DIY Curtain Rod

As we start to transform Oliver’s room from a nursery into a big boy room, we’ve decided to tackle it one project at a time. After completing the accent wall a few months ago, we let that soak in for a little while. Now we’re ready for another project in this space: hanging the curtains.

Now, I know you’re probably thinking hanging curtains really isn’t a project. But it is if the curtain rod becomes a DIY that goes the length of the wall. A few weeks ago I found this inspiration photo on Pinterest (could never find the original source) and knew this is what I had to try and recreate. Of course, with a few little changes of my own.

Since both of the windows in this room are close to the adjoining walls, I immediately loved the idea of only using two curtain panels versus four. It all seems to balance out since the curtain rod made out of wooden closet rods and pipes stretches the length of the wall. So what do you say? Let me show you how you can create this in your own home!

Materials You’ll Need

• 1 inch galvanized iron floor flange
• 1 inch galvanized iron pipe
• 1 inch galvanized iron tee
• 2 wooden closet rods – these need to be the same length as your wall when placed together
• – Closet rod flange pairs – Using only the open flange.
• Oil rubbed bronze spray paint
• 6 drywall screws
• 4 Pop-Toggle screws
• Screwdriver
• Jig saw
• Level
• Measuring tape
• Pencil

The How-To

I wanted the curtain rod to appear like black galvanized pipes so I knew I would have to spray paint it. The Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint by Rusteoluem was my go-to choice. Not only does it give the black look I was wanting, but the finish still makes everything look like galvanized pipes.

This is also the reason why I went with wooden closet rods versus pipes. Since everything is getting spray painted, the paint would easily flake off painted pipe versus painted wood when opening and closing the curtains. Another plus? The wooden rods are easier to cut down to the custom size you need. You’ll go ahead and spray paint everything! The wooden rods, the galvanized pipe items, the two open closet rod flanges and all of the screws.

Once everything is dry, you’ll start the first part of installing the curtain rod. Take the floor flange, pipe and tee pieces and screw them together. This will be the midpoint of your curtain rod that you’ll be attaching to the ceiling.

Find the midpoint of ceiling along the wall you’ll be hanging the curtain rod. From there I placed the floor flange 4 inches away from the wall on the ceiling. Mark where the four screws will go. You’ll use the pop-toggle screws to attach the galvanized iron pieces to the ceiling. Pop-toggles are made to safely hold a lot of weight so you don’t have to worry about the galvanized pieces falling from the ceiling.

Next you’ll install the wooden rods to the left and right of the pipes hanging from the ceiling. If your rods are like ours, they may not fit in the galvanized tee piece due to being too big. We used a router to route one end of each rod that it fit in the pipe. You can also use a sander but it will take a little longer.

Insert the end you just shaved down into one side of the tee piece and place the other end in the open flange against the wall (do not attach the flange on the wall yet). It doesn’t matter if you start on the left or right side. If your wooden rod is too long, you’ll have to trim it down using a jigsaw. Cut just a little bit off at a time if you need to. Reason being, if you cut too much, it won’t fit at all due to being too short.

Place a level on top of the rod while it’s in place to make sure that it’s level. You may have to hold your rod up with one hand and hold the level in place with the other while you do this. You’ll also want to make sure that the open flange on the wall is four inches away from the wall it’s going in front of so it’s in line with the tee. I found this easiest to measure using a sewing measuring tape.

Mark the holes on the open flange on the wall so you know where you’ll be inserting the drywall screws. Secure the piece on the wall with the drywall screws and then insert your rod. You’ll repeat these steps on the other side. Once you have your pieces fitted on the left and right, it’s finally time to hang your curtains!

You’ve now created a fun and unique curtain rod that runs the length of a wall. Of course you can hang as many curtains as you’d like but I’m going with just two in the middle. I love the look of it, the statement yet simplicity it brings to the space and they serve their function. I found my velvet curtains here.

Also, since you’re not table to adjust your curtain rod up or down once it’s in place, be prepared to hem your curtains. Another option is letting them gather on the floor. It honestly comes down to personal preference.

If you create this curtain rod in your home, I’d love to see! Make sure to tag me on social media so I can celebrate your home project with you. Until then, here’s where we can chat about all things home and keep in touch:

Like on Facebook || Follow on Instagram || Follow on Pinterest
We have a great community over on Facebook, House & Home, where we’ll be chatting, sharing, and helping one another when it comes to home decor and projects. Come join us! Check it out here.