The Best DIY Curtain Rods

Check out these amazing DIY curtain rod ideas! Instead of buying cheap curtain rods that won't last, make high-quality and beautiful rods without the high price tag! 

Five different ideas for DIY cheap curtain rods or hangings *This post contains affiliate links.

When you first move into a new home, or even just want to upgrade your window treatments, buying curtain rods can be a headache. I remember feeling frustrated at how expensive it was even to buy cheap curtain rods for every window in my house. I should have done DIY curtain rods! At first, I decided to buy the cheapest curtain rods I could find, and guess what? They looked BAD after a while. They were too lightweight to hold up my beautiful velvet curtains, they bowed and eventually broke.

I eventually replaced them with good-quality curtain rods, one by one. However, I kinda wish I would have just done some DIY curtain rods in the first place. There are some incredible tutorials out there, where you can make curtain rods that are sturdy enough to last the test of time - and customize them to your personal style!

If you're looking for some budget-friendly home ideas you should also check out DIY No-Sew Curtains, our How to Paint Furniture with Chalk Paint, or browse our whole DIY projects gallery.

DIY Curtain Rods

Wooden Dowel Curtain Rods

DIY curtain rod and square finial painted white with yellow curtains
DIY Budget-Friendly Curtain Rod and Finials
It is impossible to tell that these chic curtain rods are made from steel pipe and wood blocks. The ladies at A Beautiful Mess always come up with ideas that are inexpensive but so beautiful!
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DIY Dowel Curtain Rod with white curtains above a leather sofa
DIY Wooden Dowel Curtain Rods
Okay, The Merrythought's wooden dowel curtain rods are awesome if you are into minimalist modern decor! They look so chic in this room.
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DIY curtain rod brass finish with white curtains against a teal wall
DIY Curtain Rod with Brass Finish
This gorgeous brass curtain rod is made from a wooden dowel and two ping pong balls. YOU HEARD ME! So inexpensive and so pretty!
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DIY Curtain Rod from wooden dowel and leather loops from Paper and Snitch
DIY Curtain Rods for less than $10
This wooden dowel curtain rod with leather loops from Paper and Snitch is really cool, and super budget-friendly! I love this minimal look.
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Distressed Wood Curtain Rods
Make some Restoration Hardware-inspired wood curtain rods with Maison de Pax! These are so beautiful for a vintage-modern look.
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Pipe Curtain Rods

DIY Curtain Rod with finials and white curtains
DIY Curtain Rods by Lovely Etc.
Make DIY curtain rods for super cheap with electrical conduit! Lovely Etc. has a great tutorial.
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DIY Copper Curtain Rods with white curtains in a kitchen
Salvaged Copper Curtain Rods
I love the look of these salvaged copper curtain rods from Colleen at Lemon Thistle! She said they only cost $10 for each window!
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Black Curtain rod and white curtains Happier Homemaker
Hang Curtain Rods with Command Hooks
I never thought to hang curtains with command hooks but The Happier Homemaker shows us how! You just need to use a lightweight rod and curtains!
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Wood Beam Curtain Rod
Love Grows Wild hung curtains in a bedroom with this really cool DIY wood beam! Inside the beam is some PVC pipe holding up the lace curtains. What a beautiful project!
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Repurposed Items a Curtain Rods

Forged Nail Curtain Hanging
These curtains are hung using 2 x 4's and forged nails! This is such a cool idea from Inspired by Charm.
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Collage of repurposed items used as curtain rods: yard stick, rope and a golf club
Think Outside of the Box - Hang Curtains with Repurposed Items
HGTV has a cool list of things to repurpose as curtain rods or curtain hardware! Some of the ideas are to use a yard stick, rope, or a golf club to hang curtains.
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Reclaimed wood with hooks holding white curtains over a window
Hooks Instead of a Curtain Rod
This is a cool idea - use reclaimed wood and hooks to hang curtains over a window! Easy tutorial from the Crazy Craft Lady!
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Oar hung on the wall as a curtain rod with red polka dot curtain
Turn a Vintage Oar into a Curtain Rod
I love repurposing things. Add some vintage or nautical flair to a room and use an oar to hang your curtains!
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I hope this little money-saving tip helps you guys get more bang for your buck decorating your homes!

Sarah

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49 Comments

  1. I love Hobby Lobby and yet I had not even considered looking for curtain rods there. Thank you for sharing I need some basic and not expensive rods for my living room, this was so timely! Thank you.

    1. Yay!!! We are so glad we weren't the only ones who didn't know! Best of luck in the living room!!

  2. go to TJ Maxx, You can get the nicer brand panels (2 panels per package) for between 14.99 to 16.99 they are better quality than Target or Walmart and cheaper

    1. awesome! thanks so much for the tip!

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  3. Thanks for sharing! We too just moved into our new house... and are started to think about what kind of curtains (and rods!) we want in the new house... nice to know I can go to HL and save bunches!

  4. Love Hobby Lobby, I get my decorating door knobs there and then I go to the hardware store and buy conduit pipes the size I want the will cut them for you, then I will hot glue my gorges doorknobs on either end, wa la, You can spray paint the pipe any color, 8 foot pipe only costs 3 dollars depending who big around you want one, let your imagination run wild and your wallet stay full

      1. If you glue the doorknobs on the end how do you remove the curtains for cleaning? They must fit over the doorknobs??

      2. buy two sections of the pipe, making sure one fits easily yet snug inside, once you connect them, making sure at least 3 feet is overlapping for heavier material and strong hold, then glue your knobs to one end of each of the different sized pipes, and then insert the one into the other, when you go with the closest fit you have a consistent look, cant pick an insert pipe that is too small as it will be wobbly and look cosmetically unappealing , happy creating and hope this helps

  5. Great tip! I usually buy my rods at WalMart because we have no Targets in our area. I'll be shopping for rods at HobLob from now on. I've never seen rods there, but I will search on my next visit! Thank you!

  6. Nice! The HL look better IMO. We bought our curtain 8' curtain rod (went against the entire back wall and covered two large windows) at HL as well. We only ended up spending $18 and that included finials! It's a gorgeous set and looks much more expensive!

    1. ...And with curtains or drapes made out of painters tarps for a coastal or cottage look, how cute and inexpensive.

  7. Do they come in a variety of sizes? I have wide windows so I have a hard time finding any that are inexpensive

    1. Yes they do. I know they have a smaller one that is around $4.50 after coupon (I got one!) and I *think* they have a size bigger too but I have never paid attention to the price. It's worth going to check though!

    2. For our wide windows, we bought 2 curtain rods each, then just used the extender piece from the extra in the middle to stretch out the width. Make sure to add a bracket in the middle for extra support.

  8. I've done the same thing at JoAnn's. Hadn't thought Hobby Lobby yet. guess that means when I start shopping for curtain rods again, I'll grab coupons for both and be able to get at least two at a time.

      1. JoAnn's has also been my go to source for tension rods to put within a window. MUCH better quality for a great price, especially with a coupon.

  9. Ross! I love that store. I haven't ever looked there but I'm going to now. Thanks for the tip! :)

    1. Yay. They make such a huge difference in a room. I've seen lots of nice/cute/affordable panels at Homegoods and Tuesday Morning!

  10. Nice! I haaaaate spending money on curtain rods so this rocks. I feel like they should be like $3 each. Awesome find!

  11. Great tip which I will be using as I've got some window coverings to be putting up myself in the new house. Thanks!

  12. Fabulous! We're moving in about a month into our first home so there will be many windows that will need dressing! You just saved my bank account!

    1. Yessss! We all want to stretch every dollar as far as possible. Congrats on the new home! :)