A trellis for a climbing vine that would certainly shield your porch for most of the summer. Even stringing wires from nails or clips in the top of the porch would work great if constructing something quickly is out of the question. Check with your local nursery for a fast growing vine that fills in quickly and if it flowers that's even better. Something like a hyacinth bean vine would work really well for this year and give you a chance to fix up a solution with the stuff you have for next summer.

We could be more helpful if you could post pictures for us. It's a lot easier to make specific recommendations that way.

I have a book on urban homesteading that had a project in it that might work for you. It was a living awning. Basically it was a open frameworked awning- something really simple. Then a climbing plant was encouraged to grow up it. I'll look around and see if I can find the book and scan the page for you. Message me and I'll email it to you. I'm not good at describing things.... sorry.

I love the glass on glass mosaiced windows. One would look pretty while shading the porch. The only drawback is that any breeze wouldn't go through it. To get some ideas, go to the Garden Junk Inspiration Albums created by Karen aka Purple Moon. This is one of my favorites from the album:

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Below is a link to one of excessfroufrou's gorgeous spider web window. It can give you an idea of how you can do a glass on glass mosaic.

I was trying to find a post I remembered seeing a while back where someone posted pictures of painted window screens. If you are handy with a paint brush, that might be another idea.

I'm not sure how low the shade would have to be but you could also make a "valence" of some of the materials you have too. Like hang portions of the fence upside down. I'd suggest a door too but that might be too heavy unless it is a hollow core type of door.

Here is a link that might be useful: Excessfroufrou's Spider Web Window

Is it for shading on the top or the sides. I ask cause I just had to take down the covering on our huge patio. It was tar paper, shingles over wood. It had rotted in spots and was leaking. Until we can replace and repair the posts and the bad beams and cross boards I am using 10x10 tarps, I hung them into hooks on the underside of the beams. Does not cover it all but helps with the sun and rain. I also have a couple of shade cloth type of shades hanging where the sun reflects in. You might try using shade cloth from a hardware type store. It can be used on the top or on the sides. Just hang them as if they were curtains. Or just get white sheets and use as curtains.

all great ideas. i will get a photo and post. i have a rose in the front that runs. that would be a great idea for the side that i hadn't thought of. the painted screen is interesting. i had a window up there at one time that got broken in a storm... we have lots of tornado and t'storms here. if i use that idea i'll secure the top AND the bottom this time. Thanks to everyone.

twomonths: by shade cloth do you mean the black landscape cloth? this interests me b/c i have been wanting to do a shade drape over my seating area in the back. on HGTV i always see them using this canvas beige colored cloth for shading. on a tight budget so i thought about the black landscape cloth but thought it might be too hot. thought about using tarp but thought the rain might tear it down (it'll be between 2 trees) i had one of those canopy things that gave me such a fit that i had to invent words to curse it as i slung it in the trash! every time it rained it fell over.

The landscape fabric also comes in light gray. We get it at Lowe's. That would work better than the black.

There are a lot of nice fabric shower curtains available now that are mildew resistant. Some of them look like regular curtains and could work on your porch too.

The canvas cloth used for those shade sails you see on HGTV is quite heavy and requires special construction skills to install.

You might find a lighter fabric on sale at fabric stores like Joann's. They carry various sunbrella type fabrics.

A wood or metal arbor over the area would be a more permanent solution.

I would like to add that you might want to consider not using dark/black colors because it absorbs heat, thus definitely making it hotter. Light colors reflect the heat and will help maintain the cooler temps we all like so well in the summer.

