Privacy screen ideas for the patio
made from fabric, to measure
On the patio you often sit closer to the neighbour than on a balcony. A fabric privacy screen hangs where you need it: on the house wall, between the posts of the roof cover, at the sides of the pergola or on the railing. Here you will find the ideas by situation, with pictures, fabric choice and an honest look at costs. We sew all the solutions in our workshop in Westoverledingen to your measurements.
What ideas are there for a privacy screen on the patio? With fabric there are four ways, depending on what you can fix it to:
- On the house wall: an outdoor curtain on a track or wire rope, sliding sideways.
- Between the posts of the roof cover: one curtain per bay that closes the side.
- Under the pergola: curtains at the sides against prying eyes and low sun.
- On the patio railing: a balcony privacy screen with eyelets, with no drilling at all.
- Patio without a wall and without a roof: first create fixed points, then hang the curtain.
Which idea suits your patio
What matters is what the fabric can hang from at the top. An outdoor curtain suits use under a roof and in the open, but it gets wet and heavy in prolonged rain and therefore needs a stable suspension. If there is only a railing, a balcony privacy screen is the simpler solution.
On the house wall
The house wall carries a wall bracket or an eye bolt, and opposite there is usually a post of the roof cover. A made-to-measure outdoor curtain hangs from it, which you slide aside when needed. That way the patio stays open during the day and protected in the evening.
Between the posts
With a patio roof cover with several posts, each bay gets its own curtain. You close only the side that the prying eyes come from and leave the others free.
Under the pergola
Curtains at the sides turn the pergola into a sheltered room. What the curtain hangs from there is explained under fixing a pergola curtain. If the beam is at an angle, only a track is an option.
On the patio railing
Many people know the balcony privacy screen as balcony screening. On the railing of a raised patio it works in exactly the same way: eyelets at the top and bottom, fixed with cable ties or cord tape, with no drilling and removable again in winter. Details are with the made-to-measure balcony privacy screen, and the process is shown in fixing a balcony privacy screen to the railing.
Patio without a wall
If the patio stands free in the garden, there is nothing to hold the fabric. Which fixed points there are and how wire rope or track sits there is explained in fixing a privacy screen on the patio.
Shade from above
A curtain protects from the side. Against the midday sun, fabric overhead helps more, such as a shade sail.
Patio privacy screen in pictures
This is how the ideas look in practice. The photos show our customers' curtains, the graphics show the parts of the two suspensions.
Two curtains, tied to the posts with tie-backs during the day. In the evening you draw them across and the side is closed.
The screen hangs from eyelets on the existing railing. It needs no posts and no drill holes.
The slim suspension: the curtain runs on carabiners on a tensioned wire rope. It looks understated and suits short spans.
The formal suspension: the curtain runs on rollers in an aluminium track. It suits long spans and heavy curtains.
Ideas for the curtain on the patio
A curtain is more than a wall of fabric. With a few decisions when ordering, it adapts to your everyday life on the patio.
Sliding or fixed
On a track or wire rope you slide the curtain aside when you want a view of the garden. Tie-backs then hold it neatly on the post.
Split curtains
For long sides we split the curtain. When that is worthwhile is explained under fixing a privacy screen on the patio.
Pleats
The standard is 20 percent extra fabric in the width for soft pleats. More allowance is available on request, which makes the curtain look fuller.
Just above the ground
The curtain ends just above the ground and does not rest on it. That keeps the hem clean and stops it chafing.
Thermal curtain for the evening
Two layers of opaque polyester with a thermal fleece filling. In the evening the curtain keeps the warmth on the patio and dampens the wind. Because of its weight, it always hangs from a track.
How to make your patio opaque
The patio becomes opaque with a curtain of opaque fabric. It lets no eyes through, but it is not a blackout fabric. If you prefer light and air, choose a semi-transparent outdoor curtain.
South and west position
If the sun shines on the patio in the afternoon, an opaque curtain keeps out noticeably more heat than a semi-transparent one.
Closing gaps
Several curtains can be joined at the sides with eyelets or magnets or fixed to the post. That way no gap remains between the bays.
Right down to the bottom
The curtain ends just above the ground. That leaves hardly any gap at the bottom, and the hem does not chafe.
On the railing
A balcony privacy screen closes the area in the railing of a raised patio. The balcony privacy screen comes in four fabrics, plain or striped, all tightly woven and opaque. The choice of fabric is explained in balcony privacy screen: ideas made from fabric.
Budget-friendly privacy screen for the patio
A budget-friendly privacy screen for the patio depends less on the fabric than on the effort around it. We do not state prices here, they are in the configurator. These points keep the effort small.
Use what is there
An existing railing carries a balcony privacy screen without new posts and without drilling. How to divide several bays sensibly is shown in ideas for balcony surrounds.
Close only one side
Often the prying eyes come from one side only. A curtain on exactly that side is then enough, and the other sides stay open.
Eyelets instead of gathering tape
Eyelets at 20 cm spacing on the top hem are cheaper than eyelets at 10 cm spacing, because only half as many eyelets are punched. Carabiners suit both spacings, and both also run on wire rope.
Sewing it yourself
If you like sewing, you can make a simple privacy screen yourself. What you need for that and when made-to-measure is worthwhile is explained under making a balcony privacy screen yourself.
Samples first, then order
We send you up to four fabric samples free of charge. That way you see colour and see-through effect beforehand and do not order twice.
Other materials
Mats, fences or plants are also a privacy screen. We do not make them, so this page is only about fabric.
What a fabric privacy screen cannot do
Our fabrics are water-repellent, not watertight. A vertically hanging curtain lets rain run off but does not replace a roof. In a storm, curtains belong to the side or down.
A curtain that hangs free at the bottom flaps in the wind. In winter you take it down and store it dry. How to secure it at the bottom is explained under windbreak for the patio.
Before any fixing to the facade or railing, ask your landlord, ideally in writing. What else tenants should note is explained under fixing a balcony privacy screen to the railing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Last reviewed: 09.11.2026 · Reviewer: Germes-Team
Which privacy screen suits your patio?
In the configurator you enter width and height and choose the fabric. Free fabric samples show you colour and see-through effect before you order.