When it's time to upgrade your window treatments, you may be wondering what to do with your old blinds. Depending on the material they're made from, blinds can be sent to a recycling center. However, you can save yourself some money by repurposing the blinds for various household uses. Here are a few things you can do with old blinds.

Create Herb Garden Markers

Fresh herbs can add delicious flavor to foods when used correctly. Avoid mixing up the herbs in your garden by identifying them with garden markers made from old blinds. Simply disassemble the blinds, cut the slats into smaller strips, and use a permanent market to write the name of the plant on the strip.

Be certain to leave enough room so you can insert the strip into the soil deep enough to keep it from falling over. If you're feeling creative, you can paint the strips using regular or spray paint and decorate them using stencils, beads, and other craft items. This is a great way to easily and cheaply add personality and functionality to your herb garden.

Weave a Basket

If you need a storage container for lightweight items like yarn or small books, save your money and weave a basket using the blind slats. Essentially, you'll need to separate the slats and begin interweaving them together to form the base. When the base is wide enough to your liking, begin folding the unweaved part of the slats upwards so you can begin weaving the sides using the remainder of the slats. Secure the corners and the top of the basket using staples or glue.

Be aware, that this craft project only works with blinds that have some flexibility to them, such as those made from thin vinyl. Additionally, be sure to paint the slats before weaving them together as it may be difficult to cover all visible areas if you try to paint the basket after you've completed the project.

Make Roman Shades

If your blinds are missing slats but can still perform their basic function just fine, you can upgrade them into Roman shades and use them in another part of the home. You'll need some fabric and basic sewing ability to complete this project because you must create the shade first.

Once that's complete, disassemble the blinds being sure to leave the main cords intact and attached to the top of the blinds. Sew some of the loose slats onto the back of the shade equidistant apart (e.g. every 7 inches) so the shade will rise up and down evenly when you pull the cord. Afterwards, thread the main cord through the slats and attach to the anchor piece that usually sits at the bottom of blinds. Glue the top part of the blinds to the shade to secure it and make a hole to thread the drawstring through. Once everything is complete, hang on a window and give it a whirl.

There are many other creative things you can do with old blinds. Connect with a seller for more ideas or to purchase new blinds for your windows. 

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