Before the advent of temporary blinds, if you wanted to buy any kind of covering for your windows, you would have to pay out a fairly sizeable amount of money, whichever option you decided upon. Shutters, curtains, Venetian blinds, Roman blinds, and most other types of window coverings have never been particularly cheap. So fitting out an entire house with traditional window coverings like these has always been an expensive proposition. But now, fortunately, all of that has changed. There is a new kid on the block. Temporary paper blinds are the future! Why? Because not only are they incredibly cheap, they are also easy to install. As well as all that, they look great too!

What are Temporary Window Blinds?

You may not have come across a temporary blind before, in which case you are probably wondering exactly what it is, and what is so good about it. Donít worry, itís nothing too complicated, simply a blind made of paper (or sometimes vinyl) that can be attached very easily to a window and that can be raised or lowered as needed. Vinyl blinds tend to be more hardwearing than the paper ones, but the paper blinds offer a slightly cheaper option.

Surprisingly, considering what a simple concept and an obvious solution the temporary window blind is, it is only fairly recently that the product has actually come on to the market. But then all good inventions seem obvious after the fact!

Ease of Installation

Temporary blinds are now becoming very popular, in both their paper and vinyl form. One of the great things about them is their ease of installation. They come in standard sizes that can be cut to fit almost any shape or size of window. In fact, the only tool you need to install them is a good strong pair of scissors. There is no drilling or screwing necessary because the blinds come with an adhesive strip, which enables them to be attached easily to the frame or the glass of the window.

Light

So how effective are these temporary blinds and how do they look once installed? Well, the black vinyl version is actually very effective in shutting out light (although the blinds donít provide a complete blackout) so they are good for bedrooms for example. Whereas the white blinds allow a fair amount of light in, so these are generally used more for privacy purposes, maybe for kitchens, bathrooms or office windows. For the most translucent option, you would probably want to choose a rice paper blind. Rice paper has a unique light diffusion quality all its own.

Temporary Blinds Manufacturers and Distributors

In terms of who actually makes and sells temporary window blinds, there are now a growing number of manufacturers and distributors.

Redi Shade Temporary Blinds

In the U.S., the biggest supplier is probably Redi, the company that produces the Redi Shade product line. Redi Shades can be purchased either in their original pleated form or with honeycomb cellular pleats, which are designed to provide greater energy efficiency.

Although Redi are based in the U.S., it is now possible to purchase Redi Shades around the world, as they have distribution outlets in Australia, Canada, Mexico, UK and Europe. Redi shades can also be purchased from online stores such as Amazon.

Blinds in a Box – A UK Newcomer

An alternative to Redi in the UK is Blinds in a Box, a relatively new company with an interesting history.

Blinds in a Box was founded just two years ago by a lady in her sixties called Simeone Salik. Mrs. Salik came up with the idea when she was looking for a temporary covering for her windows while waiting for some curtains to arrive. At the time, it was only possible to order temporary blinds from America, so Mrs. Salik along with her designer Janice Dalton, decided to make up some temporary blinds themselves. They immediately saw that what they had created could be marketed. And so the company was born.

Earlier this year, Mrs. Salik and the other directors of Blinds in a Box decided they needed some investment to grow the company, so they applied to go onto the popular UK television programme, Dragonís Den (a show where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to investors for financial backing). To their delight, they were offered £40,000 by millionaire businessmen James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne, who immediately saw the potential of the product. Since then the company has gone from strength to strength, and is now probably the leading supplier of temporary blinds in the UK.

How Much Do Temporary Blinds Cost?

Paper blinds are ridiculously cheap. Purchased singly, they can be bought for $8 to $10 (or around £5-£6 in the UK). A box of six will set you back less than $50 (£35 or so in the UK). Expect to pay a few dollars more for vinyl blinds.

You can usually buy temporary blinds online pretty easily, but theyíre also available in a lot of major stores, such as Argos or B&Q in the UK, or Walmart in the US.

Where Can Temporary Window Blinds Be Used?

Temporary window blinds can be used pretty much anywhere. In the home, in the office or in shop windows, upstairs or downstairs, in the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom or the kidsí play house!

