How to Restring Roll-up Bamboo Blinds

Today, I’m sharing an easy method to restring roll-up bamboo blinds.  You might wonder why I’m sharing this – but it is a great tip, easy to do and will probably save you the cost of a new blind. 

You can restring old blinds if the cord is damaged – I’ll show you how

We use bamboo roll-up blinds in our kitchen and bathrooms, and we have a lot of windows in those rooms, I’m talking nine blinds in total.  After about two years, we noticed that the cord perished, due to the harsh sun these blinds are exposed to.  This means that the cord does not want to pass through the pulleys anymore, and then you can’t adjust the length.  It also creates a lot of dust particles every time you touch the cord – yuk! 

I knew I did not want to replace the blinds entirely because it gets expensive, pretty fast.  So, when we revamped our family bathroom, I decided to restring the blinds instead to save cost.  I’ll talk you through the process too, and maybe it’ll help you out!  But first, we need to look at the terminology to make the task easier.

Roll-up Blind Restring Diagram

The sketch makes it pretty clear – You have two hooks at the back, two pulleys, one of which has a cord lock and lastly two cords, one long, one short.  If you understand where the different parts are, it will make the next steps easier.

Supplies Used

• Your old bamboo roll-up blind
• Scissors
• A lighter
• New cord/rope

I struggled to find the right cord.  Firstly, it had to be a suitable colour, secondly, thin enough to be thread through the pulley and thirdly, UV resistant so we would not have the exact same problem in a year.  I finally found paracord that matched all the criteria.  It might be overkill, but it was the only suitable rope I could find. 

How to restring roll-up blinds without wasting cord

With the first blind, I found it difficult to determine the length of the cord, and as a result, I ended up with a lot of waste.  The paracord is a bit expensive, and it is not ideal to have a lot of waste, so I devised a method that leaves you with zero-waste.  First of all, remove the old cord and lay the blind out completely flat.  Keep the end beads to attach to the new cord.

Step 1

Do not cut your new cord; work with the entire bundle.  I start by sealing the cord with a lighter – be very careful with this step!  Then feed the loose end through the first (left) and second (right) pulleys as shown in the photo.

Step 2

Loop the cord and feed it back through the second pulley.

Step 3

Be sure to keep the loop at the second pulley, do not let it pass through the pulley. 

Step 4

Take the loose end of the cord, loop it around the back of the blind and tie it to the triangular hook on the right.

Step 5

Tighten the cord along the path you just fed it, this removes excess cord.  But it is essential to keep you blind lying flat and not to let it roll up yet.  Once you’ve tightened the cord at the second pulley, loop it around to the back and tie it to the triangular hook on the left.  Now you can cut the cord and seal the end.  See, no waste.

Step 6

Cut the loop at the second pulley, thread the beads, tie a knot and pull the knot into the bead.

That’s it; you are done!  It might seem a bit complicated, but if you just follow the correct path, you can’t mess it up!  Even though the cord I use is a bit expensive, it is still cheaper to restring the blinds than to buy new ones!

Watch the video here:

I’ve also created a quick video to show you the steps and help out with all the confusing terms, hooks, pulleys and loops. You can watch it right here.

You can also make your own blinds

Have you attempted this DIY too?  And do you realise that if you can restring roll-up blinds that you can, therefore, make your own ones, using this method?  I’ve been struggling with finding blinds that are long enough to use on our back porch, but I might make some now!  You can certainly use canvas, a bamboo mat or fabric.  Attach the pulleys and triangular hooks at the top (remember to leave a fringe to cover the pulleys), and add a wooden dowel for the bottom rail.

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I would love to hear from you in the comments below if you try to restring your roll-up blinds! Let me know how they turn out!

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Take Care, until next time!

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