How can I reuse or recycle a bamboo blind?
We’ve had an email from Kaye:
I’ve got a bamboo blind that I no longer need. What can I do with it?
If it’s still in good, usable condition, I’d suggest trying to eBay it or better still, put it on your local Freecycle group – someone else might be able to use it as a window shade, save them buying a new one.
Aside from that, if it’s the thin type of blind (the stuff that’s a bit thinner than the one in the picture), you could remove any blind fittings and roll it up to use as a picnic/beach mat, or could cut it down into being a table cover or placemats – a good pair of scissors will probably cut through it.
Heavier stuff can be used as screening in the garden – it can be used to make nice curves around paths and the like if you lie it on its side.
Any other suggestions?
(By the way, we’ve already covered slatted window blinds.)
Could you use it for a sushi mat (Makisu) admittedly it would make quite a few, but you could use some of the material for place mats.
How about making a beautiful and unique bracelet? http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_jewelry/article/0,,DIY_13762_5275246,00.html
use it as you would a weed screen in your garden. much prettier than the black fabric.
ooh, you could use it as a bamboo rug/ beach mat! I love their simple, artistic look, and they can be painted, dyed, or stained too!
http://www.natural-rug-company.co.uk/images/bamboo-rug.jpg
http://homedecorators.com/images/items/large/l39473.jpg
Saw a pic of matchstick blind used as wallpaper. Looked great!
Felter makers love them – find a local felting group and bask in popularity.
you could take the peices of bamboo and make them into a rug or into place mats.
i dont know how flexible they are, but could they be woven into baskets?
I had one of these from my last apartment, that I don’t need in my current apartment.
My solution was to trim the sides (about 3 inches off each) and attach it to a semi-ugly bookshelf I had. The bookshelf looks great now, and it hides the clutter (and my modem/router) too!
how did you attach the bamboo to the bookshelf? I;m going to be reusing bamboo shades to cover a cornice board but I can’t figure out the best way to attach it. Thanks for any help!
Staple gun?
I cut off the bottom part to fit another window.
The part that I cut off was used for making kites and various other crafts by my children one of them being axles for model cars.
I saw in a magazine once an idea about replacing ugly, worn sliding wardrobe doors with these type of blinds. The blind was fully down and not intended to be rolled up. Somehow the top of the blind was attached to the slinding rails inside the wardrobe frame. Or maybe they were attached inside so the top was hidden? Anyway the idea was they would still slide back and forth. It looked very good. The stiffer kind would work best I suppose.
hello,
You could use to as a Ornamental flowerpot.
You use some scotch tape and put it around a big flower pot to create a new ornemental flowerpot ! You juste cut it at the right size.
You can attach it to metal poles and use it as a screened fence panel