If you are looking for an affordable, attractive and eco-friendly way to enhance your home, look no further than bamboo. Bamboo is one of the most sustainable building and construction materials in the world. With proper harvesting, those bamboo plants will keep growing for years to come and will continue to add life-giving oxygen to the planet. Bamboo manages to look timeless, organic, chic and modern all at the same time, making it an extremely versatile material for furniture, decor and more.
In this post, we’re going to look at 12 fun bamboo projects for both inside and outside your home that are easy to complete. Before we get started, let’s go over a few general tips for working with bamboo:
Bamboo is an incredible plant that has many uses, from construction to decoration. It’s strong, versatile, sustainable, and beautiful. That’s why bamboo makes an excellent material for various DIY projects.
Whether you want to make decorations, furniture, or tools, bamboo is easy to work with using basic supplies The best part is that you can complete most bamboo projects in a day or two Many are beginner-friendly as well.
Below are some creative ways to use bamboo for DIY projects around your home and garden:
Decorative Bamboo Projects
- Bamboo Wind Chimes
Wind chimes made from bamboo tubes or sticks have a wonderful natural look. They also create pleasant sounds when the bamboo pieces clink together. Paint, stains, and varnishes allow you to customize the chimes’ appearance.
- Bamboo Lanterns
Transform bamboo sections into gorgeous outdoor lanterns. They look beautiful dotting a garden path or placing on a patio. Use bamboo fencing, twine, raffia, or other materials to create patterns on the lanterns. Then, insert a solar light or electronic tealight.
- Bamboo Sunburst Mirror
A sunburst mirror framed with bamboo sticks radiates nature’s beauty The bamboo rays can be cut to various lengths and arranged in perfect symmetry for dramatic effect Coat the bamboo in your choice of stain, paint, or preservative.
- Bamboo Vases
Hollow bamboo stalks sliced to various heights make exceptional vases for fresh or faux flowers. For more stability, place the bamboo pieces inside glass vases. Smaller cut bamboo stems also work well for holding single blooms or sprigs.
Bamboo Furniture Projects
- Bamboo Chairs
Chairs and stools made out of bamboo poles tied together have a tropical, resort-style look. They are also lightweight and sturdy. Use nylon rope, raffia, or natural twine to tie poles together in a square, triangle, or crisscross pattern.
- Bamboo Shelving Unit
Build a bamboo shelf unit for indoor or outdoor storage. Arrange cut bamboo poles side-by-side for shelving, then stack to the desired height. Hold together with screws or durable zip ties. Customize with paint or stain.
- Bamboo Porch Swing
A bamboo swing brings relaxing style to front porches, patios, or gardens. Bend and join bamboo poles at the top to form the swing’s frame. Weave more bamboo through the base as backing. Hang the swing from a porch rafter or sturdy tree branch.
- Bamboo Coffee Table
A bamboo coffee table has natural beauty for living rooms and patios. Arrange bamboo poles or boards on a plywood base. Then, seal the wood with polyurethane or an outdoor sealant. Add glass or acrylic sheeting on top for a smooth surface.
Garden Bamboo Projects
- Bamboo Trellis
Grow vining fruits, vegetables, and flowers on a homemade bamboo trellis. Cut and wire together long bamboo poles. Lean the trellis against a wall or fence. You can also build freestanding A-frame or tepee-style supports.
- Bamboo Fencing
Use bamboo for garden fencing or privacy screens. Set poles in concrete at the desired intervals. Then, run horizontal bamboo pieces through drilled holes or use durable zip ties to secure. Apply a sealer annually to protect from moisture.
- Bamboo Plant Stakes
Sturdy bamboo stakes provide support for garden plants like tomatoes and peas. Cut poles to the needed height and sharpen one end. Push the stakes into the ground around plants and tie stems with twine. Paint the exposed bamboo to protect from rotting.
- Bamboo Compost Bin
Make a backyard compost bin out of wire fencing lined with bamboo poles. The bamboo slats allow for air circulation while containing yard waste. Build a three-sided bin and open the front to easily access compost.
Fun Bamboo Projects for Outdoors
- Bamboo Wind Chimes
Add peaceful sounds to patios and porches with large bamboo wind chimes. Suspend pieces of cut bamboo pipes horizontally using rope or wire. Hang several chimes together for a musical atmosphere. Stain or seal the bamboo to withstand outdoor exposure.
- Bamboo Tiki Torches
Set bamboo poles in buckets or cans filled with sand or stones. Coil and staple burlap around the bottom half of each “torch.” Add fuel then top with citronella candles or flaming wicks for tropical, bug-fighting style.
- Bamboo Water Fountain
Craft a serene backyard fountain from bamboo and other simple supplies like a plastic basin, tubing, and pump. Cut bamboo stalks for cascading tiers or a spewing spout. Submerge and hide pump components in the basin.
