Wanting some privacy from my neighbors while still being able to enjoy the view of Manhattan from my small 5ft x 9ft balcony, I came up with the idea to create a corner dining booth by making 2 privacy panels.

The panels are very simple and inexpensive to build with 1"x3" pine boards, furring strips and an outdoor chair cushion from IKEA - you can see the complete list of materials, tools and supplies that you will need here:

http://www.engineeryourspace.com/how-to-create-an-...

You can also see a video of the whole process here:

Step 1: Line Up All the Boards and Mark the Location of the Screws

Space out the furring strips evenly across the width of the panel, line up the 1" x 3" pine boards over the furring strips and mark the location of the screws so they line up with the middle of the furring strips.

Step 2: Drill Pilot Holes for the Screws and Stain All the Wood

I used an exterior semi-transparent stain from BEHR (color: coffee)

Step 3:

Screw in place the first long board so that it lines up with the top of the balcony railing and double check that it's straight. I used decking screws to secure the boards to the furring strips.

Step 4: Screw in Place All the Boards

I used a spacer to make sure the spacing was the same for all the boards and I used decking screws to secure the boards to the furring strips.

Step 5: Attach the Privacy Panels and Cushion to the Balcony

I used gardening wire to secure the privacy panels to the top, middle and bottom of the railing. For the cushion, I sewed a velcro strap to the back and used that to secure the cushion to the balcony railing.