Bamboo is an eco-friendly material, you can use it to make a variety of home and garden DIY bamboo projects.
What are the things you can make out of bamboo?
In this article, we take a look at 5 things you can make from bamboo sticks by using simple hand tools. Use the pictures and video for clarity.
Bamboo sticks for plants
Bamboo sticks in use in pots and patio
Many gardeners and homeowners are using bamboo sticks as stakes because they are tall, strong and blend incredibly well with other plants in the garden.
There are many fantastic uses of the sticks. One that stands out is staking indoor and outdoor plants.
The bamboo sticks provide a strong support system for small shrubs, tomatoes, beans, soft fruit and vines.
You can cut the sticks to length and tie plants along them to provide the support they need to grow.
You can use bamboo sticks to make garden hoops for netting. If the squirrels and pigeons get the garden berries before you, you might want to build a protective netting around the berries.
The bamboo garden hoops are perfect for protecting the berries in the garden.
Hope it gives you some ideas about how to build a simple, but practical, garden netting to stop deer, bird and insect netting from getting to you plants.
How to build a deer, bird and insect netting for garden
You will need x3 long bamboo sticks to go from one end of the netting to the other. This will set the length and width of the garden netting, so choose them carefully.
Alternatively, you can tie the bamboo together to give you a longer length.
Then, bend the bamboo stick into an arch shape, forming the bamboo garden hoops or loopers.
These will now be the hoops for the garden netting.
You can put the bamboo hoops straight into the soil or build an elevated top cover, and throw the net over it, like in this YouTube video.
This video shows how to build netting cheaply by using the materials listed in this article. All done in one day.
After completing the hoops for the garden netting, spread the net over the top and use ropes to tie them in.
No need to use nails or cable ties, garden ropes will do.
The idea is simple, but it works every time.
Here are some practical garden uses of bamboo sticks.
Bamboo best natural garden hoops
The bamboo sticks are fantastic materials for making garden hoops for netting, incredibly flexible. They can fit into the spaces making it easy to create formidable nettings for small gardens.
They are also best for arch-shaped netting.
You can use them to make almost anything from building netting like this to using them as support for runner beans, sweet peas or any garden plant.
Hope this article and the video guide give you an idea about how you can use bamboo to build garden hoops for your netting project, too.
The freshly cut bamboo sticks from the bamboo grove are easy to bend to shape. In fact, they are so flexible that you can make a nice arch shape and use them as hoops for netting.
If you are using large bamboo stems, apply gentle heat to the stem and see the magic, the bamboo will bend easily.
Also, bamboo culms/stems will bend nicely from the bamboo grove. So, train them early on into a hoop while they are still young. For example, this big bamboo arch/hoop was trained into a hoop formed in the bamboo grove. Perfect for use in arching projects like this tomato frame.
These two bamboos grow well in the UK, their culms are slender, tall and very strong. They produce better, bendable, bamboo sticks which make great garden hoops for netting.
Other tall bamboos like the Phyllostachys vivax are also good, but they have large stems/culms, which are often hard to bend to shape.
Materials for bamboo garden netting
In this project, the main material is bamboo, others include old rubber hose and mesh wire. It is a simple idea, but it works out perfectly every time.
Firstly, use bamboo sticks/hoops to build the mainframe. Then, put the netting over it.
Materials:
Garden net
Mesh wire
Garden rope
Bamboo sticks
Point Crowbar
Old water hose
Note: Freshly cut bamboo sticks are best for making garden hoops for netting because they will bend easily without breaking.
You can substitute the materials for others you have in the garden, but the substitute for bamboo sticks can be hard to find.
List of materials, tools and garden essentials
Here is a list of tools, materials and garden essentials and where to buy them.
Hope it gives you some ideas about how to build a simple, but practical, garden netting to stop the deer, bird and insect netting from getting to you plants.
The bamboo canes are excellent stakes for garden plants. They come in different sizes and are often used for supporting vines, shoots and many other garden plants. The bamboo stems have different thicknesses.
Take a look at how some of these tall bamboo plants are grown inside root barriers and wall barriers - 25 different ways of growing invasive bamboo.
