Why Choose Bamboo Curtains For Your Home

Bamboo is a versatile and fast growing resource used in more products than you might think. It's been used for hundreds of years in Asia and has become an important symbol of Asian culture. However, we're just now beginning to truly appreciate bamboo in the West. It provides a strong and sturdy building material. So strong, in fact, bamboo is often used as scaffolding in many Far East countries. Despite it's strength, it can be made into yarn for fabrics, and into paper. The greatest thing about bamboo though is that it's very fast growing. Bamboo, in fact, can be ready for harvesting in as little as five years. This versatility and growth rate makes bamboo a great choice when you're looking for a way to liven up your home décor.

One easy way to incorporate bamboo into your décor is to use a bamboo curtain. These curtains are made with bamboo beads, or shafts of bamboo, strung together with wire or twine. They are then hung from a wooden frame. Bamboo curtains offer lots of advantages over traditional fabric curtains. They require very little maintenance to keep looking their best. A quick weekly cleaning with a feather duster or your vacuum is about all it takes. No need to have these curtains dry-cleaned! When used in a window they'll let in a cool breeze but keep out those pesky bugs. But just because we call them curtains, don't think the only place you can use them is over a window. They make great doorways between rooms or as room devisers for that little extra bit of privacy. They can even double as wall art if you want to give any room in your house a new exotic feel.

When using bamboo curtains as wall art, you'll find lots of painted curtains. These can be painted on both sides for use as a doorway. Most of the painted curtains you'll see depict a tropical setting in keeping with the exotic nature of bamboo. But if you're tastes don't run toward the tropical, you'll find curtains painted with renditions of great works of art or pop culture imagery. Whatever your taste you'll find painted curtain to suit your style. If you want to see examples of what's available, have a quick look at Amazon.com.

If you've read this far and are thinking about trying your hand at painting your bamboo curtains, STOP! One of bamboo's properties is that it contains a lot of wax. The wax has to be raised to the surface and cleaned off before you can start painting, or your paint won't stick. Working with bamboo isn't like traditional western woodworking. But luckily the tools and techniques of working with bamboo have been refined through the centuries and if you look, you'll find all the information you need. A good place to start is your local craft or folk art center. You may even be able to find a class at a technical collage in your area. If you're not lucky enough to find a class, a good book on the subject is The Craft and Art of Bamboo available at Amazon.

With today's emphasis on sustainable living and conserving our natural resources, bamboo is sure to become more and more popular. With it's incredible growth rate and the fact that it will spread like weeds, it's a sensible alternative to other renewables that may take generations to mature.