DIY: Front Porch Panels Guest Post: DIY Front Porch Panel

Amanda

Now that spring is coming, I am obsessed with finding ways of turning our front porch into more of a living space. It’s a nice little nook with room enough for several pieces of furniture, but I have nothing more than a wind chime and a few candles to make it homey. For us, it’s one of those areas that has been easily overlooked.

I love sitting outside to work, read, or have a drink, but the view we have leaves a little to be desired. Our and our neighbor’s driveways come right up beside our porch, so we are left looking out onto a collection of cars – not really what I desire to see when I want to feel I’m stepping into nature.

This spring, I’m determined to uncover a few more things to make this first “room” of our house more inviting, and my first order of business is a set of homemade curtains to cover up the eyesores on wheels. I have always been entranced when I walk by a porch with these panels of fabric gently rustling in the breeze. I am instantly transported to somewhere more vacation-like and Southern: Charleston, Savannah…

I know I can get this same look and only spend a few dollars by finding most of my supplies at Goodwill. Most of these curtains that you can buy are created with water-proof fabric or sheer fabrics like muslin. But guess what else dries quickly and is durable enough to stand hanging outdoors? One of my favorite thrift store finds: the bed sheet!

A flat bed sheet is really just a huge piece of fabric that can be turned into anything your mind dreams up. To turn one into a curtain, all you need to do is cut it in half lengthwise to make two panels, and stitch up the edges. The top of the sheet should already have a folded edge that can be cut at the ends to make a pocket for a wooden dowel to slide through for hanging. If the panels aren’t long enough for your porch, you can use another sheet to add some extra fabric, in effect creating a decorative edge. Now all you need is an inexpensive wooden dowel from your hardware store, and a few hooks to hang it.

Now here’s the bonus: you can even take the pillowcases or the fitted sheet from the sheet set and use that fabric to make matching pillows! Between that and the other porch accessories I intend to find at Goodwill, I think I’ll have myself one very lovely porch for Spring!

Other porch accessories on my Goodwill shopping list…

- flower pots in different sizes and colors

- a decorative wall hanging that can handle the weather

- hanging baskets

What accessories are you looking for this season? Share your thrifty ideas in our comments section, or visit us on Facebook to share!