Uses of bamboo canes in the garden
You may have seen bamboo canes used in the garden. In fact, there are countless uses. You can use them as the support for runner beans, sweet peas, and flowers or as hoops for netting in the garden.
As mentioned, the best bamboos to grow are the plants with thick canes. You will have endless supplies to use in the garden.
Bamboo sticks for plants in pots and gardens.
Here are some garden projects where we use bamboo canes. The canes come from the bamboo plants that we grow in pots and along with the garden hedge and as privacy screens.
Many garden bamboo plants in the UK are too big to use as bamboo canes or have thin stem walls. The bamboos are great for the privacy screen and tall hedges, but not ideal for use as bamboo sticks.
So, if you want to grow bamboo and use its canes, choose one of the 5 bamboo plants.
The plants will produce an endless supply of canes.
You can also use them for fencing, hoops and stakes for indoor plants. The uses are limitless.
See how we use bamboo on our YouTube channel. This playlist has all the bamboo DIY ideas.
The bamboo sticks are tall, slender, rounded, tough and strong. They are the perfect support for new plants, vines, beans and garden and pot plants that need stem support.
Bamboo sticks will last for many years. You can use and re-use the sticks, they are tough, firm and strong.
They are also flexible, you can bend them to your liking and create amazing shapes and designs.
Do you have a useful plant in the garden?
Bamboo stems are fantastic alternatives to timber and plastic garden stakes.
Grow the 5 bamboo plants for unlimited supplies of tall bamboo sticks for garden plants.
We would love to hear from you.
Do you have a plant in the garden that you often use the stems like the bamboo stems?
Let us know in the comments below.
Here is another useful garden plant, Cordyline australis. Its leaves are fantastic garden ropes.
Build a nice square bamboo and wood trellis for your garden plants. First, build a square or rectangular frame. Then, use the bamboo sticks as support for the plants to crawl up them.
This can be an easy and rewarding garden project. Your creepy crawly plants will love it.
A square trellis provides good support for creeper plants.
Square wood and bamboo trellis for plants
The square trellis is not only a multi-purpose trellis but makes a nice centrepiece for the garden.
You can grow flowers, soft fruit, vines and vegetables such as cucumbers to grapes and passion fruit.
To build a 4m x 4m square trellis with two opened ends and three closed ends, you’ll need 35 small bamboo sticks and 4 treated posts.
You'll also need hand tools. Here is the material breakdown:
4 treated posts 4m in length,
8 sticks on each side (x2 panels),
8 for the top panel,
10 sticks for strengthening the sides and top panels, and
1 extra.
And, here are the quick steps to guide you when building the trellis.
Firstly, use the first lot of 8 sticks to build the first panel.
Secondly, repeat the 3 steps to build the other - you should have three 4m x 4m trellis panels.
Thirdly, dig the soil and lay the 4 treated posts at each corner.
Next, tie the three panels to the posts.
Then, strengthen the trellis by tying bamboo sticks across the frame (or diagonally along it)
Finally, your square trellis is ready.
The square trellis is a stunner – a great garden centrepiece.
The treated posts give this trellis longevity. It can last for up to 10 years or more.
After that, you can replace the bamboo trellis panels and give them a new look. Your plants are going to love it.
Garden trellis ideas with pictures
Take a look at these garden trellis with pictures and bamboo tomato trellis to get inspiration for your next project.
One of the best things about growing bamboo is that you can use bamboo canes for staking plants, garden frames and trellis to support creeping plants like the runner beans.
We covered the home and garden uses of bamboo canes extensively in this article – take a look: Bamboo plants for sticks.
7. Use bamboo sheaths, branches and sticks for arts and crafts
Bamboo sheaths, branches and sticks are great for DIY arts and crafts because they are thin, tough and bendable. You can create any shape with them.
The uses are limitless, it depends on your creativity.
For example, the bamboo sheaths can be cut to make windmills and the sticks used for making mini rafts (Below is a video of mini rafts we built out of bamboo canes and had lots of fun with).
Adult supervision will be required when cutting the bamboo sheaths and sticks.
Apart from the 10 uses of bamboo, they have been used extensively to make tea, wine, beers, vinegar and many natural home remedies.
However, there are special bamboos that are fit for these purposes, and not all bamboo plants are useful.
