Creative Ways to Update Your Vertical Blinds
Recently one my friends wanted to do something about his plastic vertical blinds that had been in his home for the last few years. It was becoming an eye sore as the plastic vanes was old and made the whole house look shabby. He wanted to replace it with new window blinds possibly fabric vertical blinds but he didn’t want to throw away the existing plastic vertical blinds. So…there’s only one thing to do…keep the existing plastic vertical blinds and cover the blinds with fabric to give it the soft and warmth look plus a “new” updated vertical blinds.
Here’re some of the methods that he tried on his vertical blinds and it turned out quite alright. But I suggest that you do it at your own risk.
1. Disassembly. First, remove the vanes from the track of the vertical blinds and lay them out on a clean floor covered with plastic or cloth. Gently wipe down the surface with a mild soap or cleaner, and allow to dry thoroughly. Because most vanes are curved, be careful not to crack them by applying too much pressure on them.
2. Fabric on plastic blinds. The hardest part of adding fabric to your vertical blinds will be cutting the fabric to the exact size of your blinds. Use a mat and rotary cutter if you have one, and be sure to measure carefully. (Then measure again!) To attach the fabric, we recommend a strong glue or adhesive applied with a foam brush to avoid bubbling and wrinkling. Smooth out the fabric with a smooth-bristled brush or tool used to smooth wallpaper, and allow to dry thoroughly before re-hanging.
3. More ideas for plastic and vinyl vertical blinds. An easier project than covering with fabric is to paint the vertical blinds. Spray paint would give an even first coat, and decorative textures would add a finished look. You could even sponge on another color, stencil a decorative border, or stamp on fun polka dots.
4. Fabric on fabric vertical blinds. If you already have fabric vertical blinds, you can add another layer of fabric using iron-on fusible webbing, such as Wonder-Under (available at fabric stores). We love the possibilities this allows for custom fabrics and bold patterns.
5. Accessories for fabric vertical blinds. Another idea is to simply add dramatic details to existing fabric blinds. Express your creativity with fun accents like rickrack, pom-poms, striped ribbons, cowboy fringe, and more.
6. More ideas for fabric vertical blinds. Other creative ideas for updating fabric vanes include adding a coordinating fabric on every other vane for a geometric look, using fabric dye to bring an exact color match to your room, or using a bleach pen to add unique designs.
Here’re some of the methods that he tried on his vertical blinds and it turned out quite alright. But I suggest that you do it at your own risk.
1. Disassembly. First, remove the vanes from the track of the vertical blinds and lay them out on a clean floor covered with plastic or cloth. Gently wipe down the surface with a mild soap or cleaner, and allow to dry thoroughly. Because most vanes are curved, be careful not to crack them by applying too much pressure on them.
2. Fabric on plastic blinds. The hardest part of adding fabric to your vertical blinds will be cutting the fabric to the exact size of your blinds. Use a mat and rotary cutter if you have one, and be sure to measure carefully. (Then measure again!) To attach the fabric, we recommend a strong glue or adhesive applied with a foam brush to avoid bubbling and wrinkling. Smooth out the fabric with a smooth-bristled brush or tool used to smooth wallpaper, and allow to dry thoroughly before re-hanging.
3. More ideas for plastic and vinyl vertical blinds. An easier project than covering with fabric is to paint the vertical blinds. Spray paint would give an even first coat, and decorative textures would add a finished look. You could even sponge on another color, stencil a decorative border, or stamp on fun polka dots.
4. Fabric on fabric vertical blinds. If you already have fabric vertical blinds, you can add another layer of fabric using iron-on fusible webbing, such as Wonder-Under (available at fabric stores). We love the possibilities this allows for custom fabrics and bold patterns.
5. Accessories for fabric vertical blinds. Another idea is to simply add dramatic details to existing fabric blinds. Express your creativity with fun accents like rickrack, pom-poms, striped ribbons, cowboy fringe, and more.
6. More ideas for fabric vertical blinds. Other creative ideas for updating fabric vanes include adding a coordinating fabric on every other vane for a geometric look, using fabric dye to bring an exact color match to your room, or using a bleach pen to add unique designs.
