Cheap and Easy Curtain Rods

Wow, I can't believe it's been two weeks since I've been on here. I had two "Mommy vacations", back to back, so I think I've been in catch-up mode lately. This post is for my sister-in-law Rachael. She'd asked for some details on Jackson's curtain rods. My camera takes such ginormous pictures, it's a pain to email them, so I figured I'd put them on the blog. Plus, I've had several people ask about them in the past, so for anyone who's interested, here you go.

Cheap and Easy Curtain Rods:

We have three bay windows in our house, and getting the rods for them don't come easy (or cheap). Here's the alternative, and though I don't remember at all how much they were, I know they weren't as expensive as what you get at JC Penny or BB&B. The entire thing is made out of 1" galvanized piping from Home Depot (yes, I already know I've spent way too much of my life there).

I don't know the technical name for any of these pieces. We measured the windows and they cut, and threaded the pipes for us at HD (the guy thought I was truly crazy - I didn't think it was such a hair-brained idea). For the end of the windows, we just used these 90* bent pipes. The "plate" with the four screws is one piece, then that little one inch section is another piece, the bend is another...all screwed together. But, they don't have to be tightened all the way because no water is going through it (as is originally intended).
Here are the "inside" bends in the bay window. Jeff thinks they're 130* or 125* angle bent pipes. He's not 100% sure. I'm sure you'll figure it out once you're there, looking at the million little pipe pieces.

To support the weight in the middle, this piece is smack dab in the middle of the window. It looks like a "T" (and I actually love this detail - "makes" the look, if you know what I mean).

We finished it off with large grommet drapes I found at IKEA. They're a heavy duck cloth that block out a lot of light (if only it actually helped him sleep in any longer - he's always been such an early riser and is lucky to sleep past 6 :30).
So, that's it. Cheap, easy, and quick. The pipes are pretty heavy, so you need to screw at least two screws (per plate) into studs. That's why we kept them close to the fame of the window where there's lots of wood under the drywall. I think they're very "boy" and they make it very easy for him to open and close on his own. Good luck, Rach!