No matter how attractive your home's patio, you probably won't enjoy the space if you feel like your neighbours are easily staring at you, as well as if you can easily see and hear their outdoor activities. Adding privacy to the patio can mean relaxing and enjoying your yard and property without worrying about looks, glances and even unwanted conversation from next door. However, you don't need to spend a fortune or even call a contractor to add some needed separation. Note a few affordable options for adding privacy to your patio space, a few of which you can even make yourself!

Canvas panels

You may need a bit of basic woodworking skills to create canvas panels. Using four lengths of thick wood trim, create a frame that is large enough for the privacy you need; at the base of the frame, attach feet to keep the frame upright. Stretch a length of canvas over the frame and use a heavy-duty stapler to staple it in place, and you have an all-weather screen you can place anywhere along the patio area for needed privacy.

You can also use a heavy-duty hole punch to punch holes along the edges of the canvas; thread a piece of twine through the holes and tie the canvas to the frame, for a more rustic and natural look. Choose a canvas in a bold colour or that has a stripe or other design for even more personality.

Outdoor curtain

If your patio has a frame of any sort, such as for a pergola, it's very easy to create a homemade curtain. Purchase an inexpensive tension rod or a length of dowel that fits between your home's exterior wall and one column of the frame; if you opt for a dowel, use a rubber mallet to tap it into place and ensure it fits snugly.

Next, get a length of lightweight outdoor fabric that is tall enough and wide enough to serve as the curtain. Punch holes through the top, every few centimetres. Use plastic curtain hooks to hang your new curtain from the tension rod or dowel, and you have a homemade privacy curtain for your space!

Outdoor blinds

Outdoor blinds are actually very inexpensive, and you can usually install them yourself. Choose rolling bamboo blinds or accordion blinds that don't need a professional contractor to install, and which open and close with a standard cord, and you can attach these to the framework of your pergola or overhead shade to provide privacy between you and the neighbours.