Give your patio a fantastic look when you learn how to hang outdoor curtains with wire. It is one way to make your patio a lot more attractive, chic, and stylish while keeping cool on hot summer afternoons.
Switch it up by using wires instead of regular curtain rods to hang your colorful drapery. Make your own peaceful oasis and keep your porch cool and lively with outdoor curtains. Some cables can even appear nearly invisible and give a mystical illusion of floating curtains.
Mount your wire across any space, between two beams or post, and select a sturdy wire to support your curtains. If it seems pretty straightforward, that’s because it is. Not to mention, the materials for this project are readily available at any local hardware store.
Step 1: Select your wire
It is crucial to select the appropriate wire to prevent the curtains from sagging. If the wire droops down the middle, the sides of the curtain might slide towards the center as well. The fabric’s weight will definitely throw off the design.
It would be best if you had a sturdy wire, like a special high-tension wire. You can anchor these special aircraft cables to screw hooks and add a turnbuckle for easy adjustments. Some homeowners find slightly drooping wires appealing. In that case, you can opt for thinner cables.
Step 2: Prepare your materials.
This DIY project that will teach you how to hang outdoor curtains using wires requires a cable cut to the needed length. You also need a measuring tape, pencils (or anything to mark the walls), screw hooks, a drill, and some heavy-duty screws. Of course, you should also pre-cut your fabric to the correct length.
The best curtains to hang on wires are rod-pocket curtains. The wires slip through quickly, and the fabric generates sufficient amounts of friction to keep it in place but movable at the same time. Since cables are thinner than your traditional rods, you can easily slide the curtain along.
However, that does not mean that you can’t opt for other curtain hardware like clip rings and many more. Prepare or customize your curtain hardware beforehand. You can also get yourself some curtain weights that will keep the fabric from blowing.
Step 3: Mark the wall
Decide where you want to hang your curtains. Keep in mind that it needs a post or any solid anchor wherein you can attach the screws. However, it does not always have to be walls or apparent structures around your yard. For instance, a strong tree trunk should do the trick.
Use your tape measure or stud finder and locate where you want your screws to go. Mark the area with your pencil. Take as much time as you need to measure the height of the wire from the ground.
Step 4: Attach the screws.
Drill through the surface until it forms an appropriate-sized hole. Use your screwdriver to pilot the hook into the stud. Screw hooks should have coarse threads specialized for wood. Use an adjustable wrench or pliers to drive and adjust the screw.
Step 5: Hang the wire
Take your pre-cut wire to attach to the screw. Your wire should cover the distance between the two screws. If it’s too long, you can always cut the aircraft cable with some wire cutters. Once you’ve settled the length, we can move on to the next step.
On one end of the cable, loop it around and create a seven-inch tail. Get your wire rope clips and secure the loop. You may adjust the wire clips with a screwdriver to tighten or loosen the curls.
Loosen your turnbuckle and ensure that you fully extend the threaded ends. Take the turnbuckle and hook one end onto the remaining wall hook. Using the cable’s loose end, thread it through the turnbuckle/s free end.
Pull the cable and stretch it until it is rigid. Unless you want your curtains to droop, you should take your time in tightening the line. Secure it using wire rope clips and trim any excess cables using the cutters.
The turnbuckle should allow you to modify the cable’s tension as you please. Check if the tension level is at your preferred intensity. Loosen it to soften the look on your wires. Tighten the wire if you want a rod-like rigid form.
Step 6: Put up the curtain.
Take your curtain and any hardware that you may want to use to hang the long piece of fabric. Hang the drapery on the wire as you usually would. If you are using rod-pocket curtains, you might want to slip them onto the wire before attaching the second end of the wire.
For curtain hardware that involves rings, get yourself many snap-open rings so that you don’t have to take the wire down before removing the curtain. Snap the rings open and shut.
Adding curtain weights
If you have had outdoor curtains before, you probably know how inconvenient it can be when they get carried away by the strong winds. Fortunately, you can add store-bought or DIY curtain weights to the lower hem of your curtain to keep it from blowing in the wind.
Overall, outdoor curtains are an excellent way to soften those rigid wooden patio structures. It also gives you a lovely shade while you enjoy some fresh air. Fortunately, learning how to hang outdoor curtains using wires is not too hard.