- Bamboo Garden Bridge
A small bamboo footbridge creates a charming focal point in landscape design. Use thick poles or boards to assemble a simple arched bridge. You can keep it natural or finish the bamboo with exterior stain for added durability.
More Unique Bamboo Projects
- Bamboo Flutes & Drums
Make homemade musical instruments like pan flutes and small drums from bamboo. Pan flutes require cutting tube sections to varied lengths and diameters for different notes. Make drums by stretching material over hollow bamboo halves.
- Bamboo Paper Notebook
Craft an eco-friendly paper notebook from bamboo pulp. Blend strips of bamboo shoots in a blender until pulpy. Then, pour the pulp into framed molds. Press out water and allow sheets to dry before binding notebook pages together.
Check out our video: Fun and Easy DIY Bamboo Products
Now that you know the basics, you’re ready to get started. So let’s look at 12 projects using bamboo that you can try right now.
The first of our bamboo projects is a room divider. Room dividers are an effective and chic way of sectioning off larger rooms in your home or providing some privacy for a reading nook or changing area in a bedroom. You can purchase room dividers made from various materials. After making a room divider from bamboo, though, you’ll never want to buy a commercial room divider again.
To construct your bamboo room divider, start with a series of poles cut to the height you want for that divider. Buy a base that is the same length as you need for the room. If you don’t like the look of natural bamboo, you can paint or stain the poles before placing each one in the base.
Fill the base with quick dry cement. You can buy a pre-mixed cement or one that you mix yourself. Insert the poles into the cement, making sure that you place each one an equal distance apart. Once the cement dries, decorate the area around the base with river rocks or flowers to hide the cement.
Everyone wants wall decor for their home that is unique and inspires good thoughts and feelings. Decorating with bamboo can turn an ordinary wall into a focal point. You may want to consider bamboo designs for your office, as well. Research indicates that incorporating natural elements into your office space can have a positive effect on your mental health and attitude toward your job. Other studies indicate that incorporating color into your environment is good for mood.
To create some natural and colorful bamboo decor, place bamboo poles on old sheets, tarps or newspaper outside. Apply a thin coat of paint all over the bamboo and let dry overnight. Use masking tape or painter’s tape to tape off designs on each pole. You can also use the tape to create thicker or wider stripes of your favorite colors. Apply more paint to the surface, remove the tape once the paint dries and repeat until you create a design you like.
For a more natural look, you can create designs with natural bamboo. For some natural color variation, try mixing in some natural black bamboo poles. Phyllostachys nigra is an unusual bamboo species that produces a dark brown, speckly appearance. Whatever look you go for, you can use picture wire or hooks to hang those funky bamboo pieces on your walls.
To bring a tropical element into your bedroom decor, create a bamboo headboard for your bed. Determine how many bamboo poles you will need to span the width of your bed. If you have a queen size bed that is 60 inches wide, then you should plan for a width of about 64 inches since most headboards are just a bit wider than your mattress.
Lay your poles out in a single layer to create the design you want and cut them to your desired length. You can make sure they are all the same height for a uniform look, or you can vary them for a more organic appearance. Generally, most headboards are around 3 feet tall. Many headboards are higher in the middle and lower on the sides, so you may want to try this design for your bamboo poles.
Once your poles are laid out in your desired design, take 2-foot pieces of twine, rope or string and tie two bamboo poles together a third of the way down from the top and a third of the way from the bottom. Continue this pattern across the poles, and then attach the headboard to the wall by the twine using wall hooks. Now you have a unique headboard that can make any night feel like a tropical retreat.
A great addition to any entryway or mudroom is a multi-function coat rack. Of course, there are many prefabricated options available, but it’s easy to make your own from a naturally beautiful and environmentally-conscious material. This is an easy bamboo project you can complete in less than an hour and with minimal tools.
All you need is a drill, some twine or cord, and four 5-foot bamboo poles. If you want, you can paint part or all of the bamboo poles or leave them natural. First, mark a spot about a foot and a half from one end of each pole that will form the bottom of your coat rack. You will then drill a small hole straight through each pole where you marked so that they each have an opening at the same height.
Then, hold the bamboo poles in a bundle. About a foot and a half down from the top, wrap the cord around the bundle several times until about 4 inches of the bundle is covered in cord and then tie it off. Next, stand your poles up and splay them out so that they form a teepee shape of your desired size. All that is left to do then is to run additional cord through the holes you drilled and tie it off so that the poles cannot spread too far at the bottom and collapse your new coat rack.
