The biggest problem with bamboo patio blinds is that they all look the same. Unfortunately, they aren’t all created the same, which is why you’ll find a lot of difference in the price tags. First off, you may just find options with really strong cords. By far the most common complaint that I’ve read is that the cord snaps. This is why quality is so important. These can also even be the basis for a lot of fun craft projects.
These roller style shades or rollup shades are perfect for a French door option where you still need the clearance for the pieces to open and close. However, you don’t just want to be stuck with basic metal mini blinds. In fact, you can even coordinate this with the rest of your room.
Stenciling Bamboo Shades
One common craft project is actually stenciling on top of these pieces. First off, you’re going to need to choose a pattern that is suitable for this design. Remember that you’re working with strands or matchsticks style here. This means that even when you use a stencil you are not always going to get a straight line just because of the difference in natural fibers. This means that you shouldn’t try to get anything too clear cut either.
My favorite version of this uses more of a tone on tone effect so that it looks like it has a natural pattern to it. You can even pick brown tones that will look more like stain. This will always have an imperfect and handmade quality to it but that’s part of the charm of these homemade pieces. I would just try one or two flower stencils maybe placed at random instead of trying to create an overall pattern which will probably look quite messy. Remember that you’re going to need several of these for your patio doors and you might want to have coordinating treatments on the rest of your window so you don’t want to take on more craft projects then you can actually handle and execute well.
Sometimes your patio blinds might break or you just made be totally fed up with your vertical blinds. This of course calls for a replacement but you might not be able to afford all of the windows and doors in your space to be redone at the same time. Even if you’re working with a drastically different color palette and texture you can make it coordinate just with the silhouette and motif. You could trace out some of the floral prints or scrollwork that’s on your existing valances and then use this to stencil on the new bamboo material.
Usually you will only just find this in one or two color palettes which may seriously limit your décor options. This is why craft projects help you to match it with your wall color and the rest of your furniture. It is possible to get an ebony or a cherry stain but usually you’re just going to see it in the lighter natural texture. Using a stencil allows you to add in color. Plus, it’s the perfect base for craft projects just because it is so cheap. It’s really not a huge deal if you mess it up. It also allows you to use trendier motifs and colors such as a bright turquoise because it doesn’t need to last forever. Sometimes your lined window treatments and curtains can cost hundreds of dollars when you consider all of the panels involved. However, going with patio door blinds definitely gives you much more freedom because it might be a project that you can do for under 50 dollars which helps to alleviate some of that pressure.
DIY Roman Shade
This can also be the base for other craft projects. It’s pretty difficult to sew Roman shades. However, if you start off with a bamboo shade you have an eco-friendly base. Plus, you just need to cover the top part with fabric and glue it down. Do be aware that in some instances, the strands of bamboo are still going to show through unless you line it properly. This is also much cheaper than getting custom window treatments, although it does require a little bit of time and patience.
This way you won’t have to bother with all of the pulley mechanisms like you would if you were starting from scratch. This can actually be a no sew project depending on the trim you want to use. Just make sure that you don’t interfere with the hanging system itself. Heavier weight fabrics will probably do better just because they’ll cover up the natural texture. You also want to start off with blinds that are as flat as possible instead of going with matchstick versions which would interrupt the flow of your fabric but also leave the texture on display, too.
