A few months ago we built a privacy screen in our backyard for the website eHow. We love how the wood screen turned out! Since then we added a grill and it has become the perfect spot for backyard dinners (the lattice also makes a great spot for hanging grilling tools).
One of my favorite things about the wood patio screen project is it didn't require any cutting with a saw. We worked with standard sized cedar posts and wood lattice to create a 6 foot tall privacy screen. In total we spent about $100 in material cost. It added loads of character to the backyard, matches our split rail fence and hammock, and only took an afternoon to complete (plus concrete drying time.)