Some bamboos have little hairy spikes on the sheaths that can make skin itch.
Many have tough culms that are razor sharp. Others are invasive.
And not all bamboos are edible.
Therefore, though there are many benefits of bamboo plants, you have to know what kind of bamboo you should grow.
Selecting the right bamboo plant to grow is the first thing to think about.
Common Phyllostachys and Fargesia bamboos
Here at GardenBambooPlants.com, we featured over 70 bamboo plants that thrive in the UK weather. The suggestions above will help you to find the right plant.
At gardenbambooplants.com, we feature these bamboos because they can grow in the warmer parts of the UK.
We also know that bamboo seeds and cuttings are often hard to get.
One suggestion is to contact the plant's nurseries, garden centres or online retailers and ask for the particular plants that you are looking for.
You can also leave a message below to let us know about your requirements and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Building an A-Framed Garden Trellis for Runner Beans is the best thing you can do.
There are many sticks to use for this project, yet the bamboo sticks are ideal as they are slim, tough and durable.
You can use the bamboo A-frame trellis without having to dismantle it.
(L) Making A-frame trellis for runner beans, (R) new runner beans climbing up (Garden Pictures)
A-framed trellis panels
The A-Framed Garden Trellis is best for runner beans and other creeper plants that needed support.
You have the option to build two trellis panels assemble them or build the A-framed structure in the garden.
For a 4m x 4m A-framed trellis, you’ll need 21 bamboo sticks.
To build it, follow these steps:
Firstly, stake 6 sticks on each side to form an A-shape. (The best way to start is to make the front, middle and back As – we call them the 3As)
Secondly, tie long bamboo across the top of the 3As. (This is the length of the A-framed trellis panel).
Thirdly, put the other bamboo stick in between the spaces and tie them together. You will have to space them apart according to the number of plants you want to grow.
Then, tie 3 or 4 bamboo across (or diagonally) to strengthen the trellis panel.
Finally, your A-framed bamboo trellis is ready.
Your runner beans are going to adore the A-framed trellis.
Note that if you are going to build a trellis for planting the runner beans, you may have to stake them 20cm to 30cm apart. That means that you will need additional sticks, where necessary.
Garden trellis ideas with pictures
Take a look at these garden trellis with pictures and bamboo tomato trellis to get inspiration for your next project.
‘He would prop a ladder against the side of his house and climb up to the bedroom window as his children were sleeping, push a bamboo cane through the window, pretending to be the BFG, blowing dreams into his daughters’ bedroom.
2. Roald Dahl’s walking stick
Many of the objects used in his book were his personal collections. They have the same shapes and descriptions.
Some of them are on display at the Roald Dahl’s Museum at Aylesbury, including his cane walking stick.
Roald Dahl bamboo walking stick which he used in his book The Twits - Mrs Twit walking stick
3. Bamboo sticks for runner beans
Roald Dahl loved gardening. Some of his work evolved around it.
Today, if you visit the Roald Dahl Museum in Aylesbury, you'll bamboo sticks in the pots.
This picture shows plants in pots supported with bamboo sticks at the museum.
Bamboo facts: Bamboo sticks are great for runner beans and supporting pots plants in the garden. The sticks are strong and durable, they can support a whole variety of garden plants. Many of the running and clumping bamboos growing in the UK are best for use in the gardens.
5. Bamboo ‘punishment’ cane
In his autobiography, Boy, Roald Dahl tells about his childhood at Repton boarding school.
He recalled that the headmaster would use a bamboo cane to flog misbehaving children.
Extract from the Boy - Tales of Childhood
‘…the headmaster sometimes used a cane made of bamboo to punish children who broke school rules. Bamboo is a light, flexible wood. When it hits people, it can feel like a whip.’
Facts about Roald Dahl books
There are more than 5facts about Roald Dahl, but the ones stated above are specific to bamboo canes and how he used them in different ways in his stories.
We appreciate Roald Dahl as one of the most celebrated children's authors of all time.
He was known for his quirky and offbeat stories, which often featured unexpected plot twists and memorable characters.
One of Dahl's most famous books was "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", which was made into a movie starring Gene Wilder.