One area where temporary blinds are becoming increasingly popular is in student accommodation facilities. If you are a student, you donít want to be spending all of your money on curtains or expensive Venetian blinds, so temporary window blinds offer a good, cheap alternative.

And despite the fact that they are called temporary window blinds, they can actually last a very long time, so many people who buy and install them are in no particular rush to replace them with something more permanent. They are very easy to clean and the vinyl blinds particularly are remarkably hard-wearing. Couple that with the fact that they can look really chic, and you realize why many people keep the blinds up for a lot longer than they originally intended to when they bought them.

So in conclusion, if you are shopping for curtains or blinds, and particularly if money is tight, take a good look at the various temporary window blinds that are on offer. Temporary blinds are without doubt the best way to cover your windows on a budget.

Temporary paper blinds for windows are an increasingly popular home decoration option, especially among those people who choose to rent their accommodation. Made of a simple, pleated sheet of paper, they cost almost nothing, and they can be quickly and easily set up to cover any window. Although temporary, they usually look good enough to pass for ‘real’ blinds, and they’re durable to last for years if looked after carefully.

History of Paper Blinds

Paper blinds are actually not a recent phenomenon. They have been used for many centuries, especially in Asia.

Japanese paper blinds (also called Japanese Shoji Blinds) were first introduced in the 8th century. However, instead of being used to screen windows, they were used to divide different sections, or rooms, in Japanese houses. Usually made of rice paper attached to wooden frames, their simple and elegant design meant that they could be moved around the house to change its layout as necessary.

Paper blinds were also popular in China. Chinese paper blinds were also usually made from rice paper, and tended to be put to the same uses as in Japan. Chinese blinds can be differentiated though by their greater use of designs and colours on the paper itself, whereas Japanese blinds tend more towards the plain, minimalist look.

The introduction of paper blinds to the UK and USA is a relatively recent development, however. Modern western usage is also much different, focused on using paper blinds for windows, rather than for walls.

How do I install paper blinds?

Paper blinds are very easy to install. They usually come in kit form, but putting them up requires almost zero DIY skills.

Basically, all you have to do is take them out of the box, cut them to fit the size of your window using scissors, peel the backing from the adhesive tape, and stick them to the wall just above your window. That’s it!

Once installed, temporary paper blinds are easy to use as well. Most of these binds are pleated blinds, they look a bit like an accordion. They come with a small plastic clip, and you simply fold the blinds to the height you want, and attach the clip to hold them in place.

Where can I buy paper window blinds?

If you are in the United Kingdom, there are a couple of major companies that sell temporary window blinds. Most well known are Blinds in a Box, who once appeared on the TV show Dragons Den. Another good choice are Redi Shade, an American company who recently entered the UK market.

If you’re looking for more traditional paper blinds to use as room dividers or screens, you could also contact a company like Shoji Blinds.

If you have recently moved into a new home, or maybe you are in the process of settling into a new office, then the use of temporary window shades can make all the difference to how you feel in your new location. Instead of that cold, empty, uninviting atmosphere you often have in a new property, the installation of a temporary window shade can quickly make you feel welcome and at home.

It is often the case that curtains and blinds are the last things to be put up following a move.  But because temporary window blinds can be installed very quickly and cheaply, you can put them up in a jiffy and you will then have both privacy and a certain element of cosiness while you settle in.

Temporary window shades are a fairly new innovation, but they are such a simple idea that it is surprising that they have only recently come on to the market. They typically follow a very simple design, being made of paper and coming in a range of standard sizes that can be cut down to fit almost any window.

How to Install Temporary Window Shades

The installation of these paper blinds could not be more simple. All you have to do is take them out of the box, measure them up against the window, and if they donít fit perfectly straight away, you just cut them down to size. Because they are only made of paper, this is actually a very easy process.

Once you have made the necessary adjustments, you attach them to the window frame using the adhesive tape provided. You can raise and lower the blinds very easily and hold them in place with clips, which are also provided.

