The Shoji screen is a type of sliding room dividers in the average Japanese homes.  They can be used to add some privacy to a room while still allowing the light to pass through.  Shoji dividers can be traced back on the third century.  Traditionally, they are made using wood for the frames and the rice paper.   Making your own shoji screen dividers is just easy.  It will allow you to create a partition in your room while adding a touch of Asian charm.  Here’s how to do it.

Creating the Frame of the Room Dividers

The first thing you need to do when creating a shoji room divider is to construct the frame.  You may purchase a lightweight lumber and cut it at your desired specification.  Make sure to measure your room first to ensure that your Japanese shoji divider will fit.  There should be no less than 4 pieces of frame on each panel.  Start creating a rectangle based on these portions and attached them by using nails or wood glue.  Create at least 2 matching frames by following the same procedure.  Check their stability and make sure that they can stand firmly on the ground without any support.

Crosspieces

Add the crosspiece at the middle of the frame.  This will create the cross at the centre of the Shoji room divider which will enhance the stability.  Try to fit it neatly on the middle of the frame.  You may use glue on the edges of the crosspieces to secure them.  You may also attach it with nails to enhance the support.  For aesthetic purposes and enhances durability, you may add more crosspieces on the two halves of the screen divider.  Thin and long nails like finish nails will work perfectly on attaching crosspieces.

The Rice Paper

Start lining up the sheets of Japanese paper on the edges of the frame.  This will create the rear part of the shoji room dividers.  Use glue to attach the rice papers on the cross pieces and the edges of the frame.  Allow it to dry.  After completing this, the rear portion of your screen divider should look completely white while the other side will still have visible frame and cross pieces.   Spray the rice paper gently in order to create that finished look.  Do the same process of attaching the rice paper into the other side of the divider.

Installing the Hinges

After you glued the rice paper, it is now time for you to attach the frames using hinges.  Align the shoji room dividers and install the hinges on their corner.  Use at least 2-3 hinges on each panel to ensure its durability and stability.  Secure the hinges properly using wood screw which will allow you to simply fold the screen divider when they are not in use.  It would be better if you can find hinges that will match the tone of the wood.

Finally, you need to test your new shoji room divider.  You have to make certain that they will remain stable and solid under different conditions and that you can fold them without extreme effort.