Floating Outdoor Curtains

What you'll need:

2 in. x 2 in. x 8 ft. posts

1 in. x 10 ft. Electrical Metallic Tube Conduit

1-1/2 in. Electrical Metallic Tube 1-Hole Straps

Inexpensive Outdoor Curtains

Screws

Cement (1 80 pound bag got me 3 posts)

Planters

Flowers/plants of your choosing

Spray paint/stain (optional)

Step 1: Paint hardwear (optional)

First I spray painted my screws, washers, straps, and my electrical conduit black to match the other accents on my deck (electrical conduit not pictured). I used Rustoleum flat paint and so far it's holding up well.

Step 2: Connect hardware

Next I connected my hooks to my 2x2s. I drilled a pilot hole for these first so I didn't split my wood.

I used 1-1/2 in. Electrical Metallic Tube 1-Hole Straps so that my 1 in. electrical conduit could side nicely in and out of it - this way we can easily take it down in the winter. You can also use screw eyes to replace these straps, but since I also hung lights from mine, I wanted the hook shape.

Step 3: Mix concrete

We have vinyl deck railings, so I needed to make concrete bases for my posts. If you're planning on putting these on a deck with wood railings, you can just screw the 2x2s right into the railings.

I mixed the concerte in some old plastic landscaping pots. Just like my DIY Plant Stand, this was another project where I re-used the crappy plastic pots that most people throw out.

Step 5: Set 2x2s

I then set my 2x2s in the concrete, using a level to ensure they were straight. I had to fashion a little support (shown above) to keep them stable while the concrete dried. I've also seen this kind of support made with duct tape.

Step 6: Place posts in larger planters

Once my post bases were dry, I took some larger black planters and stuck my 2x2s' pots inside. I added some rocks to make sure they were very heavy enough that a gust of wind wouldn't knock them over. You can also ziptie the 2x2s to your deck railings if you want to be extra careful.

Step 6: Connect railing and curtains

Add your electrical conduit and your curtains. I used 4 panels to span the 10 foot section.

Finally, add some soil and plants of your liking to your pots, to cover the ugly cement bases inside. I cheated on this step and just stuck some potted ferns in mine because I have commitment issues :)

I also hung our string lights from these posts, so it was really a 2-in-1 DIY project for me!

Once we stain our deck, I plan to stain the posts to match, so if you have a stained deck already you can stain your posts as a part of step 1.

This was an inexpensive way to add immediate privacy to our deck. They've been holding up great so far, and overall I'm super happy with how these turned out!