He also wrote the popular book "The BFG", about a friendly giant who captures and protects children from evil giants. Also made into an adventure fantasy movie in 2016, directed by Steven Spielberg.
His autobiography, Boy, is a true story of his childhood.
‘The Twits’ is about the memorable characters, Mr and Mrs Twit.
When ask about her walking stick, Mrs Twit said she had a mole on her left foot and needed it. But, in fact, 'she used it to hit the cats, dogs and small children she encountered on her outings.
Extract from 'The Twits'
In her right hand, she carried a walking stick. She used to tell people that this was because she had warts growing on the sole of her left foot and walking was painful. But the real reason she carried a stick was so that she could hit things with it, things like dogs and cats and small children.
In another twist, Mr Twit took revenge on Mrs Twit for feeding him earthworms and spaghetti. He glued a tiny piece of wood to the bottom of Mrs Twit’s walking stick every night.
The change was inconspicuous, but gradually, Mrs Twit's walking stick was getting longer and longer.
Roald Dahl's Bamboo Inspiration
In ‘The BFG’, Roald Dahl featured the bamboo canes that he used to blow dreams into his daughters’ bedroom.
Mrs Twit's cane walking stick resonates with his own.
His other personal items that made it into his books include the following.
His pair of sandals became the BFG's sandals.
The bamboo cane became the dream blower’s trumpet in ‘The BFG’.
His cane walking stick became Mrs Twit's walking stick in his other book ‘The Twits’.
All in all, Roald Dahl uses bamboo canes in inconspicuous, but exciting ways, to bring stories alive. He was a master storyteller.
You can see his work and learn the facts about Roald Dahl at the Roald Dahl Museum in Aylesbury.
The best thing to do is to wear heavy-duty gardening gloves and boots when working in the bamboo garden.
Tidying up your bamboo garden is a great way to monitor the growth of the plants.
The bamboo care and maintenance jobs you do will keep your bamboo in good shape. But bamboo splinters and cutting edges are sharp with the potential to cause nasty cuts.
We need to protect ourselves when working with bamboos.
Let’s take a look at the common hazards to look out for.
Why wear heavy-duty gardening gloves?
Bamboos are biodegradable. They’ll break down within a couple of years.
But fresh bamboo splinters can inflict cuts to the body, which can lead to serious infections. Wearing gloves is the best way to protect you from bacterial infections.
Bamboo cuts may not be a major concern if they are washed, cleaned and treated immediately.
The concern is that microorganisms in the garden can enter your body through cuts and cause serious infections.
The important thing is to prevent cuts, scrapes or splinters by wearing gardening gloves.
Bamboo gardening hazards
New bamboo plants and established bamboo groves pose different risks. As mentioned, the main concern is to avoid cuts from bamboo splinters and strips.
Gardeners who have worked with bamboo will attest to the fact the bamboo splits are very sharp. Cuts are like paper cuts but deeper.
The potential for infection is high. So, here are 5 hazards to look out for when working in the bamboo garden.
Splitting bamboo pot plants
Splitting bamboo before planting is the best way to get several plants out of a single purchase.
Wear gardening gloves when splitting bamboo to protect yourself from the dirt.
Sharp bamboo strips
Bamboo strips are sharp due to the way the bamboo culms grow. Split bamboos tend to have a lacerated edge.
Fortunately, many garden bamboo plants in the UK do not require splitting. They are mostly used as garden sticks for staking plants. But if you are working with split bamboos and bamboo splinters, always wear gloves for protection.
Bamboo edge cuttings
Remove the old bamboo culms neatly by cutting across the cross-section. This will prevent any sharp bits from sticking out at the base of the bamboo groves and causing injuries.
Ominously, the base of the culms lasts longer than the other parts of the bamboo because they are strong. Any past cutting can cause nasty cuts to bare hands.
Bamboo splinters in garden soil
If you are using bamboo sticks in the past year, you are likely to find remains in the soil. You do not have to worry if you pulled all the bamboo sticks out neatly.
However, be cautious that the remains of bamboo sticks in the soil can enter your fingers with great ease. So, look out for any bamboo remains in the garden soil if you used it recently.
Wear heavy-duty garden gloves or thorn-proof gardening gloves when weeding and planting.
