With the weather warming up, you may find yourself spending more and more time outside to soak up some sun. But when you're ready to continue enjoying the outdoors without all the sun exposure, this $10 DIY [1] from The Unique Nest [2] is going to save your skin (and your wallet).
One of the greatest parts of our home is our amazing front porch. I always dreamt of having a large opening porch space for relaxing and unwinding, and I'm so blessed to have created that space in our current home. Yet, each day around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the sun becomes so intense that it makes it difficult to sit out there. I didn't have the budget for large, custom roll shades and didn't want the maintenance or installation costs.
Last week, while visiting a dear friend of mine (whose countryside home sits on 10 acres with wide open views), I noticed something. She hung beautiful drapes around her porch, or so I thought. Turns out they were just drop cloths. Drop cloths are traditionally used for painting, but my friend used them as Pottery Barn-style outdoor curtains. So what did I do the very next morning? Buy drop cloths, of course!
I bought four 6-foot-by-9-foot drop cloths and all the necessary mounting hardware. While I was at the store, I couldn't resist buying two outdoor fans, which I'd been wanting for some time. We had the porch prewired for future fans but just never got around to buying a fan. I found these lovely little fans for $35/each at Home Depot.
So let's take a look at what I used to get this project completed . . . laborer husband not included.
What You'll Need
1. You need to purchase one drop cloth per end of your curtain rod. I needed four in total, and the 6-foot-by-9-foot length was perfect for me. Each cloth was about $10.
2. Next, I purchased support brackets to hold up the copper piping that I used to create a custom and unique-looking rod.
3. To make hanging these outdoor curtains a cinch, I bought clip rings in an aged bronze finish. I'm thinking these will also come in handy if I ever need to wash the drop cloths. But heck, for the price, I would probably just go buy a new drop cloth.
4. I purchased two 10-foot sections of 3/4-inch copper pipe. This became my custom curtain rod and ended up being the exact size I needed for my space. You could always find longer pieces if need be, and a lot of stores will even trim the pipe for you if needed.
Here's a closer look at the fan and copper rod. Trust me — this was a great project to take on when you aren't looking for hard work, just major impact.
The Result
I just love how these turned out! It was a really easy project, and it adds quite a bit of curb appeal!
Some of my porch details and decor . . .
For more awesome DIYs and home projects check out @theuniquenest [3] on Instagram!