Suggestions on what can be made with recycled screens?

[Windyhillfarms]

So my landlord is very congnizent of how we tend to make stuff out of old things that are generally thrown away, so when he got his windows replaced, he brought us a bunch of old window screens. Now, to figure out what to do with them? Thoughts? Suggestions of where to go to find plans to do things with these?

 

[gettinaclue]

They would be great for setting some onions out to cure on!

 

[k0xxx]

As gettinaclue said, they could be used for making a drying rack for onions, garlic, etc. You could make a solar dehydrator. I've seen where a solar air heater was made using aluminum screens. It was similar to the pop can type solar collectors and actually had a better efficiency rating than other type. I believe it there is a video on YouTube with a comparison.

You could also use them to to construct a cover for a raised bed, to keep insects out. We have been considering trying that, as we have such a big problem with squash bugs.

 

[Windyhillfarms]

I've been seeing how many people dry vegetables here, but as I have just started canning, I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew by adding dehydration to the mix. I will definitely have to start research how to dry veggies! My garden is so big that it would take probably 4xs the amount of screens we have to cover it, but definitely something to think about since the grasshoppers basically stripped my garden this year and I could find nothing to stop them

Thank you both for the great suggestions! Will give me something to research this week.

 

[Marianne]

K0xxx is right, the aluminum window screen (painted black) passive solar heater performed better in tests than the can ones. You can also get instuctions at http://builditsolar.com (I love that site!)

If the screens are still in the frames, you could fashion a box for chicks, a sick hen...
Maybe put some plastic over one and use as the lid for a box for growing cool weather crops early - I'm having a brain fart, what the heck are those things called????

 

[Denim Deb]

If you have kids, you can use them to make a "room" for raising caterpillars.

 

[FarmerDenise]

We have used them to make impromptu small animal pens. I also dried herbs and flower petals on them. Just put one screen across two chair backs and a second screen laid across the top of the herbs or petals.Stops them from being blown away and keeps the bugs off.

 

[Marianne]

OOPs! At first I thought you were going to say make a room for the kids....aka cage.

 

[Beanie]

K0xxx is right, the aluminum window screen (painted black) passive solar heater performed better in tests than the can ones. You can also get instuctions at http://builditsolar.com (I love that site!)

Ok - I'm brain fried...where do I find that on the site? All I see is big projects - not the little DIY for Dummies stuff that I need.

 

[Beanie]

My grandmother always dried apples on her screens. I remember helping put the screens out in the sun in the morning and then putting them back in the cellar at night until the apple slices were nice and leathery.