The Charming DIY Privacy Screen That Adds Natural Beauty To Your Backyard

Do you love everything about your backyard except that there's absolutely no privacy? Even if you don't have nosy neighbors who interrupt just as your patio book or glass of wine starts to get really good, feeling exposed isn't ideal when you're trying to relax and spend a little time in nature. Fortunately, TikToker onechiclook figured out a way to create a charming DIY privacy screen that adds plenty of natural beauty to your backyard. To make it, she stapled artificial moss sheets to frames constructed from pieces of scrap wood.

There are many creative privacy ideas that will beautify your outdoor space on any budget, and this DIY costs under $20 per screen to make. Using lumber that you already have on hand is one way to keep the price down, but if you don't have any, plan to hang your screens in a relatively dry spot and repurpose large wooden picture frames instead. Since the shape and size of your screens is entirely up to you, round hula hoops, rectangular trays, or other frame shapes created from weather-resistant repurposed materials can be substituted to achieve the look you're after.

While more advanced DIYers could certainly construct framed boxes capable of growing live moss, the crafting process will be much easier and faster with a faux roll like the $16 FAICOIA Fake Moss Blanket. Amazon carries this and several other options, from lime green to deep emerald rolls. Depending on the style of frame you choose, a low-temperature hot glue gun or heavy-duty staple gun round out the supplies you'll need to complete this DIY privacy screen project.

While there are plenty of fast-growing plants that can help you create a private backyard, none of them will screen off an ugly view faster than this simple DIY. Whether you're building a frame from scratch or repurposing other materials, make sure to measure the area you want to screen off before getting started. You should also consider how you'll hang them. Although the original DIYer attached hers directly to a simple wooden pallet wall, using heavy-gauge wire to hang one or more screens from a porch or pergola ceiling is also an option.

Whether you opt for staples or hot glue to attach your faux moss will depend entirely on your frame material. If you've nailed leftover wood scraps together, work your way around the frame, stretching the moss as you staple it into place before cutting off any excess. If your screens will be visible on both sides, consider repeating the process.

If you opt for plastic frames to achieve circular or irregularly shaped privacy screens, you'll need to take a different construction approach. Using the plastic shape as a guide, cut a piece of moss two to three inches larger in diameter than the frame itself. Then, wrap the moss over the entire frame, securing it to itself using a generous amount of low-temperature hot glue. Although you can also apply glue to a plastic frame, it won't adhere as well to smooth surfaces as it will inside the nooks and crannies of your faux moss roll.