DIY Curtain Rods and Affordable Curtains

Whenever I design a space, I always make a point of identifying what items in the room I can save money on. The curtain rods in Elsa’s bedroom were never meant to be one of those items. Initially I had planned on using brass rods from Target in her room, but as I was collecting the necessary pieces for the room makeover, I feel in love with a few things that were priced higher than I was willing to spend.

It occurred to me I needed to find another area to make more affordable. The curtain rods became my money saving target, and channeling my inner Mission Impossible self, I set out to accomplish my goal.

They say use what you have, so I did!

Materials

• Wood dowels
• Wood finials
• J hooks
• Spray paint
• Curtains

Tools

• Drill
• Screw driver

Use What You Have

We’ll be working on our basement family room very soon and I had already decided to replace the window treatment there. I realized I could use that curtain rod for one of Elsa’s bedroom windows and create another one for her second smaller window.

I headed to Lowe’s and bought a dowel the same circumference as the actual curtain rod. I also found four wood finials on clearance at Lowes. They to attach to the end of each rod. We drilled holes in the dowel and the screws on the finials allowed us to screw them in.

Repurpose Things

Online I looked for a substitute for window hardware. White metal J hooks fit the dowel perfectly and only cost around $5 for two. Hugely cost effective as compared to buying window hardware specifically meant for curtain rods. Thinking outside the box will help you save while giving a custom look to your project.

My DIY Must Have – Paint

Spray paint was my choice of paint to cover the curtain rods and get them both to match. Spray paint is not my first choice, but since I don’t have a spray painter yet it worked well. Spraying paint on was much easier than painting with a brush because of the round shape of what I was painting. I spray painted the dowel and finials a satin white. In order to get the same sheen between the two different curtain rods, I also painted a light coat of the same spray paint on the old family room curtain rod even though it was already white. Doing this the two would match exactly.

Here’s Elsa’s bedroom prior to the DIY curtain rods and curtains going up. A pretty room, but I knew adding curtains would give it a much cozier and more refined feeling.

Inhouse Outsourcing

I enlisted the help of our tallest child to attach the window hardware/J hooks. A stepping stool would work as well, but Duncan is much better company and super cute. If you’ve been here awhile you know that we teach our children as we learn about DIY and design. Someday I hope they’ll help each other with their homes. For now a big brother helping with little sister’s room makes her feel special and loved.

The curtains haven’t been steamed or styled yet in this photo and but it’s already an improvement. These curtains here are used throughout our home. I love them because they’re easy to care for, versatile and never disappoint. Plus, if they get stained I use this on them without even taking the curtains down, I just rinse well and blot dry. These curtains always comes right out looking as good as new.

This was one of those projects that went just as I had imagined, a rarity! The curtain still need to be steamed, but I love the look already. When it comes to design, keeping cost down doesn’t mean you have to skimp on style or the look you want.

This DIY curtain rod saved me $45 which I’ll be using in other parts of Elsa’s room. Don’t be mad, but I have to say it, Mission Accomplished!

Try this straight forward DIY curtain rod if you want save your pennies and then splurge somewhere else in your space.