Block Daytime Light With a Blackout Cloth Window Insert

Whether you sleep during the daytime, or you just get way to much sun in your window, heres a quick and easy project that will darken your room like its night-time, yet still allow YOU to control the amount of light you want to let into said room. Its called a “Blackout-cloth window insert”, its very simple and inexpensive to make.

The Supplies you will need are as follows:

1. hammer
2. long finishing nails
3. small wood screws
4. screwdriver (for woodscrews)
5. 5 – 1 1/2″ thick pieces of pine wood
6. thumb tacks
7. self-stick velcro (as many or few as you’d like)
8. premeasured piece of “Blackout” cloth 1″ wider than measurement inside window frame (blackout cloth is avaliable at most major fabric stores)

First things first, you will need to measure the window “inside” the frame, so that you will be able to “insert” the “Insert”..so to speak. You can buy the pinewood, and have them cut it to size..build a rectangle, and add another (5th piece) into the center of your rectangle..using wood screws, screw all pieces together..so you have a large rectangle..4 pieces on the outside, and 1 piece “Inside” across the center. Cut blackout cloth to fit over frame, leaving 1″ extra around edges..Thumb-tack the blackout cloth to the outside edges of the frame on the top ONLY..use the self stick velcro around the top edges on the bottom of the screen, making it so that the bottom can be opened up by undoing the velcro. Put frame “inside” the window frame, using finishing nails to lightly “Tap” into “inside” window area..to hold frame in place. Now you can totally blackout your room..and unvelcro the bottom, when you need a little sunshine..

I have a 3 year old son with autism, whom can not be left alone in his room, around glass..this idea helped us with him banging the window, it made his room dark enough for him to nap in the daytime, as well..