IKEA SMART BLINDS cut to size - how to make them fit your window (more info in description)

Also check out my unboxing and teardown video which includes all measurements: ( • IKEA FYRTUR smart blin... ) and my installation guide + noise & speed test ( • IKEA FYRTUR smart blin... ).
___
Spoiler alert: It's just like shortening regular blinds, except you have to modify the casing as well.
All you need is a hacksaw and a steady hand.
Correction regarding the bottom rail (shown at 1:20 in the video): do not measure from the outside of the end cap of the bottom rail. Remove the end cap before measuring. Just like with the top unit.
Any tube with an inner diameter of 2.9 cm will fit on the motor, but you will have to shorten the unit with a hacksaw if you plan on using a shorter tube. Adding a wider tube will require more work, since the unit/casing will be too short. Se solution below
The narrowest possible total width is approximately 27,5 cm (width of the motor insert + end caps).
To make a WIDER version of the blind (than can be purchased from IKEA):
- buy two blinds (one casing/unit will not fit a wider tube)
- screw off the right endpiece of one unit
- screw of the left endpiece of the other
- tear the fabric off both tubes
- buy a new aluminium tube that has an INNER diameter of 3.2 cm
- put the original tubes inside the new tube (to take advantage of the inner ridges for the motor)
- cut the tubes and unit(s) to the desired length
- glue new fabric on the new tube (be precise)
- install a new bottom rail (the motor does not stop rolling up until it detects the resistance of the bottom rail against the casing)
- (consider holding the units together with a flat mounting plate on the back - may not be neccesary)
- use all 4 included mounting brackets to mount the new wider blind.
- hope that this will not wear down the motor or battery
- hope that this will not affect overall performance and noise level
To SHORTEN the LENGTH of the blind:
- set the blind to the desired length using the buttons on the unit
- double press one of the buttons
- that's it. Your new maximum length is set.
To install a LONGER blind:
- I am not sure this is feasible
- I have tested and confirmed that the motor only stops rolling up when it detects the resistance of the bottom rail against the casing. Without the bottom rail, the motor will just keep going. This means that the blind motor will have no issue rolling up a much longer blind and stop when detecting the resistance. Yay! :)
- HOWEVER, when rolling down, the motor counts revolutions, which means that no matter the length of the blind, it will stop rolling down at approximately 195 cm.
- if anyone has a solution, please let me know in the comments.

[@DIYtechie]

Correction regarding the bottom rail at 1:20 - do not measure from the outside of the end cap of the bottom rail. Remove the end cap before measuring. Just like with the top unit. Also please check the video description above for more details about the blinds.

[@noaraviv9326]

question: what about the length? i see it doesnt reach the floor? are you leaving it like that? or do you have some tip for that as well? thanks in advance!

[@mydlowecTV]

Thank you. I was able to successfully shorten the blind after watching this video. One thing that was not mentioned is the screw hole for the end cap will be cut off, so you can't put the screw shown at 0:13 back in when you're done. In the video, the blind is wedged between two walls, so it doesn't matter. But in most installations, you will need to drill a new hole through the top of the aluminum housing for the end cap screw.

[@jellybear81]

was thinking the same thing

[@CrazyByDesign]

Thanks, DIY techie, for this most helpful and instructive run-through. Nice to see that it's basically the same procedure as for non-smart blinds. I'll now be at my local IKEA as soon as these are in stock.

[@justinmm2]

Thank you, very, very much. Like others, I'd read these couldn't be modified (we still don't have them in the US, but I've been eagerly awaiting them for months). I knew that there'd almost certainly be a way, but to see it's not a major feat of engineering is wonderful. Thanks for the clean, beautiful, simple instructions. Now, off to buy a hacksaw..

[@TheHoodGuru]

Just used this video for a simpler version of their blinds and it worked to perfection. Thanks.

[@madimoo89]

Thank you so much for this simple, short video!! Exactly what I was looking for!! 🙏🏼

[@gibboireland]

Amazing video, really grateful you have put this together as seemed like Ikea will never do smaller sizes than 60cm. Thanks so much, think I have the courage to try it!

[@BeardedTechGuy]

Thanks for this video! Makes me excited to be able to add these to my SmartHome real soon

[@jantepas7511]

You’re great, millions are grateful!

