Reusing Mini Blinds

Crafts Using Window Blinds

I am looking for a craft idea using broken window blind slats for children who range in ages from 2 1/2 to 8 years old. Thanks.

Dee from Charlevoix, MI

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RE: Crafts Using Window Blinds

Window Blind Slats? I wish I could help. I will tell you what I do when I run into the question of making a craft or reusing something.I take the item into my hand and think of possibilities. I haven't seen a window blind slat in years. I remember as a child finding one in the trash and breaking it apart. I remember the sound they made how I would listen to the click like sound when I swung it and it folded a bit I remember I got a scratch after I kept bending the slat until it broke.

I would guess you could make a kind of wind chime. You would have to paint the slats to prevent rusting and that might change it's sound. After the base paint coat you could go create and drawer little characters on the one side and give the other side a different color of paint on it's second coat. Somebody is going to have to use tin snips to cut away the string hole at the bottom and still keep it from being sharp. Or from those same holes you could string and attached little bells. No, I haven't done this, but the possibility is there.

One other possibility is to paint and line the slats into a wind wheel. Now when I say a wind wheel I mean picture a large tin can sitting on a table now the top and bottom part you install your slats into. Again there is a lot of cutting, painting maybe a bright color and also paint a moving design on the slats so as the wheel spins around the design looks like it moves.

The only other possibility I can come up with is using those slats as hills for Hot Wheels cars to get up speed from? Perhaps a side by side Hot Wheels starter hill racetrack attach them to a card board box base decorated. At the top design a barrier which can be moved to start the Hot Wheels at the same time. In fact you could even fence in this racetrack using painted and decorated slats. I find with the use of imagination almost anything is possible. The children you have still use their imagination a pity most of us seem to throw ours away as we get older.

I hope I help and I hope others will come up with even better projects. Best wishes. Mr Thrifty (07/01/2006)

By Mr. Thrifty

RE: Crafts Using Window Blinds

I purchased plants from a garden club and they used the plastic slats from blinds as tags to identify the plants. They cut them in 6 inch lengths and used a permanent marker to write on them. The kids could plant seeds? Depending on how many blinds you can access. I would think you could have the kids weave them into placemats. Or they could use them to make tic tac toe grids or hopscotch patterns on the floor. (07/05/2006)

By Kate

RE: Crafts Using Window Blinds

How about making bird houses. You could use cardboard for the structure and use the slats for the "siding" and roof. (07/09/2006)

By katluvsbears

RE: Crafts Using Window Blinds

The birdhouses are an excellent idea. You could even buy preassembled wooden houses from a local hobby store and use the slats as "vinyl siding". I just moved into a new house and had to buy blinds. Adjusting for the length of the windows has left me with a plethora of excess slats. This will be a great idea to use them rather than put them in the trash. (07/29/2007)

By Eual

RE: Crafts Using Window Blinds

Some are made of wood, some are metal and some are plastic. Depending on what kind you have. Do what you can with popcycle stick art, but adjust for the width of your slat. (11/13/2008)

By TandT Grandma