Made in the Shade

How to Make No-sew Porch Curtains

A Guest Post from Liz Lindsey

My good friend Liz doesn’t sew, but she is very creative. She found a brilliant way to solve a summertime problem. I asked if she would share this story with my readers:

I miss my tree….

I miss the giant maple that shaded our front porch. I miss it a lot. My first memory of a front porch was at my grandma’s house. Her porch had a swing and a big shade tree that shaded the porch. Even as a kid I knew, one day, I wanted a porch swing and a big shade tree.

I got my wish, and all was good until the foundation of our old farmhouse showed some intrusion of roots from the big shade tree. The repair company recommended we take down the tree. After it was removed, I knew my porch would be extremely sunny and very hot in the summer. I had to find a solution.

The Inspiration:

I went to Pinterest, a great place for ideas. https://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/no-sew-drop-cloth-patio-curtains/

I think I searched for “ways to create shade on a porch” and discovered porch curtains! It was the answer I was looking for! I studied a lot of pictures. I had to find a DYI solution that did not require sewing. I don’t have a sewing machine, nor did I want to bother friends who had one! The easiest idea suggested was to use painter’s drop cloths. I wondered how that would look and to my surprise, they turned out great!

The Materials:

I bought four 6×9 muslin drop cloths. Remembering what I’d learned in 8th grade sewing class, I washed the drop cloths to pre-shrink them. I purchased 2 metal conduit pipes that my husband and I found in electrical supplies at Menards. They were already black, like I wanted. Then I found four hooks in the closet section of Menards. I ordered a package of 20 clip-on ring hooks, also in black. 

The Steps:

• Step one was to create the curtains. I measured the length I needed. I had to fold down the top about a foot to make them the right length. It created a valance, which I like. I used the rings to clip along the top of the curtains
• Step two was to hang the rods. I admit I needed a little help from my husband. He is pretty good with a drill and was able to attach the hooks better than I could.
• Step three was to thread the pipe through the rings and hang the rod, with the curtains, on the hooks. 

The results:

Thanks Liz! This turned out great! Can I come over for a glass of wine?

Looking for a good Porch Read? Check out my latest books: Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life and Until Italy: a Traveler’s Memoir. Available now on Amazon. Get your copies here: http://amazon.com/author/debravandeventer