[@dborup]

Thanks for taking your time making this video :)

[@RatedRGameGuy]

Really simple and awesome video 👍🏼

[@MMubariZZ]

Just did this and it came out great! Thanks!

[@MortenBrixPedersen]

Awesome, thanks for showing this is possible!

[@mortensorby6352]

Nice video. I've custom fitted 6 binds now. I did also cut the inner tube down about 4mm on the side towards the motor and then left only 4mm on the other side as well, instead of the full cm that it originally have. This makes it overlap my frame better.

[@tomscheer9178]

My man. Was curious about that possibility

[@robertotumini395]

very well done!

[@souzamoni]

Finally a video that shows how to re-size it AT HOME, because in the other videos they tell you to do with a big saw that people actually don't have AT HOME!!! Thank you so much!!

[@Banditdkk]

Nice work

[@Rocketrecliner]

Thanks for this. Was really expecting to buy some of these until I discovered my windows are 46" wide and the blinds are 48". Now I feel better about cutting into them after seeing your success. Thanks again.

[@RobertWebbe]

Great! Thanks for sharing

[@markstewart7559]

Thanks for posting, that’s really useful to know as I was wondering if it was possible. Maybe not hacksaw the aluminium right over the top of the fabric though...

[@mrcevik8828]

You are amazing Man! Thanks for making me save a couple of hundreds $. 🙏

[@vincentisetorp]

very nice

[@Tekgnome.]

Wow you do not have the subscribers you deserve. Well done, quality content and a very well done video. I'm looking forward to more smart home tech. I'm also curious if it works with Google assistant?

[@Giruno56]

It does. No homekit support tho

[@MMalke]

Great video! I see a lot of potential in your channel growing a lot if you keep it up. I used your video to adjust the IKEA Fridans blinds, which are very similar to the one in your video, but it's not a smart blind. I managed to get it to the right size and it's looking great, but I'm having to pull it too hard to get it opened. I'm not sure how I could fix that. If I cut the fabric more, it's going to be too narrow, and let light in. Also I'm not even sure what's causing the issue in the first place. Any tips?

[@JomikJomikJomik]

Great tutorial! Thank you! But how did you fit it inside the window frame?

[@lizziesophiaTV]

I’m installing these in my caravan and I want to take weight out by removing heaps of the length of the blind. They’re 195cm high and my windows are only 90cm high. So there’s more than 2x the amount of fabric for what I need. Will it function fine if I take the bottom rail off, cut to length, then reattach?

[@KishenGajjar]

Hi DIY Techie. I was trying to ask a question on your Reddit post, but it seems to be locked. I'm looking to make my blinds wider and was reading your suggestion to buy a 3.2cm pipe to put it over the original. I'm thinking about doing the opposite and buying a small 40cm length of 2.8cm diameter pipe to fit "inside" the two original pipes and then get someone to do some light welding for me to make a solid join (will do the same for the box frame). Do you think that would work. The exact measurement I got when measuring the gap between the teeth inside the pipe is 27.8mm. It's hard to find that diameter though :(

[@W3c16B]

How about the new Tredansen and Praktlysning? Can they be cut too? (Ikea say no), and if how much?

[@kennethmadsen6474]

Tommestok fra Harald Nyborg - afsløret 😄 Tak for gennemgang 😉

[@DIYtechie]

Harald Nyborg FTW! 🤓😎

[@tpmj]

Great video, thanks for making it. I’m curious if you’ve had any issues with the cut end fraying over time? Thanks again.

[@DIYtechie]

Timothy Johnson No issues at all 👌🏻

[@worldofpayne]

I'm having an issue with them unevenly rolling up. The material veers right and scrapes on the right side. Any tips?

[@doyourhomework7305]

Nice

[@mervynyeo7245]

Anyone knows if the FRIDANS uses the same aluminium tube with inner grooves? If they do, to make wider blinds, we can buy the shortest (cheapest) FYRTUR, a FRIDANS of your desired width and use their fabric and tube since it's also cheaper.

