2 Ways to Make Outdoor Window Shades

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Making your own window sun shades is easy with help from Sailrite®. These window coverings provide privacy while still letting some light in. They are a smart addition to your RV, camper, boat or home. These mesh shades help block the sun, which helps to keep your interior cooler as well as provide needed privacy during the daytime. Learn two ways to make your own window screens with our step-by-step video tutorials.

Materials List:

Dura-Skrim^® Patterning Material 74" (#103134)
Filament Strapping Tape 3/4" (#5643)
Textilene^® Sunsure Vinyl Mesh Black 54" Fabric (#123359)
PremoBond^® Tex 90 (V-92) Black UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (#123338)
Sunbrella^® Centerfold Binding Black 7/8" (#503915)
3M VHB 1" Diameter Circles or Mounting Tape (optional — not available from Sailrite)
Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB) Magnets / Grade: N42 / Diameter: 7/8" to 1" / Thickness: 1/4" / Power: 40 lbs / Plating: Nickel (Ni-Cu-NI ) (optional — not available from Sailrite)
DOT^® Snap Fastener Button 11/64" (Nickel-Plated Brass) (#333777) (optional)
DOT^® Snap Fastener Normal Action Socket (Nickel-Plated Brass) (#333050) (optional)
YKK^® SNAD® Fastener Adhesive-Backed Flexible Base Stud Clear 25mm (#104451) (optional)
3M™ Silane Glass Treatment AP115 4 oz. (#120678) (optional)
3M™ Tape Primer 94 Adhesive Promoter — Ampule (#120671) or 8 oz. (#104166) (optional)
Masking Tape, Window Cleaner, Isopropyl Alcohol

Tools List:

Gingher^® 8" Scissors Right Handed (#19104)
Clear Acrylic Ruler 6" x 24" (#102400)
Scribe-All^® Water Soluble White Marking Pencil (#120681)
Sailrite^® Edge Cordless Hotknife 18V Package (#122177)
Sailrite^® Tempered Cutting Glass (#121915)
Sailrite^® 3/4" Swing-Away Binder (#100102)
Professional Stainless Steel 10" Scissors (#123615)
Sailrite^® Deluxe Fabricator^® Sewing Machine Package (110V) (#400600)
Sailrite^® Drill Hole Cutter 1/8" (#121817) (optional)
Sailrite^® Cutting Block & Die Holder (#121597) (optional)
Snap Fastener Installation Tool (#25204) (optional)
Rawhide Mallet 2# (#121546) (optional)
Sailrite^® Snap Fastener Deluxe Installation Tool (#100949) (optional)
Marker, Straightedge, Drill, Rags, Tape Measure

DIY Magnetic Window Screen 2 — These DIY screens cover the entire window with no gaps.

We made window screens with two different types of fasteners to show you the available options for your shades. In the first version, we sewed magnets into the shade and matched them with magnets adhered inside the RV windows. In the second version, we installed snaps in the shade and paired them with adhesive SNAD fasteners on the outside of the RV windows.

DIY Magnetic Window Screen 3 — Magnets and snaps both work great on these window shades!

Both of these options provide a strong hold. If you use these exterior window shades on an RV, they will not move while your RV is parked — but we do suggest removing the shade screens when you are driving or trailering your camper.

We used a vinyl mesh fabric called Textilene® Sunsure for these RV window screens. Textilene Sunsure has a 91% shade factor, which means it will block most sunlight while still letting some light shine through. If you want even more sunlight, Phifertex® Standard has a 70% shade factor. Both of these mesh vinyl shade fabrics are very easy to work with and sew. You can order samples of any shade fabric to see the mesh’s opacity for yourself and decide how much shade factor you’re looking for in a privacy window screen.

The video above shows how to make mesh window screens with magnets. Prefer to use snaps? Watch the video below to see how to add these fasteners to your RV shades.

We hope you enjoyed our how-to videos on making your own outdoor window screens. If you want to view more projects in our RV Renovation Series, click here!