How to Make a Shelf With a Venetian Blind

Measure the venetian blind with your tape measure and decide how long you want your shelf to be. If you want the shelf to be shorter than it currently is, use a ruler to draw a straight line marking where you want to cut the blind. Hold your ruler in place next to the line, and run the utility knife along the line, using the ruler as your guide. Venetian blinds usually have a veneer finish, which will splinter if you try to cut it without scoring it first. Turn the blind over and score the other side in the same place.

Cut the venetian blind with a saw along the scored line. Being relatively thin, it shouldn't take more than a few strokes of the saw to cut through the scored line.

Sand the rough edge with sandpaper until you have a smooth finish.

Place a shelf bracket flush with one end of the venetian blind and mark the center of the bracket with the pencil. Mark the other end of the blind in the same manner. Measure the length between the two pencil markings, and divide the length by the number of brackets you wish to use.For example, if the space between the brackets is 24 inches, and you want the brackets to be 6 inches apart, you'll calculate 24 divided by six and get four. Your answer is the number of brackets you will place between the two end brackets.

Make pencil marks on the blind for each wall bracket using a bracket as a guide.

Insert a drill bit into the electric drill that correlates with your screw width. Drill a hole in each of your pencil marks.

Mount the brackets on the wall using screws and your electric drill with a screwdriver bit. To make sure the brackets are level, use a yardstick for marking the spots on the wall where you will mount the brackets.

Lay the venetian blind across the shelf brackets and make sure the shelf is centered over the brackets. Use your predrilled holes as a guide for lining up the shelf with the brackets. Screw the shelf to the brackets from the top.