10 Items You Can Repurpose Into A Stylish Privacy Screen

Your yard is meant to be an oasis away from public life, and the last thing you want is for people to be able to peep into your private space. While an open concept backyard is great for entertainment, sometimes you just want to augment your space so it feels a bit more intimate and a little more exclusive to you. A new DIY fence or privacy screen could be the answer for a quiet escape in your backyard, but without the big expense of a new professional fence. In fact, there are some regular old household and garden items that can serve the purpose of a privacy screen without a massive investment.

From plumbing supplies to crafting items, you'll likely have many of these things — like pipes and pallets — at home already! While some of these privacy hacks may require some construction, many of them are simple DIYs that don't necessitate too much labor. Whichever your preference, these tricks will help make your yard or patio feel more private, without sacrificing aesthetics.

Those PVC pipes from your last plumbing adventure make for an interesting, architectural privacy screen. Saw the pipe width-wise the same thickness, and use different widths of pipe to collage a unique pattern. Both the pipes and the space between these pipes will help create a distinctive piece that separates off a space and makes it more private, but doesn't make it feel too enclosed. For an extra design element, choose different colored PVC pipes or paint them each a different shade for a mosaic effect.

Wood pallets are fantastic to repurpose in this way because half of the assembly is already done! Simply piece together the pallets in a pattern that you enjoy best — whether it's perpendicular lines or parallel — then anchor the pseudo-wall in place with weighted-down pots of flowers or right into the ground (you can easily attach metal stakes to the base) if you're installing this on grass. Like the PVC pipe upcycle, you can paint the pallets different colors or keep the natural wooden hue to create a rustic farmhouse feel. 

Another suggestion for the artsy upcycler, this version of a privacy screen is equal parts utilitarian and arts installation. While it requires a bit of expert handling of supplies (like some cleaning and welding), the end result is a beautiful privacy screen. Utilize wine bottles from different memories to make an ultra-special nostalgic installation, and switch up the bottle colors and tones to make it really stand out. This works both in your backyard or on your porch as an eye-catching statement piece.

Head over to your craft drawer and pull out some of those wide ribbons you've been storing, to execute this trick. This privacy screen is great as a temporary, or even renter-friendly, hack that gives off the vibe of a separate space without committing to too big of a project. Cut the ribbon to length and tie it from a pergola or shade holder around your patio. Repeat this until you've created a curtain the length you like, in a color scheme that you enjoy. 

If you've ever had plants that like to climb and grow, but you don't want it to compromise your house structure (we're looking at you, English ivy), then repurpose them into a privacy screen. Transplant those plants into a long, linear planter box, and place that at the base of your patio. Lift each vine towards your pergola or any other affixing point and tie the vine to it. Repeat this until you have a wall of vines that's screening your view (or the view of you) from others.

This hack is both fun and functional! Use a large cloth or screen as a suspended projection backdrop in your yard. While it's an entertaining addition, it'll also serve a dual purpose as a privacy screen, obscuring your neighbors' view of your patio or deck space. When you're not watching movies, the screen will appear like a stylish sail across your porch, and when you have a movie on, it turns into a home theater perfect for those fall movie marathons.

If you've done a home renovation recently, and that involved taking down the old fashioned shutters from your windows, think twice before throwing them out. Window shutters can be repurposed for a host of other things, and one particularly creative and stylish one is to reuse them as outdoor privacy screens. Paint them in colors that match your design aesthetic, and either prop them up vertically like a traditional indoor privacy screen or affix them to the ground to make them a more permanent feature.

While you may think rugs are only meant for the floor, then this DIY will surprise you because a simple rug can be turned into a charming outdoor privacy screen. Utilize area rugs for their impermeable quality if you want more substantive cover for privacy. Encase them in wooden frames and stand them up and display them, sort of how a museum might display an old European tapestry. Again, it will look like a very creative and artsy piece, but will still be incredibly functional for shade, privacy, and separation.

An extremely simple way to repurpose a spare tension rod and those old curtains you're tired of in your living room is to use this trick that brings the indoors out. Install the tension rod between two stable points in your yard (you can install your own beams or posts if necessary) or on your patio, just as you would install a shower curtain rod. Incorporate any old curtains (or whatever color or pattern of curtain you prefer) to craft a cabana-feeling outdoor space. Private, yet chic!

Much like the window shutters, this is another creative way to repurpose some architectural salvage after a big renovation project. Instead of throwing out all of your old interior doors, simply repaint them and prop them up outside to create a whimsical structure that sections off a space, but doesn't make it feel too enclosed. It's an extremely unique DIY privacy fence that adds charm and character to your backyard, while also serving as a show piece similar to the window shutter or wine bottle privacy screen. Don't have an old door to use? Check out Facebook Marketplace for cheap architectural salvage.