How to protect your porch from bugs using this quick and cheap solution for DIY outdoor curtains.
If you’ve been following along on my Instagram Stories, you probably already saw this post coming.
I love it when a light bulb moment ends up working out even better than you could have imagined! For the past year, we’ve slowly been working on sprucing up our back porch.
This is where we left off a few months ago after limewashing the brick and painting the doors this winter:
But one thing we always battled were the bugs in the summer, especially at night. But we didn’t want to go through the expense and labor of adding screens because we really loved having the space feel open and be a part of the backyard.
I was in IKEA a couple of weeks ago though and discovered these mosquito net curtains for $5 per pair. And it hit me… outdoor curtain screens!
Supplied Used: (Some affiliate links are provided.)
The grand total came to under $100 for 6, roughly $16 each.
I wanted to make sure they wouldn’t yellow and turn gross in the rain and sun, so it was worth spending an extra $10 on two bottles of Scotchgard Heavy Duty Water Shield and spraying them down to make them weather-proof.
Fingers crossed it works! But considering it’s designed to protect fabrics outdoors, I’m really optimistic on this one.
I picked up 6 tension rods at Walmart for about $6 each, and Robert and I hung them up as high as we could, close to our porch ceiling, using Command hooks. It was super quick and causes no damage at all, so if we ever decide to take them down, we won’t have to worry about any screw holes to patch.
I cannot believe how elegant and luxurious our back porch looks now! We have the freedom to open and close them as we need to so that as the bugs start swarming onto our porch in the evenings, we can just close them.
If you didn’t want them blowing in the breeze, you could even loop ties to the corners of the panels to secure around your porch posts.
Our porch looks bigger now! I’ll be sharing more of this space with all of our decorating sources tomorrow, but I had to share this trick with y’all because it’s seriously one of my favorites ever.
Have you used any other great money-saving ideas in your outdoor spaces? Or have solutions for combatting the creepy crawlies? I’m convinced the state bird of South Carolina is really the mosquito.
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Love this. We used a thinner drop cloth to close off ours and they work beautifully.
That’s a great idea too!
Thanks for the share. We were going to screen our porch this summer but realized it was going to darken our house even more. I have sat on the porch all summer thinking about what to do but was unsure. I had seen pictures on Pinterest of sheers and liked the look. I love the way it looks on your porch. I think I will be making a trip to Ikea. Did you spray them once they were hanging or before hanging? Thanks again.
Yay! Glad it might help! I sprayed them before hanging but you could really do it either way.
This is such a smart and pretty idea. Thank you for sharing. I’m wondering….when you wash the curtains, will the waterproofing wash off? Also, did you just have to spray one side of the panels or did you do both sides? Thank you and Have a Blessed Day.
I’ve used these IKEA curtains on my screen porch for years. I use them to soften the corners, hanging 2 panels in each corner for fullness. Love the way they gently blow in the breeze. I didn’t spray mine with anything, just wash them every spring and re-hang. They look as good (and white) as the day I originally hung them. Sure can’t beat the price!
Ingenious! They look very luxurious and high-end. I love how the porch feels so cozy. A great inexpensive fix!
Wow – that’s gorgeous!! I’d love to see a photo of your deck at night with the lights on!
I really love this idea! I want to put curtains on my lanai, but outdoor curtains are pretty pricey, and my posts are metal, so I didn’t want to have to put holes in them. Putting this on my to-do list, thanks for coming up with a great idea!
This is so clever. I was looking for something too and I think this is just what I need! How long is each section (that is covered with 2 panels)? Thanks!
Try this Mosquito Spray Mix – Bottle of Blue Mouthwash – 3 cups of Epson Sale – 3 stale 12oz. cheap bearT
My sister does this every year and it works for her – sprays yard and around front door.
I loved how this turned out! The commando hooks – so clever and easy!! It really dresses up the space. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Reminds me of a breeze way, which I hung gauze curtains over the crank out window, think Florida!
I loved how cozy it made everything!!!
Great idea!!! Love the elegant look!!
Terrific idea and the porch looks so glamorous!
What a wonderful idea! Your porch looks so beautiful.
I love it!! I also like the furniture. If you don’t mind, would you tell us where you got it. You are so talented!
WOW!! So luxurious looking…very high end….and the practical-ness is perfect! We live in NW Arkansas and I would love to do this, but, truly…we don’t sit outside in the summer coz it’s just to dang hot and muggy…..but!! I might try this on our home in Calif….we get such a great breeze that those curtains would billow so romantically!! Thanks for sharing!!! Great Job! love everything you do and share….a gal after my own heart!!
This might just work for my vintage caravan that doesn’t have window screens!
What a fantastic idea! They look so pretty, especially with the lights!
I can’t wait to do this to my porch. Thanks for the tip..Will IKEA ship them ??
Yes, they have a “buy online” option.
I cant find these on Amazon or Ikea Not mosquito net curtains. Help….
Hi Monette! They’re linked in the supplies list. On IKEA’s website, they’re called “Lill”.
They are just curtains, doesn’t say anything about being mosquito netting.
The material is mosquito netting. Maybe it doesn’t say it on the website, but that’s what it is.
Ingenious and it looks gorgeous too! You’ve done a beautiful job on your whole house.
That looks great!!! What an awesome idea! Love it!
Such a great idea, I need to do this for my patio, thank you for the info.