[@havocgeneral]

Thanks for the guide, I was excited about these blinds but thought I wouldn’t be able to use them due to IKEA saying they can’t be altered. Just fit the 120cm version in a 110cm window opening, I think cutting the fabric was the worst part, mostly because I only have a crappy pair of scissors. I also drilled a hole in the top housing to reinstall the screw that locks the end cap in place. The blind is in a child’s room and these are ideal because there are absolutely no cords which is one of the main risks with traditional roller blinds, Venetian blinds or vertical blinds. Even with the supplied hooks and clips there are still exposed cords.

[@drexplordinaire]

how do you drill a hole when you cant see the original hole from above?? thanx

[@havocgeneral]

Ethan Yang just had to measure based on the plastic part and mark it on the metal then drilled it.

[@drexplordinaire]

@@havocgeneral seems easy to mess up and warp the hole..

[@havocgeneral]

Ethan Yang I found it easier to measure based on the piece that was cut off. I used a steel ruler and measured from the end and then across to get the centre. You should really use a punch or nail to mark the hole before drilling.

[@ketandoshi3594]

Ok blind goes down to 195cm about 76.inch. Outer diameter is 3.2 cm so 61 rotation ( 195/3.2) Now I want 243 cm = 96 inch tall blind fabric and travel. So 243/61 bring it to so if I 3.98 inch diameter tube, that may travel 96” inch same number of rotation? Question is can I fit 4” tube and would it make tube too heavy ? Please note that I am not engineer and my calculation may be way off but may be some of you can shine light ?

[@zilverstone]

Thanks for your video 👍That actually made me to out and buy one (for starters). I don't have an Ikea bridge and was wondering if you had any luck integrating the blinds into Hue or Google Assistant without the 'native' bridge. Just thinking that the Hue bridge is Zigbee - so it 'should' work (but as of now it doesn't - or I don't know how)

[@DIYtechie]

Thanks 🙏🏻 Everything’s possible, but don’t expect the blinds to work with the hue bridge any time soon. My best guess is that it will never be supported. The IKEA gateway is the easiest way to get voice assistant and app support for the blinds (it’s also the cheapest plug-n-play solution AFAIK). That being said, I will probably be testing whether the blinds can be controlled via deconz or ZigbeeToMQTT with a $5 Zigbee dongle very soon. This will, however, not be a solution for the majority of users.

[@futurecactus]

Keep an eye on Hubitat, both the devs and the community are adding support for new devices all the time, I'm expecting (hoping) all ikea smart devices to be supported eventually.

[@cassio2999]

Hi anyone know off a hack were you can change the curtain to another one in another collor

[@PerMejdal]

Please make a guide for TREDANSEN.

[@DIYtechie]

Thanks for the suggestion. I have a few at home, but they can only be shortened very little since there are strings inside the curtain and you can only shorten from one side, which means they can become a bit side heavy / imbalanced. I would say only about an inch probably. I shortened one of mine less than a cm.

[@nzengin]

👍

[@Jeff-ps5tg]

Where do you find a wider 3.2 cm aluminum tube for making the blinds wider?

[@jeremymcreynolds9578]

Unfortunately I think using two sets of the blinds is the solution for very wide windows.

[@MichaelRygaard]

Was hoping it was this Easy - thank you One small request, it would have been verry nice with a super close up of the edge after cutting with scissors - How well does it turn out :)

[@DIYtechie]

Michael Rygaard If you use sharp scissors ✂️, there is no fraying. Still looks perfect.

[@jesperlaursen3917]

Question , on your window it does not matter that there is a couple of centimeters on each side between the curtain and the endcap of the topbox. However, when mounting inside a window frame, you want the fit to be so tight as possible. Is it possible when cutting the curtains to just leave 2 mm on each side?

[@DIYtechie]

Jesper Laursen Yes. The gap will of course still be wider than 2 mm due to the width of the end cap of the casing and the bottom rail.

[@havocgeneral]

I’m fairly new to the IKEA smart home app but is there a reason that bulbs and blinds cannot exist in the same “room”? Is it something to to with mixing control devices. I have two rooms in the app which represent one physical room now.

[@gibboireland]

Would really be great if you were able to show how to make a wider version for wider windows, as I can imagine this would be super tricky....

[@DIYtechie]

Very understandable request, but since I don’t have wider windows and also have to pay for the blinds myself, don’t expect a how-to video on this. However, the best method I can think of is described in the video description above.

[@gibboireland]

DIY techie ok thanks anyway. Great video again and thanks.

