Fangs along the top and bottom edges of the rear window, the hatch as a mouthWhite. Pointed teeth down from the top edge and up from the bottom; the middle stays clear. Sponge.
School-color stripes framing each rear side windowTwo school colors. A double line just inside the edge of the glass, all the way around. Window marker.
Balloons rising from a lower corner, strings gathered at the cornerRed, yellow, blue, white. Five balloons fan up the side edge; all strings meet in the corner. Sponge.
Caps falling down the rear side windows, a friend's initials in eachWhite, school colors. Five or six small caps at angles; initials inside each one. Window marker.
CLASS OF and the year in block letters along the top edge of the rear windowWhite, one school color. One line across the top edge; the middle of the glass stays clear. Window marker.
DONE in small capitals filling the little quarter windowWhite. One word sized to the pane just ahead of the rear glass; nothing else on it. Window marker.
Graduate's first name in script along the bottom edge, a swoosh under it ending in a starWhite, yellow. Along the bottom edge of the rear window; the swoosh runs the full width. Window marker.
Graduation cap in a top corner of the rear window, its tassel swingingWhite, yellow. Tilted cap in one top corner; the tassel hangs a hand's length down the edge. Window marker.
HONK FOR THE GRAD on a rear side window, an arrow pointing at the seatWhite, yellow. Three short lines of capitals; the arrow points down at the graduate's seat. Window marker.
NEXT STOP and where you are headed, on a road-sign shapeGreen, white. A green rectangle with a white border on a rear side window; two lines of capitals. Sponge.
Rolled diploma with a ribbon along the bottom edge of the rear windowWhite, red. A long scroll lying on the bottom edge, its bow in the middle. Window marker.
School-color stripes framing each rear side windowTwo school colors. A double line just inside the edge of the glass, all the way around. Window marker.
Stars rising from both lower corners of the rear window, the middle left clearYellow, white. Stars climb each side edge, largest at the bottom; none cross the center. Stencil, sponge.
Tassel hanging down one side of the rear window from the top cornerYellow, white. A cord from the top corner down the side edge, ending in a fringe. Window marker.
THANK YOU and the names of who got you here, stacked down a rear side windowWhite, pink. THANK YOU on top, one name per line beneath, a small heart at the end. Window marker.
Game day 12
Ball in one top corner, a dotted arc along the top edge to a goal in the otherWhite, yellow. Ball at one end, goal or hoop at the other; dots follow the top edge between. Window marker.
Caravan number on the quarter window so the cars stay in orderWhite. CAR and a numeral, sized to the small pane ahead of the rear glass. Window marker.
GO and your mascot's name in block capitals along the top edge of the rear windowTwo school colors. Letters filled in one color, outlined in the other, in one line across the top. Window marker.
Mascot tracks walking along the bottom edge of the rear windowOne school color. Paw or hoof prints in pairs, left to right along the bottom edge. Sponge.
Megaphone in a lower corner, sound lines fanning toward the edgeWhite, school colors. Megaphone points up and out of the corner; three short lines at its mouth. Window marker.
One long pennant on each rear side window, pointing to the back of the carTwo school colors. A triangle the length of the pane, point toward the trunk; a letter inside. Window marker.
Player's number as tall as the pane on each rear side windowWhite, one school color. Numerals fill the height of the glass, outlined in the school color. Sponge.
Pom-poms in both lower corners of the rear window, fringe fanning outTwo school colors. Quick strokes bursting from each corner, alternating the colors. Window marker.
RIDES HERE with an arrow and the player's number, on the window by their seatWhite, one school color. Number on top, RIDES HERE under it, the arrow pointing down. Window marker.
Scoreboard on a rear side window: HOME filled in, AWAY left at zeroWhite, yellow. A box split in two with a label over each half; numerals in yellow. Window marker.
SENIOR NIGHT arched across a rear side window, the player's name under itWhite, one school color. Two words in an arch near the top of the pane; the name straight beneath. Window marker.
Tally of wins along the bottom edge, a new mark added after each gameWhite. Marks in fives along the bottom edge of a rear side window; add one after each win. Window marker.
Birthday and just married 12
Balloons rising from a lower corner, strings gathered at the cornerRed, yellow, blue, white. Five balloons fan up the side edge; all strings meet in the corner. Sponge.
Birthday kid on board, in a yellow diamond on the quarter windowYellow, black. A diamond sized to the small pane; BIRTHDAY KID ON BOARD in black capitals. Window marker.
Both first names along the bottom edge, a heart in place of the ampersandWhite, red. One line along the bottom of the rear window; the heart sits between the names. Window marker.