Benefits of Temporary Window Shades

The benefits to these paper window shades are many and varied. To start with, compared with any other type of blind or curtain, they are extremely cheap. Secondly, they can provide privacy while still allowing in a certain amount of light. They can be installed in a matter of minutes and even though they are considered a temporary solution, they can look really good. So good in fact that you might even find that once you have installed your temporary shades, they will stay on your windows for much longer than you were initially intending!

Mostly people use temporary window blinds like these in their houses, but I have heard of them being used in conservatories as well, particularly in a upvc conservatory, where they attach particularly well to the conservatory window frames.

Where to Buy Temporary Blinds

There are a number of suppliers who can provide a wide range of paper blinds. One of the biggest and most well known suppliers is REDI, who have a selection of pleated blinds, which can be purchased online from various outlets. The blinds are mostly available in white, although some manufacturers are now starting to offer them in various colors. It is even now possible to purchase blinds with patterns and designs on, but you might need to hunt around to find something unique.

In terms of costs, REDI shades can be purchased for less than $10.00 each or around $50.00 for a box of six.

In conclusion, if you are planning a move and have been dreading the idea of being surrounded by big, cold, uninviting looking windows, then the installation of some temporary window shades will make all the difference to how quickly and comfortably you will settle in!

Redi Shade is a company headquartered in Sonoma County, California, specialising in temporary window blinds.

The blinds that the company produces, Redi Shades, are affordable, easy to install window coverings that can be used in the home or office.  They offer a range of temporary window blinds, most of which come in two widths, 36î and 48î.

Standard Pleated Shades

The standard shades offered by Redi are available in both paper and polyester. The Original Redi Shade, made of standard white paper, allows a certain amount of light through while still providing privacy. The Natural Redi Shade is very similar but instead of using standard paper uses quality recycled paper. These shades add a touch of colour and give a warmer light than the original version.

The Fabric Pleated Shade is made from non-woven polyester, comes in white, and also allows in a certain amount of light.

Redi Shade blinds are also available in darker materials. The room darkening pleated shade blocks out more light than the Original, Natural and Fabric shades, so is probably a better solution for a bedroom.

For complete light blocking the Redi Shade Blackout Pleated Shade blocks out 99% of light and is ideal for sleeping babies or for people who work nights and have to sleep in the daytime, for example.

If you have an arched window in your house, then the Redi Arch is designed specifically to fit windows up to 72î.

Redi Shade Easy Touch

For a more comprehensive solution, Redi shade and now offer easy touch, which comes with everything you need to size, cut and install your shades. Easy touch is available with either standard pleated shades or with cellular window shades, which have a honeycomb pleated design, designed for greater energy efficiency and insulation.

Where to Buy Redi Shades

Redi shades can be bought from online retailers such as Amazon, all from stores such as Costco, JC Penney, and Walmart. And outside of the U.S., They have distributors in the UK, Europe, Canada, Mexico and Australia.

Safety

As a company, Redi Shade places a high emphasis on safety, with all their blinds being cord-free. This is a very important issue, as their temporary blinds are often installed in childrenís bedrooms. According to the U.S. consumer product safety commission, in the last 19 years, over 300 children have died in window cord accidents. To combat this, all Redi Shades operate with simple clips instead of cords.

Redi Shades have actually been awarded the seal of approval by Parents for Window Blind SafetyTM, a nonprofit organization focused on the hazards of corded window blinds.

For more information, visit Redi Shade’s website.

Paper blinds have become increasingly popular over the last couple of years. There are a number of reasons for this. Not only are they cheap, but they are also easy to install, and can work very well as a temporary covering for any window.

But although the temporary paper blinds that you can now buy online from manufacturers like Redi are a fairly new innovation, the history of paper blinds goes back over 1000 years.

Japanese Shoji Blinds

The Japanese were one of the first races to discover the beauty and efficiency of paper blinds. Around the eighth century, Shoji screens and blinds were starting to be used around the Japanese home. Made of rice paper in a wooden frame, these Shoji screens were used to separate different areas of the house. This was necessary because Japanese homes at that time rarely had internal walls. So with their simple design, the Shoji blinds could be folded and moved around, enabling them to be used as temporary window blinds as well as room partitions.

