No More Pricey Backyard Privacy Screens: IKEA's $5 Find Is A Smarter Buy

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

While you can take advantage of all sorts of creative outdoor privacy screen ideas, many are bulky and come with a moderate price tag. Luckily, if you need a little backyard seclusion, there are other options. Curtains are a smarter way to add privacy to your deck, and some options are much cheaper too. Though they aren't marketed as outdoor curtains, IKEA's LILL Sheer Curtains are a popular pick for patios. At $5 for a pair, they're also a budget-friendly option.

Compared to IKEA's best-selling NÄMMARÖ Privacy Screen, which costs just shy of $120, the LILL Curtains are much more affordable. They're also less substantial-feeling, though. Unlike wood or metal screens, this is a sheer, flowy curtain made of recycled polyester. Despite being very thin, customers say that the synthetic material holds up surprisingly well outdoors. One YouTube user even claimed the curtains didn't mildew or mold in humid Florida heat and survived a hurricane. The curtains have a pocket opening along the top for a rod, and each panel measures 98 inches long by 110 inches wide.

The light, airy fabric doesn't offer complete coverage and is fairly see-through. But that means that it lets light into the area. The LILL Sheer Curtains were also designed with style in mind. The breezy white fabric looks like something that would be placed around a resort cabana or in the background of a beach wedding. 

Beyond adding privacy and complementing an outdoor space, this sheer curtain can also help keep flies away from your patio. Several reviews mentioned using this curtain like a mosquito net. One reviewer explained, "We have 7 sets of these surrounding our covered deck. They are wonderful for keeping the bugs out and allowing us to still see and enjoy our gardens. Fantastic value!" 

The IKEA ILLA Sheer Curtains can keep flying insects from coming in if you fully enclose a space, like around a covered patio. It's not officially a mosquito net, though, and it doesn't feature the exact density needed (the CDC recommends at least 156 holes per square inch for mosquito protection). Instead, customers use them to reduce bugs in an outdoor area rather than prevent mosquitoes altogether. These curtains are generally well-rated, with 4.6 stars based on over 1700 reviews.

The very lightweight material means there are plenty of options for installation. You can go the usual curtain rod route. A subtler alternative, like the UrbanRed Curtain Wire Rod Set, is thin and can blend in with the background. Or, if you are installing curtains in gaps between pillars, for example, you can use no-drill tension rods, like the Zyrw Outdoor Tension Curtain Rod.