Confetti dots thick at the edges, thinning toward the clear middleFive brights. Dots crowd the frame of the rear window and stop a hand's width in. Round sponge.
Heart on each rear side window, one initial in eachRed or white. A heart as wide as the pane on both sides of the car; a single capital inside. Sponge.
HONK, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY along the top edge of the rear windowWhite, pink, yellow. One line of capitals across the top; a balloon at each end. Window marker.
JUST MARRIED along the top edge of the rear window, the date underneathWhite. Capitals across the top edge; the date smaller beneath, centered. Window marker.
Layer cake in a lower corner, candles and flames standing above itPink, white, yellow. Two tiers in a corner of the rear window; candles in a row on top. Window marker.
The new age in tall numerals on a rear side window, a balloon string from eachAny two brights. Numerals as tall as the pane; a string rises from each to a small balloon. Sponge.
Tin cans on strings painted trailing along the bottom edgeWhite, gray. Five cans at angles along the bottom of the rear window; strings run to one corner. Window marker.
Two linked rings in a lower corner, an initial inside eachYellow, white. Rings overlap in a corner of the rear window; one white initial in each. Window marker.
Wide ribbon down each rear side window with a bow at the top, the car as the giftRed. A band top to bottom through the middle of each pane; a looped bow at the top. Sponge.
Holidays 12
Candy corn in a row along the bottom edge of the rear window, tips upYellow, orange, white. Triangles side by side, three bands of color on each. Window marker.
Clock at five to midnight in a top corner, confetti falling from itWhite, yellow, brights. A round clock face in a corner of the rear window; dots drift down the edge. Window marker.
Elf hat on a rear side window where the passenger's head showsGreen, red, white. A pointed hat high on the pane, tip bent over, a bell at the end. Window marker.
Fangs along the top and bottom edges of the rear window, the hatch as a mouthWhite. Pointed teeth down from the top edge and up from the bottom; the middle stays clear. Sponge.
Fir branches hanging down from the top edge, as if a tree is tied to the roofTwo greens. Short drooping boughs along the top of the rear side windows; a loop of twine. Window marker.
Gift boxes stacked along the bottom edge of the rear window, as if piled in the backRed, green, white. Boxes of mixed size along the bottom edge; ribbons and bows on top. Window marker.
Hearts rising from a lower corner like puffs of exhaust, each bigger than the lastPink, red, white. Small hearts start in a bottom corner of the rear window and grow as they rise. Window marker.
One patterned egg hidden in a corner of each rear side windowPastels. An egg tucked into a lower corner of each pane, a different pattern on each. Window marker.
Pie in a lower corner, steam curling up the side of the glassTan, orange, white. A pie seen from the side in the corner; three wavy lines rise along the edge. Window marker.
Sleeps until Christmas, with a box to wipe and rewrite each morningWhite, red. Words on a rear side window; an empty square beside them for today's number. Window marker.
Stars down one rear side window, stripes down the other, for a paradeRed, white, blue. White stars on blue on one side of the car; red and white bars on the other. Sponge.
Two skeleton hands flat against a rear side window, as if pressed from insideWhite. Two splayed hands at head height, finger bones as short dashes. Window marker.
How it works
A car window still has to be seen through, so each of these 48 car window painting ideas sits on a rear side window or along an edge of the rear glass, never on the windshield.
Read the full guide
Where the paint goes
Keep the windshield and the front side windows bare, and leave the middle of the rear window open for the mirror. Paint the outside of the glass: a rear window's heater lines can be printed on its inner surface, where rubbing damages them. A third brake light may sit just inside the back glass; leave its strip clear.
Short words for small panes
Some cars have a quarter window, a small pane just ahead of the rear glass, and it holds one word: DONE in small capitals filling the little quarter window. A rear side window takes a tall numeral, as in Player's number as tall as the pane on each rear side window.
Questions and answers
What do you use to paint on car windows?
A marker or paint sold for glass whose label says it washes off. We do not test products, so read the label for how it comes off and what rain does to it, and try a small patch in a corner first.
What do you write on a car window for graduation?
A few large words, kept to an edge: CLASS OF and the year in block letters along the top edge of the rear window, or HONK FOR THE GRAD on a rear side window, an arrow pointing at the seat.
Is it legal to drive with painted car windows?
We do not list traffic rules. Check the ones where you drive before you set off.
What can I paint on a car for a birthday?
Start with the age: The new age in tall numerals on a rear side window, a balloon string from each. For a surprise, Wide ribbon down each rear side window with a bow at the top, the car as the gift.