So many people have sliding glass doors to exit their homes. Some of these doors just open up to the backyard and others open up to a patio, garden or other deck. Sliding glass doors are beautiful. They’re large, and go from the floor, up, giving you a magnificent view of your yard. Wouldn’t it be nice to open up those doors and let the fresh air and sunshine in? The problem with that is, once you open them, the bugs come swarming in. Open your sliding glass doors anytime you feel like it when you make a screen for that door. It isn’t hard at all and, once it’s in place, you’ll have fresh air and no insects.
Shop a large fabric store to find netting that’s lightweight and has very tiny holes. Or, browse around at a home improvement store for screen, sold by the roll, which is very thin and pliable. With the chosen material in hand you can easily whip up the screen for your sliding glass doors.
Cut two pieces of the screen or netting. Each piece should be the same size. Cut each one to be long enough to go from the position where the curtain rod will go, and down to the floor. Add two inches to that measurement. Cut the screen or netting to be half the size of the entire door casing. Add an inch to that measurement.
For each piece of material, fold the side edge under a half-inch, then stitch from one end to the other. Do the same to the opposite side. Hem along the bottom by folding the edge under an inch and sewing across it. Do the same to the tops of both material pieces.
Hang the new screen just as you would a set of sheer panels. Pull them together, in the center of the sliding glass doors, and mark an area in the center of both panels. Using hot glue, fabric glue or other appropriate adhesive to attach a set of magnets – or more than one set – to each panel. Magnetic sheeting works especially well because you can cut it into long strips, it has an adhesive backing, and it’s easy to separate opposing pieces of the magnet, allowing you to quickly part the screen as you come and go. However, most any type of magnets will work.
To keep the wind from blowing the screen it’s necessary to weight the bottom. Glue on metal washers, large buttons or even button magnets. Or, as you are sewing the hemline on each panel, leave openings where you can slide in the washers or magnets.
The new screen for your sliding glass doors will allow you a whole new life. Where, before, you couldn’t leave the sliding doors open, now you can. You’ll have fresh air blowing into your home without any concerns over invading insects.