Chinese Rice Paper Blinds

The Chinese have also used rice paper blinds through the ages. Whereas the Japanese generally kept their designs fairly simple and understated, the typical Chinese rice paper blind would be much more colourful. Even now, if you were to take a trip to your nearest ChinaTown, you would see many blinds on sale with all kinds of striking designs, patterns and motifs. Although some of these blinds are factory produced, if you are looking for a hand painted paper blind, you will probably find a good selection amongst the various blinds on offer.

As a temporary solution for covering a window, or for putting in place a partition to section off a room, these paper window blinds cannot be beaten if you want something stylish and a little bit different.

Modern Paper Window Blinds

For something a little less ornate, there are now many manufacturers who produce paper window blinds that can be cut down to size and installed in a matter of minutes. These are cheap (less than $10 per blind), very easy to fit, and offer a good short term solution while youíre waiting for your new curtains to arrive for example.  I have used a set in my den, where they look especially good on the window behind my leather corner settee and armchair.

Redi Shade produces a wide range of temporary blinds in both a traditional pleated design and a cellular design that is more energy efficient. They offer simple white blinds, translucent blinds with a touch of colour and black blinds which can blackout most of the light coming in through a window (great for baby and toddler rooms, for example).

In conclusion, whether you are looking for a simple covering for your window (such as the Redi shade), a tasteful partition for a section of room (such as a Japanese Shoji screen) or a more decorative feature (such as a Chinese hand painted rice paper blind), paper blinds make great temporary blinds and screens, not just in the home but also in the office. And if youíre a student on a tight budget, they can really spruce up your accommodation!

Binds in a Box are the only company that manufacture and sell temporary blinds in the United Kingdom (UK).

They are a relatively new company, formed in 2007 by Simeone Salik, who had just built a new home and needed a temporary solution to cover her windows while she waited for more permanent curtains to arrive. She commissioned a friend, Janice Dalton, to make some temporary blinds and it was at that point she realised that there could be a gap in the market that could be filled by a small company specialising in temporary window blinds.

Blinds in a Boxís big break came when BBC producers noticed an article about the fledgeling blinds company in a Manchester Newspaper, and invited Salik and her partners to apply for a spot on the new BBC Television programme Dragonís Den.

After pitching their idea to the Dragons, they were offered an investment of £40,000 for a 50% stake in their business (a stake that would reduce to 40% if the Blinds in a Box team managed to hit their targets) by James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne.

A clip of Salik and her partners appearance in the Dragons Den is available on Youtube, and a copy is embedded below for you to watch:

Fitting with their simple design philosophy, Blinds in a Box offer only two kinds of temporary window blinds – White, and Black. The blinds come in one standard size ñ 36 inches (91.5cm) wide, and 6ft (183cm) long, and can be cut to fit most window sizes. These temporary paper blinds come in a box containing six blinds (enough to install blinds to all the windows of a small house) for a list price of £45, although currently their website lists the price at a discount rate of £39.10 for those who buy online.

You can buy temporary blinds direct from Blinds in a Box via their website, at the prices quoted above. You can also pick them up at other retailers across the UK, including Argos (both online and in their stores).

Interestingly, with an eye on the British ex-pat market, they have also expanded into Spain with their new website, blindsinaboxspain.com, which sell the same products for 69.95 Euros.

Once you’ve purchased your temporary blinds, they are very simple to install. They are basically a pleated blind made of paper, and can be cut down to match the size of your window using a small, sharp knife or scissors. Once you’ve cut the blinds down to size, you then peel the backing away from the tape that is fixed to the back of the paper blind and stick it to your window frame, or the wall surrounding the frame. The blinds are pleated paper blinds, so to open them just gather the pleats together, and secure them with the clips provided. To lower the blinds, follow the same procedure.

Blinds in a Box provide detailed instructions in the pack, but a video installation guide is also provided – see below.

As you can see, installation takes less than a minute and a half, which is a testament to the simplicity and elegance of Blinds in a Box Temporary Window Blinds.