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The Thrifty Way to Hang Curtains

sunroom curtains

Things are happening on our sunroom renovation. Slowly getting there…after this update we really just need to do the fun part, furniture and accessories!

After painting and adding the new floor, I really wanted to soften up the whole space with curtains, but I didn’t actually want to block out any of the sunlight from all of these windows.

Sunroom renovation no curtains

I knew I wanted white sheer panels around the entire room, and when I counted, I realized I would need 12 panels…and really long curtain rods… and hardware. I started looking online for prices. NO WAY.

I would need 12 brackets which were ranging from $5-10 a piece! The rods were completely out of my price range! I decided not to even look at sheer panels. I knew there had to be a cheaper way.

I turned to good ole Ikea and found their cheapest white panels. They were 3.99 per PAIR! I couldn’t even find fabric that cheap. So I bought 6 pairs only costing me about $24.

If you don’t have an Ikea near you, you can also find the curtains on Amazon. Just slightly higher price. Here is the (affiliate) link.

Next onto the hardware. Curtain rods were expensive and so were the brackets. I remember an idea where someone bought electrical conduit piping for $3 for a 10ft piece. So I headed to Lowes and purchased 4 – 10ft pieces.

curtainrodhardware

While I was there I searched around for some inexpensive pieces I could use to hold the piping. Since this was a sunroom and the curtains were sheer, they were only for decoration to soften the room so they didn’t need to be open or closed or be free to move easily. Knowing this, I found a pack of 10 pipe holders in the electrical department as well. They were only about $3 for the whole pack and then I purchased two singles since I needed 12.

I was about to walk out of the store when it hit me that I needed something to connect the pipes since my walls were over 10ft!

curtainrods

I wanted something that wasn’t going to show on the outside, so I purchased a wooden oak dowel for about $2 that fit snuggly into the pipe. I choose oak because it’s stronger and I knew it wouldn’t warp or break.

When I returned home, I cut one of the pipes with a hack saw to add on to the other 3 since the walls were over 10ft.  I spray painted the pipe and brackets with the same color I used on our ceiling fan in the same room. It’s Rustoleum’s hammered silver. I like that it’s a mix of soft and romantic with a little industrial design thrown in.

Now to hang the curtains. I needed to hang everything at the same time because of the hardware I purchased I couldn’t take the rod off the wall to put the panels on. Also, I needed to cut a slit in the top of the curtain so it would go on either side of the bracket, hiding it.

cheep curtain alternatives

We leveled, marked, cut and attached.

I think it looks amazing and I love the way it softens the whole room. Very romantic.

The curtains from Ikea are extremely long but no need to hem them! Just cut! I like a little pool on the bottom so I didn’t cut them flush with the floor, I left a little.

What do you think? Can you believe the whole room of curtains and hardware was under $40!

affordable curtains

inexpensive curtains

Take a look at how we have updated our sunroom since we installed the curtains.

Driftwood Burst

Driftwood Industrial Sign

A Little Dresser Makeover


Joyce

Wednesday 18th of September 2019

How do you take curtains down to wash them, since the conduit is laying on the screwed into wall brackets?

jenny

Sunday 7th of April 2019

Hi Homegirl,

I have a sun room that I wanted sheer curtains for and yes the curtain rods and attachments are expensive. I already had the sheer curtains. I went on line and here you were. Wow. I ran to Lowes and bought conduit and pipe holders. I went to the check out and it cost me $8.25. Wow. I installed it and it looks beautiful. Thank you for making my day.

N. E. Shugan

Saturday 14th of October 2017

I came over from Home Talk, also, just to say, why did you paint the pipes silver, but you answered my question here. I like the mix of soft lacy and industrial. Could you please add a few more pictures? I could use the inspiration! I'm thinking of doing a wall full of windows to achieve a similar look. I, sadly, am too straight-laced (pun intended) to have unfinished lace curtains, or to have them pudding on the floor. One snag from my dog's toenails would rip the beautiful lace. Last thought, are you concerned at all, of them yellowing with sun and age?

Barbara Menard

Friday 9th of September 2016

Love this , I have been thinking about doing a whole wall of curtains , but at the price of hardware I haven't done it !! Now I can .....Love this and thanks so much for sharing !!

June

Wednesday 18th of May 2016

I would love to have a room like this in my home! You have done a fabulous job so far. Are you considering installing white rope lights just above the curtain? I think it would add a nice bit of ambiance to the room, especially when you just want to sit and chill out! What other lighting are you planning?

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