Coffee tables come in all shapes, sizes and colors, so there’s no need to settle for an ordinary one when you want something unique in your living room. For a beautifully airy and organic coffee table you can make yourself, all you need is a drill, some bamboo poles, twine and a piece of glass. For the four legs, make sure you use bamboo with a wide diameter so it’s strong. The cross supports can be made from smaller poles.
One great thing about making your own coffee table is that you can choose the perfect size for your space. Once you’ve determined the dimensions for your table, cut the bamboo poles to size. For the cross pieces, leave an extra centimeter or two. Now, drill two holes 90 degrees apart on each of your table legs and insert the cross pieces into the holes. You should now have a rectangle of cross pieces connected to four vertical legs.
When the pieces are all in place, secure them with glue. To enhance the appearance, wrap these joints tightly with twine or rope. You may also want to lacquer the bamboo for shine and preservation. The final step is to add the glass top. You want the glass to extend about 3 inches beyond the table legs.
Edging helps define the edges of flower beds, walkways and more. Common materials for garden edging include wood, brick, stone and plastic. For a more interesting look, you can use bamboo as the border to separate features in your lawn. Bamboo is naturally durable, but you can make it stand up to the elements even better if you treat it with a sealant before installing it outside.
This is an especially easy project if you purchase bamboo borders. This border comes pre-assembled with short, asymmetrical poles that are capped and attached to each other with heavy-duty galvanized steel wire. This garden edging is flexible so you can place it along any straight or curved perimeter. If it’s too long, just cut the wire to remove as many poles as you need to. You can give extra support to the bamboo border with rebar or wooden stakes.
For a more DIY route, you can use any size bamboo poles to create garden edging. Start by measuring the length of the area where you want to put the border and divide this length by the width of your poles to know how many pieces you need. If you want each piece to have a closed node at the top, you will need to order extra poles. Use the leftover pieces that are open at the top for another fun project. Use round pressure-treated hardwood stakes to plant your bamboo in the ground.
Planters are a great way to enjoy nature both outdoors and indoors. You can make your own durable bamboo planters that you can hang in your home or yard. Start with a bamboo pole that is fairly big around. Remember that bamboo is hollow except where the nodes are. To make bamboo planters, you will cut out a section with a node at one end. Where you cut into the internode will depend on how deep you want your bamboo planter to be.
Then, drill a small hole into the node at the bottom of the planter. This allows for drainage when you water your plants or when they collect rain. If you plan to set your planter on a surface, then you’re already done. If you want to hang your planter, you also need to drill a hole on either side of the planter so you can connect a wire. To hang the planters vertically, then drill these holes near the top of the planter.
To hang the planters diagonally so that the plants hang down from the planter, drill the holes for the wire near the bottom of the planter and an additional hole near the top. Now, you can thread the wire through to make a T shape. You can hang several planters like this in a vertical configuration. Now, plant your favorite greenery or flowers in your planters and enjoy watching them grow.
Creeping or vining plants, such as peas, beans and tomatoes or flowers like clematis and morning glories, need a trellis as a supporting framework so they can spread and thrive. Vinyl lattices can diminish the natural appearance of your garden. A great way to support your plants while preserving the natural beauty of your garden is by constructing a bamboo trellis.
First, determine the height and width necessary for your plant and cut some bamboo poles to fit those dimensions. Lay the vertical pieces on the ground, either straight up and down or diagonal with the tops angled in. Then, space the horizontal pieces evenly across the vertical pieces to create a grid. You should consider what type of plant you’re constructing the trellis for and what spacing would best suit the size and growth pattern of the vines.
With your grid arranged, all that’s left to do is cut some pieces of twine and tie them tightly around all the intersections of the poles to hold the trellis together. Now your trellis is ready to be placed upright and either planted firmly into the ground with pressure-treated hardwood end stakes or leaned against the exterior of your house or another supporting structure.
Fencing has many practical uses. It can keep pets contained, keep children safe and provide your home with some privacy. Unfortunately, some fencing, while it may be functional, is unsightly. Incorporating bamboo into your fencing is an excellent way of turning your backyard into a private haven of natural beauty. You can select from different varieties of bamboo or even stain the bamboo fencing to achieve your desired look.
Bamboo fencing should be affixed to an existing wooden or chainlink fence for support. You can use drywall screws, coated deck screws or zip ties to attach the bamboo poles to the framework. Purchase bamboo fencing, which comes in rolls. When rolled out, these fencing sections span a long distance.
Each bamboo pole is connected to the next with galvanized wire. To install your fencing panels on a wooden fence, predrill holes and use deck screws to attach the bamboo to the fence at spaced-out intervals. On a chainlink fence, use zip ties around the wire to attach the fencing. If your fence is atop soil, use treated two-by-four boards at the base of your bamboo to create a barrier between it and the soil.