Pulling bamboos from the grove
Injuries to the hands can happen when pulling bamboos out of a grove. Bamboo branches spread and form a strong interconnecting network.
It can be really hard to pull them out.
If your grip on the bamboo slips and accidentally catches a sharp strip, it can be nasty. Cuts could be deep.
Therefore, if you are going to cut a bamboo stick for garden plants or remove old culms, always wear a pair of heavy-duty gardening gloves to prevent bamboo cuts.
If you want a pair of heavy-duty and thorn-proof gardening gloves, here's one you'll like:
Cuts and scrapes caused by bamboo splinters and strips can get infected very quickly.
Wearing gloves is the best way to protect you from bacterial infections regardless of how old you are.
Protection is better than cure.
Comment and let us know what you think.
This article provides the steps for making a garden pallet planter box without using nails. You can re-use the materials you have in the garden for this project.
The steps are easy to follow. What's more, use the video guide to build your own.
DIY outdoor raised garden bed planter box
You can make a pallet planter box with some old pallet timbers, bamboo sticks and ropes.
I build these types of boxes and use them successfully in small spaces. Hope this instruction gives you an idea about your planter box project.
Materials for garden planter box
x12 pallet timbers or old weatherboards
x8 treated posts (or 4-inch by 2-inch timbers)
a packet of nails
Tools required
handsaw
hammer
shovel
road pin/crowbar
claw bar
DIY Outdor Planter Box project
The idea is to use bamboo sticks as pegs where the pallet timbers will slot in before tying them together. This will form the 4 sidewalls.
1. What you need: x24 bamboo sticks, x12 pallet timbers, ropes, and a crowbar.
2. Set dimension: The planter box is 1.5 metres by 1.5 metres all around, and the depth of the box is 0.4 metres.
3. Build the first sidewall: Use the crowbar to punch x6 holes in the soil (2 holes opposite each other); put x6 bamboo sticks into the holes.
4. Tie bamboo in pairs: Tie bamboo sticks/pegs in pairs with pallet timbers in between them– no need to use nails.
5. Build the other sides: use the same idea to build x4 sides.
6. Tie the corners: Each corner will now have 4 bamboos, use the ropes to tie all the 4 bamboos, at the corners, together.
7. Planting: Finally, add soil. Your planter is ready.
DIY ideas for small garden box planter - no nails
There are many ways to build raised planter boxes. It also depends on the materials and tools you have at home.
However, it is important to learn some simple techniques and best practices.
One of the best things that I’ve learnt over time is to use bamboo sticks in pairs as pegs to build the sides. Tie pair of bamboo sticks to hold the timbers together.
The natural plant leaves are perfect rope alternatives for projects like this. There is no need to use nails, cable ties, or other plastic ropes in the garden.
Cordyline australis leaves garden rope alternative
One of the plants that grow in the UK – the Cordyline plants – is the practical alternative for garden ropes and nylon ropes.
I’ve used the leaves to tie tomatoes, flowers, bamboo and many other plants in the garden.
Take a look at the different varieties of Cordyline australis available at Gardening Direct UK.
In this project, I used its dry leaves to tie the bamboo pegs that held the pallet timbers.
The leaves are strong ropes.
They can last for more than 24 months, similar to eco-garden tie-ropes. In fact, they are a great alternative for nails and other garden ropes.
The dry leaves from the Cordyline plants may not be ideal for permanent projects. Yet, they are perfect for tying plants in spring and temporary projects, like the DIY outdoor planter box. They can last the whole summer.
See this tomato plants hoop frame where I used strips of the Cordyline leaves as ropes as an alternative to nylon ropes.
If you want to use a natural (biodegradable) rope, use the Cordyline leaves. Here is where you can get the plants online in the UK.
Challenges of working with pallet timbers
Working with wooden pallet timbers is challenging because the jawed nails are hard to remove. Sometimes, you can damage the timbers.
To avoid that, Use the right tools to remove the nails and prepare the pallet timbers.
A wrecking bar with a chisel end is a perfect hand tool for removing nails without destroying the timbers.
I hope this article about DIY Outdoor Planter Box inspires you to build yours.
