DIY Mini Awning

Use a measuring tape to measure the width of your window. Add about six inches to this measurement to determine the width of your mini awning. Consider how long you want your awning to be. For a small awning, a length of three feet is generally sufficient to block out intense sunlight without blocking your view out the window.

Cut four lengths of one-inch PVC to size with PVC cutters using the measurements you just took. You will need two pieces of PVC cut to the width of the mini awning and two pieces cut to the length measurement you just determined.

Arrange the four pieces of PVC in a rectangle shape with the pieces of equal-length positioned opposite each other. This shape will form the basic frame of your awning.

Complete the frame by attaching the four pieces of PVC at the corners using PVC fittings. In the upper two corners, fit the ends of the PVC pipes into the vertical and adjacent horizontal openings in a one-inch tee connector. Close the remaining two joints using one-inch PVC elbows.

Fold the canvas fabric you have chosen for your mini awning cover in half and lay it flat in front of you and place the rectangular frame you just constructed on top of it. Position the frame with the bottom edge near the fold so the fabric forms approximately a one-inch border around all four sides of the frame.

Trim the fabric to size so that it is about two inches wider than the PVC frame and two inches longer. Turn the fabric inside out, pin the sides together and sew along the sides using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. The result should be a fabric sleeve with the fold opposite the single open side.

Fold and press flat the open edges of the fabric sleeve about a 1/2-inch and hem the edges. Cut a strip of adhesive hook-and-eye tape to the width of the mini awning minus the combined width of the two tee connectors. Attach the hook-and-eye tape to the inside edges of the hems you just sewed. This is the means by which you will slide the awning cover on and off the frame.

Slide the awning cover onto the frame and seal the hook-and-eye tape to secure it in place. Hold the awning up over the window on which you plan to install it and adjust it until it hangs at the preferred angle. The greater the angle at which you install the awning, the more sunlight it will keep out, but the more it will block your view out the window.

Secure the awning frame in place by placing a one-inch conduit clamp over the open end of the two tee fittings in the top corners of the frame.

Attach the conduit clamps to the window frame using two-inch wood screws, driving the screws through the designated holes in the conduit clamps into the wooden window frame. Once you have mounted the mini awning, you may loosen the screws to adjust the angle of the awning if necessary.