Window screens have many uses, from giving you some extra privacy at home to increasing security and even keeping flying bugs from entering at night. The problem is, if you buy one from a store and have it installed professionally, it can set you back quite a bit of cash.
There is another solution, though, since if you have some basic DIY skills, it’s not hard to make your own. To save you a bit of time, we’ve had a look online to see what other people have been trying – and here are our top 15 homemade window screen plans you can DIY easily.
1. How to Make DIY Wood Window Screens
This is a useful step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own wood window screens at home. There’s lots of useful info in there, like how to take the measurements, how to install the frame, what to do if it won’t stay up and more. There’s also a list of the necessary tools and materials you’ll need to get started, so if you want a simple guide that will tell you everything you need to know, this plan is a great place to start.
2. How to Build Window Screens
If you are looking for an instructional video about how to build window screens that gets straight to the point without any nonsense, this could be just what you’re looking for. Don’t expect charismatic presenters, lively music or any other frills – this video just tells you what you need to know to get the job done. Some people prefer it like that, and if you can understand that point of view, check it out!
3. How to Build Custom Window Screens
Some people would be happy to spend all day, every day working on DIY projects while others simply want to get the work done. If you belong to the latter category – or perhaps if you just don’t have lots of time to spend doing home improvements – this plan is for you. It gives you all the details you need to make your own custom window screens at home in only 15 minutes. And even better, if you don’t need to buy any tools, the project should only cost around $15 to complete.
4. DIY Window Screens
Unlike #2, this plan will take a bit longer than just 15 minutes – but you can still get the job done in a single day, making it an ideal project to tackle if you have a bit of spare time on the weekend. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and there’s also a video to show you what you should be doing. Finally, there’s also a short Q&A section at the end, so if you have any queries, you might find the solutions there.
5. DIY Window Screens
As the presenter explains at the start of the video, this is a tutorial that will explain an easy way to make your own super-attractive wood screens – that happen to be historically accurate. One of the good things about this plan is that you don’t need any fancy woodworking tools – just a few basic items. This project won’t cost much, and it’s simple to follow, allowing you to recreate something similar at home.
6. How to Make Custom Wooden Screens for Your House
Here’s a plan for custom screens that gives you a couple of options, making it easy to adapt the project to your specific needs. It also has plenty of tips on how to save money while making a success of the project. For example, choosing fir for the wood is a wise option for the combination of affordability and durability. There’s plenty of other useful info there, too, so go check it out!
7. How to Build a Wooden Window Screen
Anyone who lives in an area with a lot of mosquitos will know how important it is to keep them out of your bedroom at night. If you don’t, they will just buzz around your head keeping you awake all night, and when you wake up, you’ll be covered in itchy bites. To prevent this, you need a mosquito screen on your windows – and this video shows you how to make your own.
8. How to Build a Custom Window Screen
If you move house and find the window screens there need replacing, you could buy a set – or as this blog post explains – you could decide to DIY new ones instead.  If you’re up for the challenge and are looking for a little guidance, this plan has all the info you will need. We like reading stuff like this because it gives lots of detail about how this DIYer experimented. This means you can learn from his thought processes and experience rather than just follow the steps of a bare plan. We enjoyed reading it, and we’re sure you will too.
9. Super-Easy Magnetic Insect Screen
This is another video showing you how to make a simple and inexpensive yet highly effective DIY mosquito screen for your windows. With only a few simple materials, you can quickly create a barrier that will keep nighttime bugs out of your home, even with the windows open. We like the way this video is so uncomplicated – it just shows the DIYer building the bug screen, and all you need to do is copy. And if you need to keep insects at bay, why not give it a go?
10. Create Your Own Wooden Gate Window Screens
The first thing you’ll notice about this site is the quality of the photos. It’s the kind of site that will give you plenty of ideas and inspiration for things to try at home – and if you’re looking for a plan for an attractive wood window screen, this site has that too. We love the old-style rustic effect these window screens create, and if you think you’d like to replicate it in your home, it could be just the project you’re looking for.
11. Easy DIY Window Screens for our Bus House
This plan is a little different from most of the others we’ve included because it isn’t for making a window screen for your home – this one shows you how to make a bug screen to keep insects out of you bus house. If you take your vacations on the road – or perhaps if you live in a bus house permanently – this plan could be invaluable.
12. How to Make a Pretty DIY Window Privacy Screen
This is a plan for making a decorative window screen that will help offer more privacy to you in your home. It’s super-easy to construct, costs hardly anything and can be finished in only a few hours. You’ll find a list of all the equipment and materials you need to prepare before you start followed by a set of simple instructions to follow to complete the project. It’s understated, elegant and highly effective – another recommended plan to try.
13. How to Make DIY Lace Window Screens for $10
If you are looking for a way to add a bit of extra privacy to your home and want something elegant yet inexpensive, this video is for you. It shows you how to make a window screen from lace – for only around $10.
14. How to Make a Window Screen
Here’s a DIY plan from one of our favorite sites – WikiHow. If you’re not familiar with the site, it gives you instructions for how to do just about anything you can imagine, including making your own DIY window screen. All the guides on WikiHow feature clear step-by-step guides that feature well-drawn and helpful illustrations to show you what you should be doing. At the end, there’s also a comments section where people can leave their questions and tips to help everyone else make a success of their project. A great resource for DIY window screens and a whole lot more besides.
15. DIY Privacy Window Screen
We really enjoyed watching this video for several reasons. First, it’s very professional and easy to follow, making it a good option if you need practical help in making a window screen for your home. Second, we love the result at the end – it’s an elegant solution to giving you a little extra privacy. But third, we think this YouTuber has the most amazing voice that just makes you feel relaxed and comfortable from the moment she starts speaking! Give it a watch and see if you agree!
Loads of great ideas to help you get inspired
As you can see, there are loads of great ideas online that are sure to give you plenty of inspiration for the kind of home improvements you can try in your house.
We love searching for plans like this because it’s great to see the levels of creativity on display from DIYers from around the world. We hope you enjoyed reading and watching these plans as much as we did finding them, and hopefully, now you’re ready for your next project!