[@argentas]

Can you tell me how long is the motor part that inserts into the roller? I've got a wide window, with two narrow windows either side, and I'd like to work out whether I can cut these short enough to fit the two narrow windows. Thanks.

[@DIYtechie]

Martin Bonner Will try to remember measuring that when installing the next one. Have a few more lying around that I just haven’t had the time to set up yet.

[@argentas]

@@DIYtechie That would be great, thank you.

[@havocgeneral]

DIY techie it’s just under 250mm, I measured it on the one I installed today.

[@argentas]

​@@havocgeneral Thank you, I've now gone ahead and purchased. My two narrow windows are about 350mm wide so it turns out I didn't need to worry. Taking into account the two end pieces, the narrowest window recess you could cut these blinds to fit within, would be just under 300mm.

[@brianjensen8835]

What is the shortest width you can shorten it to? I have 3 bigger windows and a really narrow 3:Rd window about 40cm wide, would love if I could have a consistent look.

[@havocgeneral]

Brian Jensen 40cm would be fine, the drive shaft is probably only 20cm.

[@argentas]

40cm will be no problem. The motor inserts just under 250mm into the tube, so taking into account the two ends, you could cut the whole assembly down to fit in any window recess of 30cm or wider.

[@ericg8282]

Referring to the idea of making it wider, 3 questions: - did you try hanging some weight to the fabric to see if the motor can handle wider fabric? - similar question: do you know if the motors differs between sizes and fabric? If yes, the friction of the motor in theory should be strong enough if I buy the widest fyrtur and use lighter fabric... Right? - why do you think we will need two units? If I don't need the casing, couldn't I just mount the left and the right end of the unit to the wall? Maybe premounted on a piece of wood to make sure they stay nice and flush? Or am I not seeing something obvious? (I don't own one at the moment, so I can't verify this)

[@ericg8282]

Thanks for your great videos on these blinds, btw

[@robertlechowski6267]

I have exactly the same questions !

[@vaclavblazek]

I have the exact same problem. IKEA thinks that there are no wider windows than 140 cm and that there are no windows that open like a door. Well, I have such windows. So, I need 200+ cm wide blind that has to be installed on the wall above window niche, not inside. So, more than 200 cm to cover the niche. However, I need only 150 high blind. So, my thoughts are: if there are extra 140x45 cm2 of the fabric on the largest blind available that could be lifted by the motor if fully extended then it should lift 182x150 cm2 (same area == same weight). (Not counting the rod at the end of the blind.) I guess the motor would not stall once you add little more weight. Would it handle extra ca. 20x150 cm2 of the fabric, i.e. ca. 11% more? And that's the question.

[@vaclavblazek]

OK, so I bought a 60cm FYRTUR blind for testing purposes. I was able to hang 1 l bottle (my weight showed 1030 g) at each end of the bottom rail, i.e. extra 2 kg to the weight of the fabric itself. The motor has no problem pulling it up. When stopped everything stayed at place. Then, I did another experiment with 1.5 l bottles (i.e. ca 3.1 kg extra weight) and the motor had no problem to pull it up. BUT. Once the motor disengaged the extra weight pulling on the fabric unrolled it. So, somewhere between 2 and 3 kg is the extra weight the motor can up pull and internal friction can still hold it in place. Next step was weighing farbric (+bottom rail) from a "dumb" 120 cm TRETUR blind to see how heavy the actual payload is. Coincidentally, my weight showed 1030 g. It means that even if I'd combine 60 cm smart and 2x 120 cm dumb blinds to make it 300 cm long it COULD still work. If I use only smaller area, it should be OK.

[@vaclavblazek]

@@robertlechowski6267 See my comments below.

[@22illingworth]

Do you get any fraying on the cut edge of the fabric? Fantastic mod, as said below you don't have the following you deserve. Two thumbs up!

[@DIYtechie]

Richard Illingworth Thank you👍 The fabric is very stiff, so it was easy making a nice cut without any fraying. Not like cutting a peace of regular fabric. The reason the fabric at the end of the tube is slightly furry, is that it was not cut, but sawn off (as shown in the video)

[@Askavi_]

Have you had any issues with fraying occurring since it was cut?

[@DIYtechie]

Laura Pyke Nope 👌🏻

[@WalkabletunaVEVO]

Mines started fraying, was wondering if the edge could be fixed with heat?

