There’s always one leaning against the garage wall: a window screen with a rip in one corner and a bent frame. It’s too flimsy to go back in a window, but too useful to toss, right? If you’ve been wondering what to do with old window screens, you’re in the right place.
The mesh is light, lets air and water pass through, and holds its shape, so it’s great for sifting, drying, protecting and displaying. Here are 10 old window screen ideas for any budget or skill level, grouped by garden, wall art, frames and crafting.
Quick prep: wear gloves when you cut metal screen, since the edges can be sharp, and give old frames a good wipe-down before you start.
What to Do With Old Window Screens in the Garden
1. Build a Window Screen Soil Sifter
A tired metal screen and a few boards turn into a homemade potting soil sifter that separates rocks and debris from your soil. Staple the mesh to the frame, add dowels or handles, and shake it over a bucket. Talk about a useful second job!
2. Seedling Protection Cover
Old window screens set into a wooden frame make a seedling protection cover that keeps pests and debris off young plants while air and water still get through. Prop it up on wooden posts over the bed and you’re done.
3. Flower Drying Tray
A reused screen in a painted wooden frame becomes a flower drying tray, a spot to lay out blooms and petals so air can reach them from every side. And it’s pretty enough to leave out on a table while they dry.
Old Window Screen Wall Art: Woven and Stitched
4. Woven Ribbon Wall Art
Weave ribbon or fabric strips through an old window screen, set it in a wooden frame, and you have colorful ribbon wall art. A needle or bodkin helps pull the strips through the mesh. Best of all, you can match the colors to ANY room.
5. Embroidered Window Screen Hoop
Window screen mesh makes a surprisingly good base for stitching. Stretch it in an embroidery hoop, mark a flower design with a pen, and sew it in thread for embroidered floral wall art. The wooden hoop doubles as the frame, which is handy.
Upcycled Window Screen Art for Frames and Porches
6. Layered Botanical Shadow Box
Reused screen mesh inside a rustic frame holds pressed flowers and leaves in an airy, floating arrangement. That’s a layered botanical shadow box for your wall. Handle the petals gently so they don’t tear. It’s a lovely way to keep garden finds on display.
7. Hand-Painted Porch Art
Why not paint right on the screen? Sketch the design in pencil, add flowers and leaves with acrylic paint on a framed window screen, then finish with a clear sealer. The result is hand-painted window screen art with REAL personality for a covered porch.
Old Window Screen Projects for Crafting and Organizing
8. Craft Drawer Divider
Mesh dividers keep ribbons, felt sheets and embroidery floss neatly separated, and you can still see everything at a glance. Build a screen mesh drawer divider from wooden boards and a piece of mesh, staple it in place, and say goodbye to tangled floss!
9. Earring Organizer With a Painted Frame
Hang your earrings right through the mesh! A window screen in a painted wooden frame makes a cheerful window screen earring organizer that shows off every pair at once. Sand the frame before you paint it so the color sticks.
10. Window Screen Papermaking Frame
Believe it or not, an old window screen is a handy tool for making recycled paper. Staple the screen onto wood strips for a DIY papermaking frame, since the mesh helps filter the pulp. It’s a great one for anyone who loves eco-friendly projects.
What Will You Make With Old Window Screens?
An old window screen has SO many second lives, from sifting garden soil to holding a wall full of flowers. And whatever you do, don’t toss the frame along with the mesh, because it can be the start of your next project. Now you know what to do with old window screens, so pick one and get started. Which one are you trying first? Tell me in the comments!
Happy upcycling!
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Posted by: Med Houssem · In: Upcycling
