Custom cut bamboo blinds. This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to cut bamboo blinds to size using off-the-rack, inexpensive blinds.

bamboo shades with curtains with tutorial on how to cut bamboo blinds

Finding great window treatments on clearance

A few years ago, I snagged a few sets of bamboo blinds at Lowes on a super clearance. Actually, I pretty much snagged an SUV full of them. I can't remember the exact pricing, but I want to say that the matchstick blinds were on clearance for something crazy, like $6 a piece, so I bought a lot of different options.

I was in between paint colors in my living room but I thought that layered bamboo shades with curtains would look nice. Here's a super old look at our living room with just curtains.

I had in my mind that even though the bamboo blind options that I bought weren't the exact size, I figured I could make them work. I wasn't sure how to do this project but I figured I'd just go for it.

Can you cut bamboo blinds?

The answer is yes! I searched online for a solution and came across a tutorial for trimming shades with a miter box and hack saw. I had a miter saw, so with a few tweaks to make it easier, I found my own way of making custom cut bamboo shades.

How to custom cut a bamboo blind

Supplies needed to cut shades

How to Custom Cut Bamboo Blinds

Determine your window size and how much overhang you are ok with.
Measure how much you need to take off. I needed to take off about 3" on each side. For my window, I was using three sets of blinds, hanging them side by side as close as I could get them. I chose to leave the middle blind as-is and take off the ends on each of the outer blinds (on the side that was going to be covered by the curtain).
Using painter's tape, tape off your blinds where you plan to cut. To help stabilize the blind for cutting, add another set of painter's tape about 3" in. **While taping, make sure to grab your pull string and keep it out of the way. You don't want to cut off the mechanism to raise and lower the blinds.
Using a miter saw, make a straight cut down.
Repeat as needed for other blinds.

As a visual learner myself, I wanted to show you some of those steps with photos.

Tutorial for how to cut bamboo blinds — The photo on the left shows the taping we did. We cut in between the taped pieces. The photo on the right shows what the blinds looked like after cutting.

We need to take quite a bit off to make our blinds work, and because of this, we ended up cutting off the area that secures the blind to the bracket. To fix this, we drilled a new hole next to the blind mechanism that the bracket would screw in to once it was mounted on the wall.

making new drill holes in window treatments

I did this project years ago (around 2014), so this picture is old, but in it you can see the difference in the blind on the left (which has been cut) and the middle one which hasn't been cut.

Shortly after hanging them, we knew they were going to work great. My style has changed since we first installed them but with any type of woven shade (bamboo roller shades or matchstick blinds), a good toned brown can go with most styles.

bamboo roll up blinds — Check out my Forest Green Living Room for the newest details and sources.

This was such an easy project and definitely one that I'd do again. And, apparently, I have a thing with customizing window treatments because I also did a inexpensive hack on faux bamboo roll up blinds.

Yield: 1

How to Cut Bamboo Blinds

Custom cut bamboo blinds. This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to cut bamboo blinds to size using off the rack inexpensive blinds.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Active Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

Bamboo Blinds

Tools

Measuring Tape
Miter Saw
Painter's Tape
Drill

Instructions

Determine your window size and how much overhang you are ok with.
Measure how much you need to take off. I needed to take off about 3″ on each side. For my window, I was using three sets of blinds, hanging then side by side as close as I could get them. I chose to leave the middle blind as-is and take off the ends on each of the outer blinds (on the side that was going to be covered by the curtain).
Using painter’s tape, tape off your blinds where you plan to cut. To help stabilize the blind for cutting, add another set of painter’s tape about 3″ in. **While taping, make sure to grab your pull string and keep it out of the way. You don’t want to cut off the mechanism to raise and lower the blinds.
Using a miter saw, make a straight cut down.
Repeat as needed for other blinds.
Hang bamboo shades.

Notes

We needed to take quite a bit off to make our blinds work, and because of this, we ended up cutting off the area that secures the blind to the bracket. To fix this, we drilled a new hole next to the blind mechanism that the bracket would screw in to once it was mounted on the wall.

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How to Cut Bamboo Blinds