The first thing you want to do is build two identical lattice screens. You can make them whatever size you want, but the traditional size of the lattices within is 8″ by 3″, so be sure to make the total size something that would fit those lattices in proportionately. The standard size of the screen is 8′ by 5′ (but of course, that is just a preference call too). Both frames must be built identically because they will later on be attached with the rice paper in between them. The wood on the outside should be a nice thick frame, but for the lattices thin strips will suffice. You can either attach all the horizontal ones first and then the vertical ones over, or you can do a criss cross pattern across the whole thing.

The next step is to attach the rice paper over one of the frames. First wet the rice paper and then blow dry it completely dry. This is in accordance with the traditional Japanese way of doing it, and it also makes the rice paper stretchier and easier to work with. Stretch the rice paper over one of the frames and stick it on the wood using rice glue.

Once the rice paper is attached, attach the other frame directly over the rice paper, also sticking it on with rice glue. Once the glue is dry on both sides, attach the two frames using nails on the borders. At this point you will have completed one full Shoji frame. Depending on your project, repeat the process as many times as needed. At this point you will have a very nice Shoji room divider, as well as a conversation piece because your made the divider yourself!

The Hanging Room Divider – Hanging room dividers is portable in the sense that you can un-attach it and take it somewhere else, but it is usually kept in the same place as a permanent fixture. Hanging room dividers are typically decorative, with the hanging part being made up of hanging strings that are beaded with small pebbles, small pieces of wood or plastic, etc. While they do separate the room a little bit, they don’t actually provide that much privacy, visually or audibly (you can see through them and hear through them easily!). These are generally hanging in door frames in place of the door itself.

The Sliding Room Divider – Sliding room dividers are basically sliding doors that glide along a track. Sometimes they are placed within a full wall room divider, or sometimes they are freestanding on their own gliding tracks. These are cool because they can be slid in and out of place easily, and the divider can be decorated very nicely. They also provide full privacy if these sliding room dividers are part of a full wall room divider.

The Shoji Screen Room Divider – Shoji screen room dividers are the classic decorative room divider that you generally associate with Japanese dojos. They are made up of a wooden lattice with white rice paper in between. They are cool because they are opaque, but still let light shine through. If you want to decorate your place with a slight Asian flair, a Shoji screen room divider is the way to go.

The Office Partition (sometimes called the Room Partition) – The office partition is usually made of a wall covered in a soft, light gray cloth. They are the walls you see that separate cubicles in office buildings, and are good so that coworkers can’t see each other when they are seated working, but can easily stand up to talk to one of their neighbors. The walls muffle out noise from the outside, but just a little. Not pretty to look at, but certainly get the job done!

The Wall Divider – The wall divider is a portable room divider that connects from the floor to the ceiling, thus giving complete visual privacy (they aren’t as effective at drowning noise as a regular wall). They are sometimes portable and sometimes attached as a fixture, but they can always be moved aside when no wall is needed. They usually have a track along the top part that connects to the ceiling to lead them, and wheels on the floor so that they can slide. They are very popular in small apartments or convention rooms in hotels where it is sometimes convenient to split up a room. While by no means are they nice to look at, they are certainly an inexpensive way to be able to quickly split up a room.

The Curtain Room Divider – The curtain room divider provides a little less privacy than the wall divider, but it is also the cheapest and most convenient of all the alternatives. All you do is set up the pole, and you can slide the curtain in and out of place whenever you need to. There are disadvantages too though. Even a heavy and totally opaque curtain that is spitting a room doesn’t really block noise too well, and can be easily crossed at any time by anyone who wants to go to the other side (this isn’t the case with a wall divider). It is also purely functional and not very pleasing to the eye.

Separating a space for either decorative or other practical uses is usually done by the use of a room divider. Portable room dividers are a great thing for any home or apartment, as they allow the separation of space or rooms for complete privacy. They are versatile in their ability to move to any place to act as a barrier or decoration. Due to the many uses they have, people love the different designs they can have and interact with any current home décor.

With many different styles and designs, portable room dividers are attractive to a lot of people, and whether they separate different areas or are there just for decorative purposes, there is a design for everyone to enjoy. Since they are portable, they can be folded if they are to be moved or to be stored away. This makes it easier to allow them to fit into a certain space, as the panels can be folded slightly to fit into any type of area.

The portable room dividers can be made from many different materials; wood, plastic even covered in cotton for a softer feel. They are easy to incorporate into any type of existing home décor, making them perfect for both decorative and practical use. Room dividers can also exist as a bookshelf as well, and though portable, is difficult to move around due to it being a bulky piece of furniture.

Portable room dividers are useful in small studio apartments where there really are no walls separating the space apart. The room divider can hide away the designated bedroom area away if there is company over, and can be moved at any time to be placed somewhere else or along the wall as a decorative accessory.

People will find portable room dividers the perfect thing for either design or practical purposes. With the many materials that they can be made from, as well as the designs they can come in, anyone can see that a portable room divider is attractive in its own right. They fit in great with many design ideas and existing décor in any home, which is any designers dream. Versatile in where they are moved, they can be stored away if they are not needed anymore, or simply placed along the wall as a decorative piece. Nobody, once acquainted with a room divider, will never regret having one.