If you want moreideas for small gardens, check out my DIY bamboo garden projects.
Phyllostachys aurea bamboo plant is one of my favourite bamboos. Its stems are small, tall, bendable and strong. The stems are perfect fishing poles. In the UK, they are ideal garden sticks.
The Phyllostachys aurea bamboo plants have thick inner stem walls which means the stems are strong but flexible.
The stems have been used as fishing poles in China and other parts of Asia and the Pacific regions for centuries. That is why the Phyllostachys aurea bamboo has been called the Fish-pole Golden Bamboo.
Today many gardeners are using the tough Fish-pole Golden bamboo canes as sticks for staking plants in the garden and pots.
Their tough and flexible canes are ideal for making climbing frames and sticks for pot plants and other garden plants that needed support.
We created a list of some top UK bamboo sellers online. Check them out on our website.
Phyllostachys aurea in UK Garden
Video of fish-pole bamboo in our garden
Uses of Phyllostachys aurea called Fish-pole Golden Bamboo Plant
Here are some ways in which we used the Phyllostachys aurea Fish-pole Golden Bamboo Plant in the garden - visit our YouTube channel for more videos on the uses of bamboo sticks in the garden.
Tomato plants trellis frame
Garden Fruit Netting
Know more about Phyllostachys aurea bamboo
The Fish-pole Golden Yellow Bamboo is one of my favourite bamboo plants.
When you know this bamboo plant personally, you'll understand why it is popular among many bamboo growers in the UK.
Bamboo canes are fantasic materials to use in home and garden DIY projects.
The canes are flexible, you can cut, bend and shape to your liking.
They are used extensively in the Asia and South Pacific regions for many purposes, from cooking food to building materials and making fun arts and crafts products.
The uses are limitless!
Take a look at how to make stationery storage and cups from the common bamboo plants.
Pencil bamboo storage box
The bamboo columns (internodes) are perfect for storing pencils, pens, highlighters and generally school stationeries and supplies.
To make the bamboo storage, you need a handsaw, sandpaper/wood file, candle and a thick (dry) bamboo cane.
Firstly, cut the bamboo at an angle of 10 - 15cm from the node (angle-cut will make it easy to store and retrieve different lengths of pencils, pens, markers, highlighters, etc...).
Secondly, use fine sanding paper to smoothen the edges.
To give the storage box a brownish glow, hover it over the gentle candle heat.
Finally, give it a clean and your bamboo storage box is ready to use.
Apply light varnish or wood paint for a fine finishing touch.
Bamboo water cups
Bamboo internodes have been used as water storage in Asia and Pacific regions for many centuries.
Today, bamboo water bottles and bamboo cups are fantastic traditional products.
It is natural and the water tastes better in it.
If you have a large bamboo pole you can make several cups out of it.
Firstly, the steps are similar to the steps for making bamboo storage. But instead, you'll have to cut across the bamboo forming a cup shape.
Secondly, give the freshly cut bamboo a good sanding.
Then, rinse the bamboo cup in warm water and let it dry.
Finally, your new bamboo cup is ready to use.
You can apply decorations and candle heat to give it a nice brownish glow.
Do not fill the cup with hot water because it is likely to crack.
Why bamboo storage?
Bamboos stems, also called the internodes, are extremely hollow in the middle, slim and long.
The internodes are best for storing pencils and pens, toothbrushes and slim many other similar everyday items.
Bamboo tubes are also best for storing secret documents, paintings and important documents.
Let's have a look at what bamboo storage boxes you can make.
Here are 4 simple but stunning bamboo storage boxes and tubes you can make.
Water cups
Pencil bamboo storage box
Secret storage bamboo box or tube.
Bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste storage.
Bamboo garden DIY Hacks
Check out this video and our YouTube channel for garden DIY Hacks using bamboo canes.
Each link takes you to the page with detailed intructions and pictures to help you build you own or give you an idea about how to make yours.
Bamboo sticks in use in pots and patio
A square trellis provides good support for creeper plants.
(L) Making A-frame trellis for runner beans, (R) new runner beans climbing up (Garden Pictures)
Roald Dahl bamboo walking stick which he used in his book The Twits - Mrs Twit walking stick
