Zippity Zip Ties

I've discovered an amazing home fix-it tool....zip ties.  All kinds of colors and sizes available with endless possibilities of uses.  I was in search of a way to fix my tomato plants.  The branches were becoming so top heavy that they were starting to topple over!  However, once I fixed my plants, I found so many more ways to use them.  I even fixed two sets of curtain blinds!  So let's take a look at just a few ways to use these fabulous bits of plastic.

My tomato plant branches can now hold the weight of the tomatoes that are growing.

Our doggie door on the screen door was hanging on by a thread.  Now it's repaired and ready for paws to run through it.

This is the first set of blinds that was repaired.  Looks normal right?  The top left hand corner of blinds were slanting down because the threading broke.  See pictures below of how the second set of curtains was repaired.

O-H-I-O

We have our flag flying high for football season.  Yes, I know it's backwards from this view.

Ok, so how exactly was I able to fix my blinds.  I'll do a step-by-step account of how to do it.  If you ever have this problem, spend $2 at Home Depot instead of a whole lot more buying new ones like I almost did. (I apologize in advance for the slightly dark photos)  Here's how it goes...                     

                                                         Before                                               

                                     

So there is a thread that loops inside the box at the top of blinds, held together by a metal piece.  Well, the metal piece snapped and the threat broke in two.  I placed one zip tie on each thread end and tightened it to create a little knot.

   

 

 

After each of the ends had a zip tie attached, both ends were threaded up through the holes in the box (or whatever houses the "nuts and bolts" of the blinds.  There is an opening on the top side of the box too, so the zip ties can be guided up through it.  Pull both strands tight enough so that the blinds are level again.  Then, loop a third zip tie around each of the knots. Tighten, snip the excess ends off, and voilà!  Now your curtains are back to normal.  The best part is you saved yourself a ton of time and money and no one would know the difference.  Hooray for learning to be a handy wife at home!
    
    

After all is said and done, you have a repaired curtain that looks like nothing ever happened.