How To Shorten Faux Wood Blinds

I love my faux wood blinds but they were always too long and bunched at the bottom. Of course, I threw out the instructions on how to shorten them. But with a little digging and ingenuity, I found it was so much easier and quicker than you think. Here's a step-by-step how to:
These Levolor blinds bunched at the bottom because they were too long
By taking out a few slats, you can customize the length of your blinds.
Start by removing the plug on the bottom and and pulling all the strings out through the hole
Remove the excess slats by sliding then to the right or left.
Here's the excess string - the one horizontally held out is the main pulley string and the bunchy ones at the bottom right are the "ladder" strings which hold the slats into place
Cut off the connecting threads of the "ladder" strings, keeping the lenght of the string as you need this later.
Thread the main pulley strings through the holes on the bottom rail and knot. Your blinds may only have a central hole in the top of the rail or you could have two small holes on the side - depending on the manufacturer
Tie the excess ladder strings together and stuff them in the hole. Replace the plug.
So much better with the proper length.
Heather (New House New Home)
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  • Shuganne Shuganne on Oct 20, 2018

    Hi, Mary, how frustrating that must be, to have something fail after such a short time! My first thought is to take them back to where you purchased them and ask them to stand behind their products. If they say no, look for a manufacturer's warranty. If that doesn't pan out, we'll have to get creative.


    Are the blinds something like MDF or particle board? Those are basically sawdust and glue compressed together. Because they are in the kitchen, the wood may be absorbing enough steam from cooking, even just from percolating coffee, to loosen the bond of the glue as the tiny wood pieces swell with humidity. My second thought is if they are in a sunny window, the heat from the sun hitting just one side of the wood may put too much pressure for the hot and cool sides to hang tight. By the same thought, the glue could be failing from excessive heat.


    Now we've got several culprits for the sagging, what can we do about it? You get to answer that, but here are some ideas. How much do you love your blinds?


    You could take them down and stack them saggy side up, putting something heavy on top to see if they'll straighten out. Then coat them with waterproofing polyurethane or paint to protect them before rehanging.


    Another option might be to drill a tiny hole down the center of the slats and thread cord through each hole, tying a little knot under each slat to hold the slat up level. Since you know the weight of the blinds, use your best judgment.


    Do you have anywhere else to use the blinds,? You could use them in a bedroom or another room and then replace the wide kitchen window blinds with something stronger or a different style of window covering.


    I hope these thoughts are helpful or that another DIY Hometalker can add more and better ideas. Let us know what you decide and share pictures!



  • Lori Lori on Apr 13, 2019

    Put a 'brace' in the middle at the top of the window??

  • Suzy Suzy on Aug 23, 2019

    What ideas do you have for the extra slats?

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  • Beth Beth on Apr 14, 2019

    Mary, faux wood warps/sags due to heat and humidity. They are only good for north facing windows not in kitchens. One should purchase real wood blinds for all other applications. If you purchased them yourself from a big box store, the salespeople usually do not have the knowledge to advise you. Hiring a decorator/designer or direct-to-you person who sells them is always better because they know more about the product and keep you from wasting your money. Replace your blinds with real wood, and go through a reputable decorator.

  • Rbc19700847 Rbc19700847 on May 10, 2021

    just looking

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