[@ketandoshi3594]

Wonder if different width blinds have different motor ? I do want to make some blinds wider while I have some windows and doors which are 80-90” tall. Has any solution found on how to make taller blinds ?

[@ketandoshi3594]

Is there a setting in software to tell the motor when to stop like open halfway or close halfway ?

[@ketandoshi3594]

I just read somewhere that their kadriji (thinner material) vs fuytur blinds have different diameter tube to compensate for different thickness of the fabric. So technically we could lengthen the blind by increasing diameter of the tube so in same number of rotations it will increase the travel distance?

[@beautygrey5635]

Now show me how I get them longer! Just watch the video in reverse?

[@DIYtechie]

Beauty Grey Check out the description below the video. Unfortunately not so easy.

[@amdeus]

DIY techie that was a joke🤔🤔🤔

[@DIYtechie]

Mason West Of Course the last part of Beauty Greys comment was a joke, but my best guess is that the first part was a genuine question 😊 So I responded.

[@michaelgreenberg5669]

Great video! Do you happen to know how much you can cut off? I have some tall & skinny windows I would love to add these too, but they are 16.75 inches wide & the skinniest options ikea has are 23 inches wide. Thank you for your time.

[@DIYtechie]

Thanks 🙏🏻 In the description 👆😊

[@michaelgreenberg5669]

@@DIYtechie Ah, sorry about that. I didn't check. Appreciate it!!

[@DIYtechie]

@@michaelgreenberg5669 No worries 😉

[@det_lars]

Thank you very much, really helpful! :-) At 1:00 you leave 2mm between the tip and the tape and doesn't put the ruler all the way to the black tape. Why is that? :-)

[@DIYtechie]

Thanks. I think the camera angle is to blame. The black tape should be at the edge of the tube. I was doing it a bit quick, so it may be 1mm off.

[@det_lars]

@@DIYtechie Okay. Thanks for the response and video!

[@rvervuurt]

I KNEW it. I have no clue why IKEA would claim it was impossible?!

[@UKGUYINMANCHESTER]

do they actually claim its impossible? crazy

[@havocgeneral]

To be fair, they say that on pretty much all blinds they sell, even the non-smart ones.

[@arnehelseth4244]

They don't actually say it's impossible though, they just state that they cannot be cut to length. Which, for the vast majority of their customerbase is true.

[@peterpaulin2585]

Ikea had a kit for cutting blinds about 10 years ago, but many people can't handle tools and destroyed their new blinds. So it ended up with Ikea said that the blinds could not be cut. But do defense the all thumbs people their kit were crapy. It was supposed to cut once thru fabric and pipe with a saw. Imagine the fabrics edge after that 😢 . This is the proper way. Perfect video, thanks.

[@Mari0o0o]

If I need longer ones (but the same width), can the curtain material be cut from the tube and replaced with a new one, reattaching the bottom from the IKEA ones to stop the motor at the end?

[@DIYtechie]

Mari0o0o Yes, but as stated in the description above, the problem is not getting the motor to stop when rolling up, but rather to have it keep going when rolling down.

[@Mari0o0o]

So as it is, it will stop at 76” down? Not when it feels resistance at the bottom? No way to trick it into thinking a longer length is “100% down”?

[@jelleengelbertink7978]

How did you cut it at 2:10? Later in the video I don’t see the metal piece on the right anymore. Could you please explain it to me, because I want to do this for myself

[@DIYtechie]

Sure ;) Simply continue the cut along the line (shown at 1:57) all the way up to the tube. That will give you a long, narrow strip of excess fabric, but this is still glued to the tube, so you have to cut it off at the tube (as indicated at 2:10) with scissors from the outside in. You can see all the pieces that have been sawn off at 2:55.

[@Ghostcrusher887]

You can see it at 2:55. All the parts cut off are visible here.

[@Nflute101]

@ DIY Techie Since here in US, we are not going to have kadrilj. I wonder if fabric can be easily removed and change to another type of fabric?

[@DIYtechie]

Tearing off the original fabric is no issue. Gluing a new one on perfectly straight may be a bit harder.

