How should I build temporary, attractive walls/dividers on the cheap in my basement?

March 30, 2008 9:24 AM

How should I build temporary, attractive walls/dividers on the cheap in my basement? These paper soft walls look great, are flexible and temporary, but cost a small fortune. Looking for an alternative I could simply and cheaply set up myself to block off a 13'x13' section as a "room". The basement is unfinished, dry, with concrete outer walls and wood joists in the ceiling.
posted by drinkspiller to home & garden (8 comments total)

Hang fabric.
Hang old doors or windows.
Folding screen.

Google DIY Room Dividers for more ideas.
posted by rhapsodie at 10:05 AM on March 30, 2008 [1 favorite]

i would hang some heavy curtains or use those folding asian-esque paper and wood screens. you can get them for relatively cheap at jc penney or the like.
posted by thinkingwoman at 10:16 AM on March 30, 2008

Build shoji!
posted by honeyx at 10:25 AM on March 30, 2008

Use cardboard boxes as bricks, with white glue as mortar.
posted by boots at 11:29 AM on March 30, 2008

We did a shoji-style divider and it was inexpensive and quick but also pretty much transparent to sound and even light. We made much larger 'panes' than traditional shoji (too cheap to buy all the wood needed for more) which was fine except made bigger areas to repair when kids poked fingers through the paper.
posted by anadem at 5:32 PM on March 30, 2008

We've just done this. We went to IKEA and got a curtain wire, then a long curtain (about 10 feet) and hung it sideways on the wire using clip-hooks. It's half length, obviously, but works really well. If we need to get away from each other for a bit (we live in a tiny studio apartment, basically one smallish room) we just pull the curtain across and bam, two rooms, effectively, especially if she's up on our cabin bed and I'm sitting on the floor playing Bioshock, because we're at two different levels. Total cost - £7 (the curtain was a freebie), and it still allows plenty of light to spill through. The real test will be when my wife's best friend and her husband stay on our sofa bed, but I think the room divider will make the place totally habitable for the week or so they're here.
posted by Happy Dave at 12:58 AM on March 31, 2008

Happy Dave,

Sounds excellent. Could you please post a photo, I'd love to see the results?
posted by drinkspiller at 5:27 PM on March 31, 2008

Will do when I get home.
posted by Happy Dave at 1:17 AM on April 1, 2008