my tiny HOT porch! that side is west which gets the afternoon sun

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I was thinking of an old wooden screen door like Jeanne used for her arbor, Could replace the screen part. Or they have 20 ft x 6 ft rolls of Sun screen fabric that lasts several years & comes in several colors, I got tan as trim on house is a rich reddish brown color, also in gray & green. Won't fade,mold or mildew. Has several ideas for using it on the pkg. Lowe's or Home Depot have it about $29. a roll. I had my bro. cement in poles(metal) from electrical dept as they are much stronger than pvc & we put larger pieces of pipe inside the holes in cement so they could be removed but I didn't as I couldn't figure out how to get dirt out of a narrow 10 in deep hole in each 1. He drilled a hole threw top of each pipe(to run wire to hold them up) after he cut them back, 10 in. in ground & about 6 1/2ft above ground & I wire them on, It does stretch some so would be better on a frame at side of a house. Anyway stuff was dying so fast with dad's stroke & hardly at home so had to do something. By time I got home too tired to water & too late so this setup saved my back yard. I take the suncloth down, roll it up in winter. If it was on a frame that was strong you could use all year long. I've used same pieces at least 3 yrs as I strung them with wires between trees. So edges are kind of out of shape, at least you can walk out on hot day & see what is going on, fill birdbath, take some garden stuff in etc. Temps got up to 120 couple of times in last 3 yrs & everything suffers. After bro got this up I didn't lose anything. It is out a little from fruit trees so they get lot of sun. My garden has to have some shade so it has wooden lattice I put over the top of it(when needed) as sides are wood lattice with rebar stakes going into ground. Strawberries just croak in full sun in my area. We are on rationed water tho should be able to use little more this year. I did well with rationing & sure wouldn't have otherwise. Pretty inexpensive but I had him put in 9-12 poles were 8 or 10 ft long each, whatever you have to get for electrical conduit to go through. Cement & I think 2 larger poles to sink in cement cost about $100 maybe less as he was doing some other things for me. Then $30 for Suncloth(each) I had already bought, used about 4 rolls so that's about 20 by 36 area. They sell ties & stuff but they don't work. Either use coated wire & go through couple of inches so it won't rip or if going up the side of porch have it attached between 2 pieces of 2 in wide by 1 in. thick or use 2x4 cemented into ground with Quickcrete?& use lath or whatever on other side of 2x4 to hold secure. Air goes through this & rain if hard enough so lawn won't die.Or in your case will give you cooler porch! Good Luck! Jan

I can't see your pic very good...too tiny for my eyes...but if it is a small enough porch & one door would shade a side (& you have old doors)...then that might be a good idea. I didn't use screen doors for my arbor, sunnyca...they are old, old heavy wood doors & I hope will last for a long time...here's a pic from last summer:

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If you used a door w/window opening, you could maybe do a shade made from something like GJer's are talking about above. We lost our huge Maple that shaded like your Oak...so I know what you're talking about. Good luck! Have fun! Jeanne S.

jeanne i love your little arbor thing. so cute! gotta have it.
jan i am going to go to lowes and see about that shade cloth. i thought it was very costly but if its affordable i need it. i happen to have some metal poles already that could be cut to desired length.
i have some bifold closet doors i though about using but i'd rather have the curtains and maybe a glass window. thats for all your ideas.

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I did this about 5 years ago it has held up very good .I love setting out in the morning.

Landscape fabric is to put over dirt and under compost when you plant in beds or use to line pots. The shade cloth is just that. As sunny ca suggests. Thanks sunny for letting us know it does not leak water unless heavy rain.

nana your seating area is adorable. your flowers are just making me green with envy. you certainly have a knack for designing and placing things to be pleasing to the eye.. its like looking into a fairy tale.
can't wait to get started on my seating area now! such great ideas for that and my hot little porch. btw that poor oak lost yet another limb yesterday. i'm afraid its a goner before much longer.

this is some my DH and me made using drop cloths from Harbour Freight.The shower curtain rings were too high so he got name clip tags from Walmart and some aluminum wire.He went from there and made fifty of them.We folded them over at the top after cutting eight panels from three drop cloths(9X12)and clipped them on...{{gwi:138017}}

so i found the cheap sheers at walmart for 4.97. they have the o rings made into them. its on a piece of bamboo and not quite even (my 21 yr old son has no concept of even) but will fix it better after i get the window fixed to hang in the middle.
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I'm going to shade my porch as well and I think I'll go with the inexpensive roll-up bamboo type. I saw them at Home Depot.

caroleena, I love your cheap sheers! They look great. Doodys, I like your idea using the drop cloths too. They aren't too heavy for the clips?

No. We've had some wind here and they r still hanging on with the clips.