By Linda King

Supplies needed: 

• 6 1×2’s for the uprights (their length will be the height of your screen. We used poplar wood.)
• 4 hinges
• ¾” dowels (we needed about 14 feet of dowels)
• Drill bit to match the size of your dowels
• Drill
• Wood glue
• 3 large bath towels in a color of your choice
• Pre-folded bias tape (measure the width of your towels, and multiply that number by 6. That is approximately how much bias tape you need.)
• A sewing machine.

Cut lengths of bias tape to slightly more than the width of your towels. Folding the raw edges of the bias tape slightly under, sew one length across the width, near the edge of every towel. This forms the casings for your dowels.

Sand the rough edges of the 1×2’s until smooth.

Measure the length of your bath towels, from casing to casing, with the towels stretched somewhat snugly.

Line up the 1×2’s on your workbench on the 1” sides. Make marks for drilling on the other 1” side of each upright. The marks should be the same distance apart as the towel casing measurement. Remember to position these drill marks where you want your “privacy” towel to be. Some may want the towel portion of the screen higher or lower than others.

Drill your holes to a minimum depth of ½”(there will be 12).

Now you must cut the dowels to the width you want each panel to be (2 dowels per panel). We made our outer panels 2/3’s of the width of the center panel., in order to ensure flatness when the unit is folded.

Insert the cut dowels through the casings on the towels.

Line up your uprights. You must have the holes facing in toward the center of each panel. Insert the towel panel dowels into the drilled holes, and use wood glue to secure them. You now have 3 separate privacy panels.

Attach two hinges reasonably spaced, between each of the panels. You now have a privacy screen that is inexpensive, easy to make, and lightweight.