Bamboo is incredibly strong, versatile, quick to grow, and, let’s face it, it’s pretty, too! As the years go by, more of us are recognizing bamboo for its true potential and even finding ways to introduce it into our homes. From the general decor to the actual construction of our homes, bamboo can be used in so many ways! For example, do you know how to cut bamboo for crafts?
You don’t have to wait to find pre-made objects or grow bamboo of your own to introduce it into your home. I’ve been making many DIY bamboo items over the years – I’ve made hats, baskets, and even jewelry with my kids.
Crafting with bamboo is a cinch once you know how to cut the material properly. I’ll let you in on a few of my tips and tricks below – as well as guide you through some crafty bamboo projects you might want to try yourself!
Cutting your Bamboo – The Basics
Cutting bamboo for arts and crafts is likely to need sharp secateurs, clippers, or even a small hacksaw. Therefore, this is a side of arts and crafts that’s best left to the adults – kids can get involved a little further on in the process!
It’s also worth grabbing some mineral oil, too, if you can. This is to help make cutting a little easier on your wrists – I’ll go into more detail below!
Sourcing Your Bamboo
Before you start getting deep into your project, always opt for green bamboo where possible. This type of bamboo is generally easier to cut and more flexible to work with than most. However, many bamboo types work well for DIY crafts.
You should also carefully consider what you need the bamboo for to choose the perfect diameter for your project. It is important to remember that bamboo does not grow in completely uniform diameters – therefore, one stalk may not be enough for your project – don’t underestimate the supply you’ll need!
If you are sourcing bamboo from your garden, and it is cold outside, start heating the bamboo stem before cutting it. This will prevent it from splitting as you cut.
Depending on the craft you are pursuing, it might be best to use thinner stalks of bamboo. These will be easier to maneuver and strong enough to hold your project together.
If your bamboo stalks are less than one inch in diameter, then you will need a strong, sharp pruner to cut the stalk.
However, if the diameter is over an inch wide, you will need to use a good handsaw to complete the task. Ensure that the handsaw is sharp enough before cutting, as it will make your job a lot easier, quicker, and cleaner!
Ideally, you will need a handsaw with straight teeth. Curved teeth will rip the fibers within the plant, so avoid using them at all costs!
Cutting Bamboo by Hand – Some Helpful Hints
Bring together a few tools to ensure you’re ready and safe to start cutting. That includes the secateurs and a hacksaw as mentioned above, as well as mineral oil, masking tape, and safety goggles and gloves. You’ll normally need the safety equipment if you want to use a table saw, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Ensure that the bamboo is warm enough and that you’re working ideally in a dry and ambient to warm room. The tools should also be warm enough not to split the wood. Room temperature is perfectly fine for cutting; you just don’t want them to be cold!
If you plan to cut the bamboo stalk in half, you will need different tools and safety measures to do the job.
Before you start cutting the bamboo, locate the nodes on the stems. The nodes are the horizontal lines along the bamboo stem that sometimes create ridges. The nodes on the stem may seem like a pain to deal with, but they are essential to the plant!
The nodes strengthen the plant, which is why the taller the bamboo, the more nodes it has.
As you will see on the nodes, there is usually an upper and lower ring. The uppermost is known as the stem ring, and the lower one is the sheath ring.
When you have decided how big you need the stem to be, pick the spot between the two nodes that you wish to cut.
Before cutting, rub some mineral oil onto the area you plan on slicing into. This will make the area far easier to cut through. Just remember to dry your hands properly before cutting to avoid your hands slipping on the saw!
Ideally, you will need to lubricate a relatively long area, as you will need to cut the bamboo at an angle of 45 degrees.
To cut precisely and with a lower risk of the wood splintering, place some masking tape where you are about to make an incision.
Cutting Your Bamboo with a Table Saw
Assuming you want to cut your bamboo in half to begin with, start by laying the bamboo on the floor or a thick, strong work table. Find the center of the bamboo pole, then place a piece of masking tape around the middle to avoid splintering.
Then, put on safety goggles and gloves before putting a fine-toothed blade into a table saw.
Turn on the saw and carefully secure the bamboo in your hands, with the tape mark in the center. Ensure that your hands are clear apart on either side – and do not get too close to the blade for obvious reasons!
Push the pole into the blade until you reach the masking tape. Then, you can slowly turn the bamboo so that the tip of the blade creates about a quarter-inch deep mark all around the tape.
Then, turn the pole again so that the blade is right at the center of the score line. Push the pole towards the blade further until it has cut the bamboo in half.
