How to Make Outdoor Drapery Panels
Details
Details
There’s something special about outdoor drapes. They can take your backyard and make it feel more like a tropical spa. Drapes around a porch or pergola provide privacy and make a space feel more finished. In our second project from the DIY Porch Makeover Series, we’re going to show you how to make your own outdoor drapery panels.
When it comes to selecting fabric for your outdoor draperies, it’s all about the look you’re going for. We chose a Sunbrella Sheer fabric to give a soft ethereal look. If you want heavier curtains for privacy, Sunbrella Upholstery fabric would be a good choice or if you want something to make a bright statement, try P/Kaufmann Outdoor. Whatever fabric you choose, just make sure that it is meant for use outdoors so your curtains can handle the weather.
Instead of using a traditional curtain rod, we opted to use something a little sturdier for the outdoors—stainless steel tubing. The tubing we used is actually marine tubing hardware. Since it was made for a marine environment it will be durable in all kinds of weather conditions and it gives finished product a really nice look. We attached the tubing directly to the wood trim on our porch with mounting bases. This tubing would also work great for curtains around a pergola.
To attach our curtains, we used rings with clips, which are easy to install and make the curtains easy to remove for the winter months. If your curtains will be up year round, you could also install curtain grommets in the fabric and hang the curtains that way.
In this video, you will learn how to measure for outdoor curtains, seam and hem the panels, install the rods, and install the curtains.
Do you love outdoor drapes? Where would you add some around your home? Share your ideas and opinions in the comments!