[@sorenhyldeqvist23]

@@DIYtechie it's ok if not perfectly straight - it will right it self due to gravity - i've done a few and i can't have been lucky enough to get them all perfectly straight :-)

[@myHomeKithome]

It's a real bummer that these didn't ship with HomeKit integration, but I suppose all in due time!

[@DIYtechie]

myHomeKithome If you can’t wait 😊: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z52XXqCqqMdpbKM

[@Lizarazu01]

Is it working already with Google Assistant or/and Alexa?

[@DIYtechie]

Piotr Herod Google yes, Alexa no. For more information and updates check out this video and description: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppaTiJuKnbFme9E

[@purdynerdy14]

Hey, it's working with Alexa as of November :)

[@John_the_Architect]

Have you tried cutting the fabric with a rotary cutter instead?

[@DIYtechie]

I’ve only tried good scissors ✂️ Works well. Still no fraying.

[@jasonperry6046]

How is the cut end holding up 9 months later?

[@DIYtechie]

Jason Perry Perfectly. No fraying of any kind.

[@maartenmentink1837]

Nice, how is the fabric on the cutted side? Will it not unravel?

[@vincentmd38]

Maarten Mentink wondering the same

[@DIYtechie]

I don’t think so. The fabric is very stiff. Was easy making a nice cut. Not like cutting a peace of regular fabric. The reason the fabric at the end of the tube is slightly furry, is that it was not cut, but sawn off (as shown in the video)

[@maartenmentink1837]

@@DIYtechie Ah, nice to know. Thanks for your reply

[@beautygrey5635]

Next video should be you calling IKEA claiming your warranty because it is something wrong with your blind! :D Thank you for the video!

[@scotts1672]

What’s the depth of the header?

[@DIYtechie]

Scott S Check the description below the video 😉 (link to my other video which has all measurements in the description)

[@DanielPerez-bh2fm]

Question remains. Can they be elongated? 🤔

[@DanielPerez-bh2fm]

@@DIYtechie Thanks for the answer. Might have to take that up with my misses then hehe :P

[@superssmart]

@@DIYtechie Could you share the guidelines for this?

[@stefanodeluxe3537]

+1 for guidelines on how to elongate! 195 cm is so short....

[@DIYtechie]

I thought it wouldn’t be an issue, but I overlooked something. See the video description ☹️

[@spinkelben]

Tried this, worked out OK. "A steady hand" is hard to come by. The cuts I made in the aluminum were hard to get straight and they didn't turn out as well as the one in the video. I suspected you cheated a bit and didn't cut it all by hand. Another thing to be careful of is: When cutting the casing the motor is not firmly attached. The wire that connects to the motor has a fragile connector. If the motor detaches by mistake, the connector might break. Even when removing the motor on purpose, you have to be very careful not to yank the cable. Otherwise great guide! :)

[@DIYtechie]

spinkelben I cut it all by hand with the hacksaw in the video, but used a clamp 🗜 and a bigger table But thanks for sharing your experience and advice here 👍🏻

[@spinkelben]

@@DIYtechie A clamp would make it easier :) I just didn't have one available. A new hacksaw blade might also have helped :) It still looks OK. I took the most care to get the front facing part of the cut straight, so the poor craftsmanship is hidden away :) Thank you for the video.

[@prowl9037]

You are standing on the Blind - table legs on the blind too - Cutting Aluminium chaff onto the Wooden floor and the blind. Are you crazy man!?

[@DIYtechie]

Hahahahah 😂 No blinds were harmed in the making of this film. No fraying on the sides and no marks on the fabric. And the floor was vacuumed. And they lived happily ever after 😅

[@leftyisright087]

are you based in the UK? could you help me with this if I paid you? :D

[@DIYtechie]

Eleftherios Kathijotes Thanks for watching 🙏🏻 Unfortunately very busy at the moment and not UK based. Sorry.

[@Argyll1000]

I'm concerned about the cut ends fraying.

[@DIYtechie]

Still no issue after 3 years… I think the plastic blackout layer between the threads help, but you should of course use sharp scissors and cut straight.

[@shadow.banned]

Ikea could just stop being dlcks and offer custom sizes...

[@thomasoreilly10]

The most annoying music ensures I can’t concentrate on this

[@DIYtechie]

Mute - there is no speak so you won’t miss anything.

[@platoscavealum902]

👍