Folding Lace Window Screens

Whether it is nice outside or even a considerable amount too warm or cold to have the windows open, they are. So basically between 59-88 degrees = windows open up in this house. I like the breeze and I like airing out my home. I may want to own four cats but I have no idea to also possess that crazy cat lady “smell”. You know what I’m talking about.

So I invest in wax burners as I recently realized that I haven’t purchased candles in approximately two years because of Max a.k.a. Dummy. He has a desire stronger than common sense or pain encouraging him to touch the flame… repeatedly. And while perfuming up the joint is nice and helps with that CCL smell, nothing beats having the windows open round the clock weather permitting.

The unfortunate thing is that when I bought this house it didn’t come with screens on every window. And the ones it did come with it were very low quality. Gracie was months old when he first pushed the screen out of metal frame part and had a little lie down in the garden. I freaked out and went around with duct tape on every screen to ensure it didn’t happen again.

I know that I looked like a crazy person because for some reason all sound gets to me within about three houses in any direction and I heard people talking about it. It wasn’t meant as a permanent solution, though. I just needed to keep my cat in while waiting for some resizable screens to get to me in the mail. When I got them they were truly amazing, but not made to be put in and taken out as frequently as I use them so they petered out pretty quickly. Which meant that I needed to make my own that are far sturdier.

I saw a pin on Pinterest when I first got on that I was obsessed with. I’m sure you’ve seen the lace screens made from old curtains that seemingly has no source but has been featured on a bazillion roundups since. That project is the inspiration for my screens!

I started with making one screen because I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a huge craft fail or not. I’m so glad to say that it was a huge success and I’ll be making up a number of them for this wonderful spring weather! So check it out and make your very own folding lace window screens with me.

For this project you will need:

• measuring tape
• square dowels the size of your window casings
• lace (purchased by the yard or a tablecloth would work)
• staple gun
• little hinge set and screwdriver
• saw
• little nails and a hammer

First you’ve got to acquire your supplies… I purchased my 3/4 inch square dowel rods at a big box hardware store because they were so much cheaper than at the craft store. I bought three to be safe but only used two due to the size of my screens. The tiny hinges also came from the hardware store. If you need to ask for help in finding these, explaining your project will get you a blank stare. Just say that you need small hinges – I purchased the 1.5 inch size and they worked perfectly.The lace I purchased by the yard at the craft store.

Measuring your windows correctly is going to determine whether this is a success or a fail of a project. Use your measuring tape to measure INSIDE of the casing. My first screen I made for my office and that window is 34.5 inches wide exactly. The casing itself is 3/4 inch which means that I purchased 3/4 inch wide square dowels.

So my window is 34.5 inches wide, but I want my frame to bend so that I can pop it in the window and pop it back out with ease. Which means we’ll be making two screens and attaching them with the hinge to fit snugly in the 34.5 inch space.

Cut your wood the length needed and then cut four pieces to act as the height. Remember that you already have 0.75 inches in height with each dowel. I made my screens 9.5 inches tall, so I cut my side pieces 8 inches long.

Drive nails (I used trim nails) into the corners from the top and bottom sides. Make sure that the rectangle is sturdy on its own. Use wood glue if more support is needed.

And here’s a tip for ya… measure and cut your first bit and use that piece to mark the cut lines for your other pieces you need. This way they’re all very similar and you don’t have to worry about an accidental mismark. I do this because I tend to have issues when dealing with a measuring tape!

Attach your hinges in the middle of the two rectangles joining them together as flush as possible.

Test in your window BEFORE continuing. If it is a bit tight, take a sander and take a little bit off of the edges of each side until it comfortably fits.

If you need help getting your screens in the window for the first time, go here.

So here’s your frame connected like so and shaved down if necessary for a perfect fit, right? Awesome.

Cut a piece of your lace a bit larger than the opening of the screen.

Stretch the lace and staple down around the frame. I stapled mine on the outside edge where it will be hidden by the casing because I didn’t want to see staples and the rough edge of the lace. BUT for all of my future screens I plan on stretching it around to the back and then covering the ugliness with some pretty ribbon.

Pop the screen into your window and easily pop out when you’re through. The screens fold up compactly so that they can go just about anywhere. When I take this one into my bedroom and I’m done with it, it fits nicely between the wall and the back of my night stand! Easily accessible but perfectly stored and out of sight! Missed the link with help for popping them in? Click here.

When I get one made for every window in my house (and I WILL) I plan on painting them all black at the same time to ensure that they perfectly match one another and aren’t quite so obvious from the street.

Again, if you need help to use your screen, click the image above… Ain’t no shame in it. Russell and I scratched our heads for a while trying to use it the first go and I just KNEW it had to work, the math was perfect! In the end it got worked out.

Did I just give you a killer weekend project or what? Happy Thursday!