How to Make Window Blinds from Japanese Knotweed

I have a friend who loves to make DIY projects and this is one of his projects that I thought I would share.  I don't know if you have heard of Japanese Knotweed but if not, it is a large perennial herbaceous plant that is Native to East Asia but can be found here in the United States. If it is not controlled, it can take over crops, your land, and vegetation. But on the other hand, it has many uses. For this article, it is used to make a window blind.

Step 1:

    Cut down canes and strip all branches then split in half because they are hollow and need to be cured inside and out. Then work up as much as you need to make the project.

Step 2: 

   Submerge the canes into a water vat (a plastic drum works as well). Then add a pile of stems, bark, and leaves of staghorn sumac to the mix. Weigh down with rocks. Leave for several months until it has a noticeable leather smell. Add a couple of spades full of wood ash to neutralize tannins. Pull from the vat and wash with fresh water.

Step 3:

   Dry in the sun.

Step 4:

   Follow these instructions more or less.

After the ashes work out, the material will develop a dead fish smell. This is the alkaline from the ashes. Wash real good after. The canes end up with a leathery smell to them. Then they can be woven and used for other things.

My friend sets the vats in the fall and lets them work over the winter. It doesn't hurt them to freeze. Then he pulls them out in April and washes them.

Here are pictures of the blinds being made.