Remove the bamboo, then turn off the saw immediately. Then, you can remove your safety goggles and gloves before removing the tape from the bamboo and starting your craft!
How to Store Your Unused Bamboo
If, after all of your DIY projects are complete, you still have some bamboo left – don’t worry. You can keep it safe on one side for any future artwork and pieces!
As quickly as bamboo grows, there’s no point in letting any of it go to waste, and you will likely have some perfectly usable pieces left over. They can be kept in storage and used for repairs, future DIY projects, or even as handy plant canes or thin poles to keep around for when you need them.
A dry and relatively warm room is all you really need to keep your bamboo safe. The room does not need to be kept hot, but you should avoid leaving your bamboo in the garage or shed. The cold can cause it to split and crack, ruining the strength, texture, and look of the stalks.
Instead, opt for a relatively warm (even mild room temperature will do), and lay it horizontally on a table, support, or on the ground (if it isn’t too cold). Keep the bamboo dry, and it will be ready to use whenever you need it!
Bamboo famously grows well in humid conditions (even in the bathroom), but don’t be tempted to store it anywhere too damp, or you’ll risk it spoiling. Keep it dry and ambient, and you’ll likely be able to come back to it in the months to come. If you’re like me, you’ll have a specific spot or case where you store all your materials – why not buy yourself a special case to keep bamboo offcuts in?
Why Use Bamboo For Crafts?
It may seem a little bizarre to use bamboo for crafts, but it is an incredibly versatile and strong material that’s great for creating all kinds of eye-catching pieces.
The brilliant thing about bamboo is that it is also easy to buy or grow your own, too. You can buy it pre-cut in some hardware stores and gardening centers – but having your own little bamboo supply is ideal, especially if you enjoy growing plants in the first place.
Of course, having it growing tall and strong in your own garden is ideal, but not all of us have the gardens or, indeed, the climates that bamboo needs to grow well in.
Thankfully, it’s easy to source bamboo in pots, even small varieties that can grow indoors. Even the smallest bamboo plants are great to use in crafts – it’s amazingly sustainable, no matter the size of the plant.
Bamboo grows very quickly, unlike other plants that can take centuries to mature, providing strong enough wood for crafting. Even smaller bamboo stalks can be strong enough to use in crafts and all sorts of DIY projects. Provided you’re using your bamboo correctly and are ensuring your crafts are tight and robust, you’ll benefit from crafty pieces that look wonderful for years to come.
Bamboo can be cured, bent, and shaped to suit whatever project you have in mind, making it an ideal replacement for plastic and other less sustainable materials. Like plastic, bamboo is also very durable, even when left outside. It can work perfectly for building garden furniture and outside structures. The choice is yours – bamboo items look just as appealing indoors as they do out.
On top of all of this, bamboo is biodegradable. This means that whatever you have left over from your project, or if you want to completely undo and throw out your creations in years to come, you can simply compost the bamboo or add it to a flower bed, ready to decompose. Just make sure that it is not covered with any kind of varnish or paint that could damage the environment!
What Can You Make with Bamboo?
There are plenty of easy things to make with bamboo – but bamboo ideas don’t have to be super simple unless you really want them to be.
It’s flexible for use in artwork in any way you wish – on canvas, decorating, or even in sculpture. However, you can also use it to make more functional items for your home and garden.
For example, thanks to its flexibility, bamboo is often used to make baskets and hats! While it wouldn’t make nice, warm, comfy winter headwear, it could certainly make a strong sun hat for when you’re out in the garden during the warmer months!
Bamboo is also commonly used to make all kinds of floor mats and placemats, room dividers, headboards, trellises, pet houses, fences, benches, bridges, and even tools and ladders. Some of these crafts with bamboo may take time to perfect – meaning it’s good to start small and work your way up to more complex projects.
Conclusion
Bamboo DIY is a lot of fun, and that’s mainly thanks to how versatile and flexible the material can be! After all, it can grow to be incredibly tall, thick, and strong. But, properly cutting material for DIY bamboo projects is a must – otherwise, one bad move could go terribly wrong for you and the stem!
By taking the right precautions and ensuring that you cut the bamboo properly, there is nothing to worry about. You don’t need any special tools or prior knowledge. Just a good saw, some goggles, and patience. As always, keep your kids away from sharp tools – this is an intricate process that might not be much fun for them in the first place!
If you want to split your bamboo in half and do not have a table saw, then simply contact your local hardware store and ask if a professional there would be willing to help you.
Soon enough, you should have all the bamboo you need for your crafts and some left over for future projects! Take a look at social media for some ideas, too.
Originally posted 2022-10-30 12:09:49.