Many beautiful homes are accented with a bar that serves both as a focal point for social gatherings and a retreat once those gatherings have adjourned for the night. A classic theme, such as Tiki, can help to make your bar both memorable and inviting. The classic Tiki bar would not be complete without a facing of bamboo to emphasize the island-feel.
If you’re building a bar from scratch, then choose the dimensions and materials you want to suit your needs. Whether you’re putting the front on a new bar or on a pre-existing bar you want to enhance, creating a bamboo finish is as simple as either screwing, nailing, or gluing bamboo slats to the existing surface. For an especially easy install, there is ready-made bamboo paneling that you can install as complete units, saving time and effort in installing individual slats. Just remember to measure twice so you can cut once.
If your bar is outside, then you may also want to add a roof to complete your Tiki bar. Make holes at all four corners of the counter and use glue to secure four bamboo poles in the holes. You can construct a frame for the roof out of bamboo and use natural or artificial thatch to complete the tropical look.
Outdoor showers are a useful feature at the beach, by a pool or anywhere you want to rinse off outside. You can elevate a purely functional outdoor shower to an attractive feature by renovating it with some bamboo. Sealed bamboo is water-resistant, so it’s the perfect material for an outdoor shower.
If you don’t already have an enclosure for your outdoor shower, you can make one. Set up vertical poles and then use two-by-four boards placed horizontally to make a framework. Your framework can be rectangular or circular, depending on your preference. Now, you can wrap the frame in bamboo, leaving an opening for stepping in and out of the shower.
The easiest way to do this is to use bamboo fencing so the bamboo poles are already attached to one another. Use screws or zip ties to attach the bamboo fencing to the framework of the shower. Be sure to apply sealant to the bamboo to make it more durable. Now you have an outdoor shower that is just as beautiful as it is useful.
Since bamboo is strong enough for load-bearing furniture, you can use it to construct a bench for the inside of your home or outside in your garden. This project is a good one for more ambitious creators since it’s a little more involved than many of the previous projects on this list. The materials needed for this project include bamboo poles, a saw, a power drill and strong wire. The size and number of bamboo poles you need will depend on your design for your bench.
The basic steps to making a backless bench are to create the surface for sitting and four sturdy legs. The legs of your bench can be made from lumber or can be large-diameter bamboo poles, cut short. The surface for sitting should be made by connecting a series of bamboo poles together. You can tie them the traditional way using twine, or you can drill holes and use wire to connect them.
Add a cross support on each end of the bench by drilling two holes, spaced vertically, in each of the four legs. Insert one end of a thinner bamboo pole into the top hole on one leg and the lower hole on the adjacent leg and secure in place with glue. Repeat until you have an X shape on each end of your bench.
35 Amazing Uses for Bamboo
FAQ
What can I make with my bamboo?
It has an even more surprising number of uses: garden trellises, fencing, screens and hedges, musical instruments, paper, bicycle frames, furniture, shelter, land conservation, home décor, and fuel. With a little creativity, there are many bamboo uses for the homesteader and casual grower.
What are the top 10 uses of bamboo?
- Fuel. …
- Scaffolding. …
- Bamboo Furniture. …
- Rugs and textiles. …
- Paper. …
- Nappies. …
- Utensils and tableware. Cups and saucers, spoons and ladles can be made from this incredibly versatile material.
- The list is endless… Musical instruments, fishing rods, bicycles, helmets, toys…
What can bamboo be used for?
Bamboo has many uses, mainly in construction (flooring, roofing designing, and scaffolding), furniture, food, biofuel, fabrics, cloth, paper, pulp, charcoal, …Sep 30, 2020
Is it legal to grow bamboo in the US?
Can you grow bamboo in the US? Yes, bamboo is often grown as an ornamental and for privacy screens by gardeners all across the United States. Bamboo cultivars that will grow or at least survive in at least 49 states and Canada are available.
What is bamboo used for?
Bamboo shoots are a staple diet in many Asian countries. The shoots are put in stews or eaten as pickles. When there is a drought, bamboo seeds are used as a replacement for rice. Bamboo is used to produce paper. India produces over 3 million tons of bamboo every year and nearly half of it is turned into paper.
Is bamboo good for the environment?
Aside from its aesthetic uses, Bamboo also brings societal and environmental benefits. It is also good to protect the soil from erosion especially that the sanctuary is near the riverbank. “Bamboo is a wonder grass that produces 35% more oxygen compared to other plants and trees and absorbs 5% more carbon dioxide”.
What are the benefits of bamboo?
Bamboo, the versatile and eco-friendly giant grass, plays a crucial role in sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation. On this special day, let’s celebrate the many benefits of bamboo: 1. Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants, making it a renewable resource that helps reduce deforestation. 2.