How2Day: Window Dressings That Roll Up

Roll-up bamboo blinds are bound with a string on each side of the roll. Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images
Roll-up window dressings let homeowners decide how much light to allow into the home with fashionable, light window treatments. Unlike blinds that require you to use a cord or cable to adjust the height, roll-up window dressings let you adjust the height of the blinds by rolling the fabric or wood by hand into a bundle and placing it at the top of the window. As home decoration, roll-up windows often give off a natural or historic look that fits well in homes and apartments.

Wide-slat Venetian blinds add character, dimension and sun protection with the option to roll them up to let in more light. Venetian blinds are made with types of hard wood, such as mahogany or ebony, plastic, vinyl and other materials. While wooden Venetian blinds typically look the most classic and attractive for dining rooms, patios, sunrooms and bedrooms, other materials look good in more casual rooms in the house, like downstairs game rooms. Most blinds come with a string that allows you to roll the blinds up; others come with a mechanism that lets you roll the blinds up by remote control.

Bamboo blinds give bedrooms, patios and living rooms a natural, exotic look. Roll-up bamboo blinds are made with thin, tightly connected bamboo pieces. You can raise or lower the blinds by unrolling the bamboo roll at the top of the window and letting the blinds fall flat against the bright window. Some bamboo blind models allow you to control the blinds by a cord or string. If you want to keep the bamboo blinds on an outdoor-type room like a porch or sunroom, beware of rain, wind and salts that could erode the wood. If bad weather comes, you can tuck the bamboo roll under your arm and take it inside to keep it safe.

Unlike vinyl, tinny blinds -- with a habit of breaking -- eco-friendly fabric drapes offer durability and elegance. Roll-up window dressing varieties, as of 2010, include paper, hemp, woven wood and jute -- a long, soft, shiny vegetable fiber spun into tough threads. With paper roll-up drapes, you can cut shapes or patterns into the bottom of the paper so light highlights the edges.

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