How Do I Shorten Horizontal Mini Blinds?

Shorten a mini blind to fit a smaller window.

Sometimes mini blinds are a little longer than what you need for your window. You can leave the extra blinds bundled at the bottom or you can remove some slats and shorten the blinds so that you don't have so much excess. You can shorten the blinds while they are hanging in the window or you can lay them flat on a table to do it, but removing the slats while the blinds are hanging is much easier.

Things You'll Need

• Butter knife
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Locate the two or three plastic buttons (caps) on the blind's bottom rail. Use the butter knife to pry the buttons (caps) off the underside of the bottom rail. This will reveal a cord with a knot in it. Cut the knot off with scissors.

2. Pull that same cord from the bottom rail. Do this by grabbing the cord on the top side of the bottom rail. Continue pulling that same cord from each of the slats that you need to remove to shorten the blind. Note: You need to do this step for each of the two to three cords.

3. Remove the slats by siding each one out of the left or right side of the blind string that holds it in place.

4. Place the bottom rail back under the last slat. Thread each of the cords back through the tiny holes on the bottom rail so that each cord comes out the bottom side of the rail.
   Use a scissors to cut and shorten the cord, but leave enough cord for making a new knot.

5. Retie a knot in each of the two or three cords on the underside of the bottom rail where the buttons (caps) were located. Make sure to tie the knots so that each cord is the same length as the other cord(s) so that the blind will be level. Place a button (cap) on each of the holes and press down to secure in place.

References

• Select Blinds: How to Shorten Blinds