Shade sails protect your family members from the oppressive heat of the sun and allows for relaxation outside your home. Shade sails are so called as they usually resemble the sails of a ship.
Building a perfect shade sails in your garden or backyard can be easy and it will also not cost you much. In fact, you can make your own shade sails using a few commonly available materials and doing it yourself will be both challenging and exciting.
You can choose a shape that you consider most aesthetic and something that will blend well with your garden decor.
Next, you should choose the fabric as there is a variety of outdoor fabrics available in the market. You will be best advised to select strong and sturdy canvas material that will withstand the color dying process. New canvas fabric is quite expensive but you can opt for good recycled materials.
While finalizing your design and size of the shade sails, bear in mind the space that you intend to cover. Cut the fabric to a slightly larger size, so that you will have enough fabric to cover the full area completely.
To make the installation, you need that aid of a sewing machine, a strong needle that is normally used for stitching tough fabrics. The fasteners also need to be strong and firm enough to hold up the cut and sewn material, but also to hold the fabric in place against strong gales.
Several yards of material will be necessary for each sail, depending on the size of your garden and you must do the necessary calculations. While the measurements need not be precise, it is important they are as close to the design as possible. With proper eyehooks and rope you can complete the process.
The actual step by step shade sails making process will be:
Once the shade sails has been successfully built, it has to be erected and for that, you may follow the following procedure:
• Finally, hoist the sail up into position and ensure that the fabric is taut with no wrinkles or creases. Use the turnbuckles for final tightening.
Building a perfect shade sails in your garden or backyard can be easy and it will also not cost you much. In fact, you can make your own shade sails using a few commonly available materials and doing it yourself will be both challenging and exciting.
You can choose a shape that you consider most aesthetic and something that will blend well with your garden decor.
Next, you should choose the fabric as there is a variety of outdoor fabrics available in the market. You will be best advised to select strong and sturdy canvas material that will withstand the color dying process. New canvas fabric is quite expensive but you can opt for good recycled materials.
While finalizing your design and size of the shade sails, bear in mind the space that you intend to cover. Cut the fabric to a slightly larger size, so that you will have enough fabric to cover the full area completely.
To make the installation, you need that aid of a sewing machine, a strong needle that is normally used for stitching tough fabrics. The fasteners also need to be strong and firm enough to hold up the cut and sewn material, but also to hold the fabric in place against strong gales.
Several yards of material will be necessary for each sail, depending on the size of your garden and you must do the necessary calculations. While the measurements need not be precise, it is important they are as close to the design as possible. With proper eyehooks and rope you can complete the process.
The actual step by step shade sails making process will be:
- • Cut fifteen yards of the fabric into three identical pieces for three different sections
- • Stitch the ends together providing seams of half inch.
- • Press these seams to one side and use topstitch to further strengthen it.
- • Fold the fabric in half after laying it out and keep the right sides together with the two seams lying on top of one another.
- • You should measure 172 inches up, along the creased edge and do the marking.
- • Snap your chalk line from the top to the bottom diagonally.
- • Cut down this chalk line to open up your fabric.
- • On all three sides of the sail make double hem of one inch.
Once the shade sails has been successfully built, it has to be erected and for that, you may follow the following procedure:
- • Plant a post made out of suitable wood or metal to serve as an anchor point and further reinforce the base of the post by cementing.
- • Attach a connector to each corner of the sail and then tie a rope to the connector. You may also use a turnbuckle to the end of the rope to facilitate further tensioning, whenever needed.
- • Attach the rope using suitable means to the anchor points in your garden.
• Finally, hoist the sail up into position and ensure that the fabric is taut with no wrinkles or creases. Use the turnbuckles for final tightening.
