DIY Beautiful Curtain Rods That Are More Unique Than What You'd Find At The Store

Spending hours choosing the perfect curtains for your space feels like time well spent. After all, you'll see them every day, and they have a job to do. We tend to pay closer attention to what's hanging from curtain rods rather than the rods themselves. That's good, because frankly, curtain rods can be kind of boring. Luckily, you can snag standard sizes on a budget in a lot of places. Still, it can be a challenge finding the right lengths or getting just the look you're aiming for. Making your own curtain rods is not hard at all, so why not customize them to the ideal length and look?

Crafty Instagrammer Erin Zubot was able to put together an extra-long curtain rod that spanned an entire wall of windows, something that would be extremely difficult to find pre-made. A series of dowels connected with dowel screws like these self-tapping ones from uxcell join shorter separate pieces into one long unit. The final product comes together to fit the wall size perfectly. Copy Zubot's design with thick dowels coated in a dark stain and capped off with gold end pieces. Hung through gold ring brackets, the results are far from amateur.

Your polished DIY curtain rods can make budget curtains look expensive. A little paint or stain and end caps easily set it apart from premade options. Plus, your own DIY touches can make the curtain rods look as though you discovered them in a luxury shop. Finish each end of the rod with a glistening gold end cap, a bold knob, or something completely unexpected, like a toy car.

To whip up an ultra-long rig like Zubot's, purchase enough 1 ⁵⁄₁₆-inch width dowels to reach across the window(s) you're treating. As for tools, you won't need much more than a drill with a few bits and a level. You'll also need dark wood stain and a paintbrush, sand paper, dowel screws, hanging brackets, and end caps. These GORGECRAFT gold plastic end caps that you slip over the rod's ends are a close match. However, if you want something that looks higher-end, try this set of gold KAMANINA end caps that you screw into the end of the rod itself. To hang the curtains Zubot-style, these gold curtain rod ring brackets from NELXULAS will do the trick.

Prep your dowels by cutting any excess material to fit the space. Stain your dowel pieces before adding the screws. Only place a screw on one end of each dowel piece; drill a hole on the other end where you'll affix one dowel piece to another. After you've hung your brackets level above the window, slide the curtain rings onto the rod, and hang the rods and curtains one section at a time, screwing the end pieces into each other. Finish it off with the end caps.

If you're looking for something a bit more offbeat, follow the basic instructions above, but try a bold paint color instead of a stain. A stylish way to repurpose cabinet pulls around your home is to use them as end caps. Put the icing on the cake with pieces shaped like dinosaurs, cars, or other whimsical designs.