DIY Curtain Rods – Easy, Fun, Cheap And Inspiring Ideas You’ll Love

A room often seems incomplete without window treatments. Hanging curtains can change the space a lot, giving it more privacy and a more welcoming feel. We’re not going to get into all the types of curtains, the fabrics, the colors and everything else. Instead we’re going to talk about curtain rods. This is something that you’d normally buy and have someone install the system but what if you were to make it all yourself? DIY curtain rods are an interesting trend these days and in care you want to know more about it we’re prepared to give you some examples.

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

You can make curtain rods out of a variety of materials but wood tends to be the most common and most versatile option. Let’s start with a project that we found on maisondepax. To put together the DIY curtain rod featured here you need two wood brackets, a long wood dowel, a saw, a drill, sandpaper, wood stain, warm gray chalk paint, dark wax and dowel caps (these are optional).

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

If you prefer something sturdier than wood you could use a metal rod instead of a dowel. As it turns out, an electrical conduit would work just fine and would be pretty cheap too. Apart from that you’ll also need some corner braces, one hole straps and some nuts and bolts. Follow the instructions offered on lovelyetc to find out how to successfully build and install such a curtain rod.

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

Electrical conduit DIY curtain rods have the advantage of being very practical, durable and cheap to make. However, they tend to give spaces a certain industrial appearance which doesn’t always comply with the desired result. Of course, there are a lot of cases when this detail isn’t really relevant. Check out these chic curtain rods featured on apartmenttherapy. They’re easy to make and all you need is electrical conduit, curtain rod brackets, spray paint and optional elements which you can find in the tutorial.

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

Curtain rods don’t have to be perfect. In fact, check out these rustic branch DIY curtain rods from lifeovereasy. That’s right, they’re not made out of dowels but out of long branches which are pretty straight but have their imperfections. Even the brackets are made of branches too. The design is obviously rustic as well as very original and unique.

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware
DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

Copper pipes can make stylish curtain rods too and if you like the look you can take advantage of that to add a few other matching details throughout the space. You can check out julieblanner to find out the details about the project. We can give you a short list of supplies that you’re going to need in case you decide to pursue this cool idea: copper pipes, copper spray paint, flanges, copper adapters, elbows, tees and a pipe cutter.

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

As you can see, making your own curtain rods is not difficult at all. In fact, it’s pretty easy, no matter what material you choose to use. Wood dowels are accessible and you can cut them to the desired length which is easy and convenient. You can spray paint them if you want but they look charming enough in their natural state too. The knobs at the ends are a nice touch. We really like these from myfabulesslife.

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

Metal pipes have their own way of standing out when being used as curtain rods. They have a strong industrial look and sometimes that’s exactly what the space needs in order to look complete and harmonious. In case you need some inspiration, check out the galvanizes pipe curtain rod project from littleredbrickhouse. It’s easy and we really like the way the black pipe contrasts with the white curtains.

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

Since making your own curtain rods is so simple, you can take advantage of that to perhaps reorganize your home’s internal layout. For example, you could use curtains to divide two spaces in a casual way. In any case, consider making the rod stand out. Maybe you could repurpose something like a paddle or an antique boat hook like the one featured on findingsilverpennies.

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

Anything that has the right shape and length can be repurposed into a curtain rod. For example, a PVC pipe can work just fine. Cut it to size and use some spray paint to make it look less boring and ordinary. The project featured on livelaughandcraft also suggests adding two wood blocks at the ends. The combination is very inspired.

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

There are plenty of ways to make DIY curtain rods look interesting. You can try to customize a rod using twine. It’s an idea that comes from thewickerhouse. Basically you just take a plain and inexpensive rod and you wrap twine around it from end to end. You could use a hot glue gun to make sure the twine stays in place. it takes a while but the result is quite inspiring.

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

If you don’t mind curtains that stay fixed in place, then you don’t even need a rod. You can just attach a wooden board to the wall just above the window and then hammer a bunch of large nails in it at equal distances. Each nail will hold a ring. You won’t be able to pull the curtains open so keep that in mind. If you like this idea, check out the full tutorial on how to make this curtain hanger on inspiredbycharm.

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

Speaking of curtains that don’t slide on rods, there’s also this cool design idea on oliveandlove. The rod is replaced by a piece of reclaimed wood with a really cool finish and the rings are replaced by metal hooks. Consider this option for your shower curtain or for any curtain that doubles as a space divider.

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

Can you believe that these DIY curtain rods are made of PVC pipes? This is one of the most ingenious and affordable ideas on our list. Naturally, some spray paint is needed in order to make the pipes look less like PVC pipes and more like actual curtain rods. You’ll also need brackets and PVC couplers in case you want your curtain rod to go around a corner. There’s a nice tutorial on 7layerstudio that shows you all the details about this project.

DIY curtain rods restoration hardware

PVC pipes and wooden dowels aren’t your only options when making curtain rods. In fact, some of the most interesting designs are those that stay away from all the usual things. A nice example is the project featured on vintagehomelove which involves some thick rope, hex nuts, fender washers, boat cleats, eye-bolts and curtain rings. This totally reinvents the DIY curtain rod ideas that we were familiar with.