DIY Gazebo With Shade {My Gazebo Got Sunglasses}

We love to eat dinner out on our patio,

but it isn’t very fun with the sun blazing in your eyes!

I have been wracking my brain for the best solution

and of course the cheapest!

I looked at getting blinds for it, or some sorta roller shade.

But they weren’t cheap and I didn’t know how I would attach them to the poles.

As I was looking, I checked out Target, where I bought my gazebo.

They had these sunshades you could attach to the sides. 

I thought they would be perfect!

I ordered 2 of them.  Plus they were on sale for 29.99 each.

When they arrived, I realized they had a ton of little tie thingys

that I was going to have to tie onto the poles.

Well, that looked dorky.  Plus I’d have to untie a bunch to “roll”

them up.  Not really liking this grand idea….

So, they sat in the garage.

And sat and sat.

Then it hit me!

I have the “curtains” that came with the gazebo. 

I never really used them. 

You know the ones, to keep out mosquitos.

I thought, “What if I gave those curtains sunglasses?’

It could work!

So, I went to the garage and picked up the sunshades and

rummaged around and found the gazebo curtains.

I laid the sunshade out on my floor

and laid the curtain on my table.

I measured the area that I was going to create the “sunglasses”.

I realized I could get the shade I wanted with only one of the sunshades!

Even cheaper!  I’ll be taking the other one back!

I cut the sunshade into quarters.

Then I pinned it to the sides first and then the top of the curtain. 

Basically, where the netting started.

I trimmed to fit, then folded the edge under and pinned.

Once the whole thing was pinned.  I awkwardly managed to sew it.

It was a ton of curtain to maneuver.

But the results were well worth it!

Then I realized I could have done this with some really cute fabric.

Well, probably not as cheap, because I would have needed outdoor fabric.

Oh well, this actually looks like they were made to be like this.  Nice!

Here’s a pic with them zipped.

See! No sun in the eyes!

They look so perfect!

And then when not in use, they just tie to the poles.

Neatly, mind you, not with a bunch of random tie thingys everwhere….

So there you have it.  I made sunglasses for my gazebo!

Now we can have dinners in lovely shade!

If you like it PIN it!