This looks beautiful! Does it keep the mosquitoes out? We are in Texas and I’m a mosquito magnet! I’d love this solution! Thank you!
Yes! So far, so good!
If the breeze got to be too much you could weight them with nonrustable chain. We used to do this when we made coats w a swing line hem. Or plastc pull chain cord from lamp section. Just open up a side of the hem and fish it along. Tack in place.
It looks so elegant! Sort of Casablanca meets Magombo!
Your so close to having it screened. Just make frames out of furring strips, from the ceiling to the floor, take your netting that you’ve sprayed and attach it to the furring strip frame set the frames in place viola you’re screened in.
I love the Carpet! how it works when its rainning?
No problems at all! The curtains are protected with the Scotchgard to lessen the chance of discoloring from rain. And the two rugs are outdoor rugs, so they can handle the moisture and grime.
When the curtains are closed, does it reduce the rain that blows in or would I need to use something heavier-duty? The blowing rain is what I’m wanting to reduce so we can use the entire deck.
No, you would need a heavy duty fabric for that, unfortunately.
What is the longest length of your curtain rods? We’re trying to do this exact project at our house in NJ. Our back porch is 12 feet deep by 27 feet wide. Your porch looks amazing!!!! Now that you’ve had it up for a year, how did the curtains hold up and did they help blocking out the mosquitos?
Hi Michelle. We used the space between the posts to decide how to set our curtain rods. Luckily for us, the distance between each post allowed the fit of two sheer curtains perfectly. The space is best guesstimated at 5′. Here is a link to the rod used. https://rstyle.me/n/c5zm2zb5ky7
Sorry to get off subject, but please, what color is the porch ceiling?
It’s Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue 🙂 We tested SO many blues before finding the “winner”
This idea is a lovely solution to an ugly bug problem! I’d like to try it under our deck on the patio. Has anyone done something like this?
HI!! It certainly helps to reduce the bugs on the porch.
Hi. Just wondering how you keep the bugs from getting in between the first and above the rods? We have a 100-year old farmhouse and the porch roof is slanted. I did just order the curtains (picking up in store tomorrow). I’m only doing the side of our wrap around porch. Thanks for the idea.
Hi! I am certainly not able to say we are bug free. However, there is nothing I do particular to keep the bugs from getting up there and yet it does not seem to be a problem. I hope you enjoy the look for your porch as much as we do. 🙂
Shawnie, please post photos when you get them up. Our deck roof is slanted too and I’m not sure how to hang mine to make them look right.
Hi Lauren, I was looking for screen ideas for my deck and came across yours. I just ordered the materials! Gladly I found the IKEA curtains on Amazon so it saved me a trip there. Can’t wait to have it all ready in a few days. Thanks for the great idea!
Your porch is so elegant! I’ve just ordered sheer white panels 120 inches long, but didn’t think about the extra strength Scotch Guard. Thank you so much for your expert advice! Absolutely LOVE your design!
I have checked Ikea’s online site and cannot find these curtains.
So beautiful!! We actually have a screened in porch and my problem in Virginia is the pollen. How do you think this would do blocking pollen? And secondly, how do the curtains do with rain? Do they end up grimy or discolored? Do you wash them then have to re-spray them?
Thanks so much for any info!!!
We have TONS of pollen here too. It’s not going to completely get rid of it because the sneaky stuff can sneak right on past, but I will say it helps for sure!
Hi, Judy – Look for the IKEA curtains called “Lill”. They say “lace,” but they’re a mesh/fine netting.
This is beautiful! Did you find that it provided any shade at all or just bug protection? I’m trying to find a solution for both the bugs and shading.
It does provide shade, but our intention wasn’t so much shade, it was way more mosquitos. I would say more “filter” than shade if that makes sense!
So glad I stumbled upon your site – – I have tried so many ways to keep my curtains hung on my front porch (double sided tape etc.) but this looks like it might work for me! It adds privacy and elegance!
What is the length of the ikea panels? TY
Hi, Gena. Each panel is 110×98. The link to the product will give you texture details as well.
Hello from Ontario! Love your porch! Great job with decoration! I have a 12′ X 16′ porch and ordered 5 pairs of the sheers, just wondered how big is your porch and how many pairs did you have to get? I think I might have to order more…
Hello!! We have a fairly comfortable sized porch. We have six sets and when closed they do not have a lot of gather in them. I think you may find how great the five pairs will do the job.
These curtains look so elegant and beautiful! What a fabulous idea. Could you please share specifically which 5-pound Command Hooks you used? I’m looking at them online and there are so many types, I want to be sure I get the right size for the curtain rods. Thank you very much and thanks for all of your fabulous posts!
I linked the exact ones we used in the post! Hope that helps!
When I tried the link last time, it did work. Just tried it again and it worked! Thanks very much. I love your style!
I meant did not work, of course. Duh!
Your porch is beautiful! I have a question though, I live in Tennessee(lots of mildew, etc…) A few years ago I left my mesh patio chairs outside on our screen porch all summer and they became moldy. Do you have trouble with that? If so, how do you combat it? Thanks!
Our outdoor furniture is pretty resistant but will need refreshing in the spring. We use the pressure washer on the cushions and let them air dry. They have lasted us five years. 🙂
Great idea!! I’m definitely going to give it a whirl. We’re making a covered patio at the back of our house and I think this will work well