If you’ve wanted the layered bamboo shade with curtains look in your bedroom but don’t have the budget to buy all new, this DIY bamboo shades hack might be perfect for you.

I made these light-filtering bamboo shades many years ago and we had them in our bedroom for 7+ years. They looked so great and fooled anyone who saw them into thinking that they were traditional bamboo shades. I’ve recently switched the look of our bedroom and decided to move on to something new. But honestly, if you are looking for something like the outdoor bamboo shades that people hang on a patio or in a sunroom, these look like those and are a great addition indoors!

DY bamboo shades on window (like a bamboo window valance) with white curtains and white walls and mid century furniture. — Love this vintage rug? Check out my tips for finding affordable vintage rugs to find one for yourself!

Why To Make Cheap Bamboo Shades?

I loved the look of the layered bamboo over windows with curtains on top of them, but couldn’t afford the $120 price tag. For just $10, I made my own bamboo window shades and 7+ years later, they still looked great!

*I do want to say that I bought the bamboo fencing (also called reed fencing) in 2013. Pricing has gone up but if you shop local, you can still find some that are pretty affordable. Maybe not $10 for a package but definitely cheaper than buying traditional bamboo window shades.

Let’s answer some common questions and then I’ll give you the tutorial.

Do bamboo shades block light?

Some do but if that’s what you are looking for then this tutorial isn’t for you. If you can’t tell from the photos, this is a faux bamboo shade, meaning the shade doesn’t lower. If you need privacy, you’ll have to close your curtains or, like we did, install roller blinds on your windows. Roller blinds are not cute, but during the day, they are hidden behind the bamboo shades.

Our faux bamboo shades are just for looks. We pull our curtains every night and I have to say that the bamboo shades are holding up great, even years later.

Is this tutorial for a bamboo shade valance?

You can definitely say that this is a bamboo shade valance. It’s stationary so if you don’t want to adjust bamboo blinds and want the look, this is your project!

Other window treatment projects that I’ve done

Hilariously enough, we are no strangers to window privacy hacks. We cut bamboo shades to fit our living room windows (that was such an easy project) and have also applied privacy window film on multiple bathroom windows. You have to get creative when you have a small budget, for sure!

Like I mentioned earlier, the project is from years ago, so the photos below are from when our bedroom looked completely different; but it’s fun to see that the layered window look still looks great in our bedroom today! If you want to see the current version of our bedroom, check out our Tricorn Black master bedroom for more pictures and all the sources!

Ok, let’s get to the supply list to make this bamboo shade valance. Affiliate links below. Thanks for supporting me. Click to read my privacy and disclosure statement.

Supplies Needed for DIY Bamboo Shades

How To DIY Faux Shades

Measure your window (I wanted an outside mount so I accounted for extra). I also was layering window curtains over my bamboo valance, so I had a bit of wiggle room.
Cut the bamboo with scissors.
Hot glue scrap fabric around the curtain rod. Do this so the white curtain rod doesn’t show through when you hang the bamboo shade up.
Place your curtain rod over your bamboo about 8 inches (this accounts for the fold over the curtain rod). Gently fold the bamboo over the rod and check to see if you like the amount of bamboo that you have hanging (this is the top of your bamboo shade).
If you like the amount of hanging bamboo, then hot glue the bamboo to the rod. I don’t have a picture of this, but make sure to overlap your second piece of bamboo (if you have an oversize window like me) so that your bamboo shade looks seamless. I overlapped about 1/2 inch.
Hang your rod up so that you can determine where you would like your folds to be.
Add a cup hook in the middle of the window where the curtain rod is to help support it.
Using wire from where you cut your bamboo shades, separate it and cut it in to 5 inch pieces.
Gently bend your shade where you would like your bend to be.
On the seams (I did every other), wrap wire from the front of the fold to the back piece to create the fold. You can see how this is done in the pictures.
Once you get to the second shade (if you have an oversized window), keep in mind that you are trying to match the folds. Repeat the process to create a seamless shade similar to how large outdoor bamboo shades look.

Let me show you some photos of the DIY bamboo shades process and then, below, you can see reviews and print the tutorial if that’s helpful!

making DIY bamboo shades out of reed fencing — The reed fencing is folded over the curtain rod at about 8″ to create the first drop of the shade. This photo is showing steps 1-5.

Wire for DIY Bamboo Shades — You’ll use pieces of the leftover fencing wire to cinch up your shade folds.

How to make a bamboo shade for $10 (diy bamboo shades) — This photo is showing the wire holding up a fold. The wire just blends right in when you cinch it up where the wire was already running on the reed fencing.

Tutorial for making a roman shade out of bamboo fencing — The left shade is showing the folds completed and cinched. I’m matching the right shade pleats to the left side in this photo.

DIY Natural woven bamboo blinds diy bamboo shades

From start to finish, these DIY bamboo shades took around 2 hours. I’m in love with the results. If you wanted to actually be able to raise and lower the blinds, then this isn’t for you. If you want the added layer of blinds for visual purposes, then this is the perfect thing.

DIY Bamboo Shades Hack for $10

Want the layered bamboo shades look but don't have the budget? Make these for just $10!

Active Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost 10

Materials

Tools

Instructions

Measure your window (I wanted an outside mount so I accounted for extra). Cut the bamboo with scissors.
Hot glue scrap fabric around the curtain rod. Do this so the white curtain rod doesn’t show through when you hang the bamboo shade up.
Place your curtain rod over your bamboo about 8 inches (this accounts for the fold over the curtain rod). Gently fold the bamboo over the rod and check to see if you like the amount of bamboo that you have hanging (this is the top of your bamboo shade).
If you like the amount of hanging bamboo, then hot glue the bamboo to the rod. I don’t have a picture of this, but make sure to overlap your second piece of bamboo (if you have an oversize window like me) so that your bamboo shade looks seamless. I overlapped about 1/2 inch.
Hang your rod up so that you can determine where you would like your folds to be.
Add a cup hook in the middle of the window where the curtain rod is to help support it.
Using wire from where you cut your bamboo shades, separate it and cut it in to 5 inch pieces.
Gently bend your shade where you would like your bend to be.
On the seams (I did every other), wrap wire from the front of the fold to the back piece to create the fold. You can see how this is done in the pictures.
Once you get to the second shade (if you have an oversized window), keep in mind that you are trying to match the folds. Repeat.