Cardboard Privacy Screen

Have you ever browsed any privacy screens? They’re quite lovely, and not all that easy on the wallet, but they’re just so useful. You can set one in front of a closet that has no door, or in front of another area in the home, to conceal it from visitors, or to separate one room into two. If you’d like to have one of those room partitions, but you don’t want to spend out hundreds of dollars to own one, just make it yourself. When you use cardboard to make a privacy screen you create a cheap version that rivals the real thing.

A room partition can be as tall or short as you want. If you’re using one solid box, remove the top and the bottom, then slit the box down each corner, to create four panels. If you’re using pieces of cardboard, you’ll need at least four pieces, which are all the same size. Four pieces of cardboard will make a two-panel screen, which features window “panes”, with designs, to ensure privacy.

Cut windows out of the cardboard so that you have two, side-by-side, across the top, then two more, side-by-side, and so on, down towards the bottom. A good size for each pane is the size of a piece of printer paper. The number of windows you cut will depend on the size of cardboard panels you have. At the bottom of each panel, leave a wide piece of cardboard, just to guarantee the screen will be sturdy and stand straight. Cut all four panels to look exactly the same, using a sharp craft knife to cut out the openings.

There are different ways you can create the window panes. One way is to use onionskin typing paper from an office supply store. The thin paper will allow light to shine through the desired design. Tape enough sheets of paper so that you create the same pattern that is on your cardboard. Make sure the edges of the papers you use will align with the cardboard strips around the windows. Draw freehand to make the images on the paper, or just use a stencil and paint markers.

Instead of drawing you can also print out images onto regular printer paper or colored varieties. Vellum, or even colored cellophane, are other options for creating the window panes. After taping them all together to form the shape of the cardboard windows, lay one set of the papers over the cardboard, and temporarily tape it in place.

Apply appropriate adhesive to one of the cardboard window panels, and cover it with the other, so that you trap the paper or other material between the two panels. Do each set of cardboard panels in the same manner.

After the glue has set, cut two or three holes along one long side of each cardboard panel. Use a zip-tie implement to tie two panels together. If you want, you can paint or cover the cardboard with shelf liner or fabric before attaching them to each other. You’ll love the lightweight privacy screen that is made for just a few bucks.
Cardboard Privacy Screen