putting in your window.

  • We made three holes for 3 windows.

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Add Note Edit Step 6  ¶ 

  • Next caulk and insulate the window and sheetrock your wall. You now have round windows.

  • We chose to sheetrock-putty the 4" interior of the window. You could also finish it off with veneer or sheetmetal; whatever look you are going for.

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Add Note Edit Step 7  ¶ 

  • Here's what the finished product looks like.

  • It adds so much more light to our kitchen; not to mention that it kind of makes our little yellow house look like a little yellow submarine!

For more information, check out the Design category page.

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What a fun project! I love how the round windows look installed.

Goli Mohammadi, · Reply