DIY Outdoor Curtains And Screened Porch For Under $50

Add Outdoor Curtains To Your Patio, Porch, Or Deck With This Simple Hack To Save You Tons Of Money

We are pulling back the DIY budget savvy outdoor curtains on this outdoor hack, (warning: there will be a lot of curtain jokes for the duration of this post).

This is the last project of our outdoor porch series and I am so excited for it to finally be complete!

Something about twinkly lights and outdoor sheer curtains makes a space feel extra whimsical & romantic, so of course, the patio needed some ASAP! But have you looked at the price of “real” porch screen curtains?

They are crazy expensive and did not fit into my teeny tiny budget so I had to DIY my own version.

There are lots of ideas for outdoor curtains out there but I couldn’t find anything that really saved me money because they all still used expensive curtain rods.

So I took my tiny budget to Lowes and came up with this amazing hack for how to hang outdoor curtains for CHEAP!

~SOME AFFILIATE LINKS MAY BE PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE, TAKE A PEEK AT OUR PRIVACY & DISCLOSURE POLICIES~

Supplies For DIY Outdoor Curtains:

• Sheer Curtain Panels (these ones are $5 apiece)
• Scotch Guard Water Shield
• 3/4″ PVC
• 5-Pound Command Hooks
• Black Spray Paint
• String Lights

DIY Outdoor Curtains

DIY Outdoor Curtain Rods

Not only are outdoor curtains expensive but so are the rods for the outdoor curtains. So I decided I would use pieces of PVC instead. This is a great solution because it’s super cheap and they come in long pieces.

Start by cutting the PVC pipe down to size, the cut very easily with a circular or miter saw. Just be sure to wear safety glasses, you don’t want any PVC flecks in your eyes.

Next paint the PVC in your dispersed rod color. I went with a satin black spray paint. For added durability I also sprayed them with a stain polyurethane, this is mainly to protect the paint from chipping or weathering.

TIP: Do not let the PVC stay out in the sun for extended periods of time because it will bend & warp.

To hang the PVC along the Frieze Beam (the part under the roof) I used 5-pound Command Hooks. Be sure to follow the directions for applying them to ensure the best hold.

I don’t think I will ever not want porch screen curtains, but I do like that the Command Hooks give me the flexibility to take them down without leaving holes in the ceiling.

After the PVC is dry you can add them to the Command Hooks.

I recommend hanging them in shorter runs so that they will be more sturdy and easier to work with. For instance, for a 12ft long area cut and hang them in 6ft increments.

Budget Outdoor Curtains

Finally it’s time to add the sheer curtains!

I bought these sheer curtains from Walmart, they are about $5 apiece, which is way cheaper than “real outdoor curtains”

Don’t make my mistake though and just eyeball the length you will need, because you will be wrong and they will be short. I should know better by now, but mistakes happen.

The main reason outdoor curtains are so expensive is because they are more water resistant than indoor curtains.

Here is how I made the regular curtains suitable for the outdoors:

After the porch screen curtains were hung up I used Scotch Guard Water Repellent spray to help protect them.

This Scotch Guard is my favorite because it helps reduce UV fading and repels the rain. So the curtain will last longer and not look dingy from all the outdoor elements.

Pro Tip: I also use this Scotch Guard on our outdoor wreaths and doormats

Even though the curtains are under the porch and won’t be directly rained on, I gave them two really good coats of spray.

I also wanted a way to tie back the curtains when they weren’t being used. So I grabbed this thicker rope I had leftover from another project and tied the curtains to the columns with it.

If you are worried about the curtains blowing in the wind you can also tie them down at the bottom corners to the porch columns or secure them with stakes in the grass.

Another easy way to keep the curtains from blowing in the wind would be to sew small weights into the bottom inseam.

Some people like to use drop cloths as outdoor curtains for privacy because they are thicker, but these sheer porch screen curtains really do provide a good bit of privacy.

DIY Outdoor Curtains And Screened Porch For Under $50 Reveal

That’s it, the easiest and most budget savvy porch screen curtains ever!

It feels complete out here now and like a true outdoor oasis. The outdoor string lights actually give off some great light too, so evening dinner parties on our newly built table can really be a thing now.

“Real” screen curtains for a porch would probably keep the bugs out a bit better but honestly this version has really improved the mosquito control situation.

This DIY porch screen curtains hack cost me less than $50 for everything which is a big win for me and my tiny outdoor makeover budget.

I was even able to use the leftover water repellent spray on our DIY bench cushion.

Now that the final project is complete, operation patio makeover can come to an end.

I will be posting the complete reveal on the blog and doing a tour on our Instagram stories so be sure to stay tuned!

Outdoor Project Series:

• Patio Design Board
• Edging In Landscape The Lazy Girl Way
• $15 Planter Box
• Outdoor Bench Makeover
• $3 Outdoor Lanterns
• $150 Outdoor Dining Table & Bench
• DIY Concrete Planter
• DIY Outdoor Curtains And Screened Porch For Under $50
• Patio REVEAL

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