How to Sew Old-Fashioned Canvas Porch Shades

You can sew a canvas porch shade to provide a shady spot.

Old-fashioned canvas porch shades will provide a comfortably shaded area outside while helping to keep the inside of your house cool. Sewing your own shades is not difficult, but the heavy-duty material requires sturdy hemming. By attaching the shades to the house with eyehooks and grommets, the shades will require no complicated installation. Canvas is available by the yard at fabric stores in a variety of colors. You will also find inexpensive grommet kits at fabric stores.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Canvas
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Grommet kit
• Eye hooks
• Two 6-foot wooden dowels
• Two penny nails
• Hammer
• Tent stakes
• Twine

Instructions

1. Measure the area that will be covered by the porch shade with the tape measure. Add 4 inches to the length and width measurements to determine the fabric yardage needed.

2. Cut the canvas to the desired size. Fold each edge over 1 inch to the wrong side, then fold 1 inch again, and secure with straight pins. Stitch along the hem line with a straight stitch, using the sewing machine.

3. Follow directions on the grommet kit to make grommet holes at each corner of the canvas shade.

4. Attach the eyehooks to the side of the house where the porch shade will be installed.

5. Hammer the penny nails into the wooden dowels, perpendicular to the dowels and 2 inches from the top end.

6. Hammer the tent stakes into the ground below the outer end of the porch shade. Thread the twine around the penny nails and attach the twine to the tent stakes.

7. Attach the inner canvas shade grommet holes in the house eye hooks. Insert the tops of the dowels in the outer canvas shade grommet holes.

References

• Sewing for Dummies; Jan Saunders Naresh; Wiley Publishing; 2019
• Vanagon: How To Make An Inexpensive Awning