How to Bend Bamboo Poles

Bamboo poles have a variety of uses.

Bamboo is a plant with tall, thin stalks that can tower over you and the other plants of your garden. The stalks of the bamboo tree are useful outside of your garden as well. You can find bamboo in almost anything ranging from clothing to furniture. If you decide to utilize this diverse plant in one of your projects, you may find it is a little hard to handle if you need to bend it. With a little work and preparation, though, you can make the bamboo stalks flexible enough to cater to your needs.

Things You'll Need

• Storage tub
• Water
• Bamboo stalk
• Plywood
• Pencil
• Hammer
• Nails

Instructions

1. Fill a tub large enough to accommodate the stalk of bamboo with lukewarm water.

2. Set the bamboo stalk into the tub and leave it to soak. Depending on the strength and thickness of the bamboo stalk, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days, so start your project with plenty of time to spare.

3. Pull the bamboo out of the water and test its flexibility by bending it into the shape you need. It will not stay in the shape, but at least you can be sure it will work. Stop bending it and place it immediately back into the water if it starts making a crackling sound as you bend it.

4. Lay the bent bamboo against a piece of plywood board. The board should be large enough to completely fit the bamboo stalk on its surface.

5. Ask a friend or a family member to trace the outline of the bent bamboo on the face of the plywood. Store the bamboo back in the water once the outline is complete.

6. Hammer some sturdy nails into the plywood board along the outline of the bamboo stalk. When you finish, there should be two lines of nails evenly spaced from each other.

7. Press the bamboo stalk into the space between the nails. The nails will keep the bamboo stalk bent while it dries, preserving the bent shape of the stalk. Leave it bent in this fashion for 1 to 3 days or until the stalk remains bent after you remove it.