DIY Industrial Gold Curtain Rod + Hemming Drapes

Hey y'all! I crossed off one of my to-do list items for summer this weekend and it felt so good. One room that is relatively untouched in our fixer upper is the master bedroom. It is pretty much a blank slate but I am slowly adding touches here and there to make it come together. The whole project was very painless on the DIY scale. {Sometimes I bite off way more than I can chew, but that was not the case on this one!!} We didn't have any major plans for the weekend and stopped in Lowes Saturday morning. Since Stephen was with me, I felt way less intimidated heading into the plumbing section for my supplies. I have been wanting to do this forever but always had another project lined up ahead of it. It was the perfect time to get what I needed! Here was my list of supplies, however I won't do a full tutorial here because it has been done well other places {I used this one}. 

supplies

(1) 1/2" wide pipe {measure your window and add several inches, according to your preference}

(2) 1/2" floor flanges 

(2) 1/2" x 2 1/2" nipples  {a man must have come up with this name..only in the plumbing section!}

(2) 1/2" 90-degree elbows

Goo Gone

Glass Cleaner or other general cleaning spray

Spray Paint

Screws and Wall Anchors

I knew I wanted my rod to be gold so there was a little prep work. I took off all labels and tape from the pipe and doused it in Goo Gone, then cleaned it up with some glass cleaner and water. After all of the parts were dry, we assembled the rods and I spray painted them with this and let them sit overnight because it was dinner time. 

Sunday, I had to unscrew one end to add my curtain rings on {I already owned them and just spray painted them as well}. After the measuring, up they went. The rod itself is heavy and my drapes were too, so we used drywall anchors. I added a little touch up paint on the screws and it was a done deal for the rod! So easy.

Next, I attached my drapes. These drapes were in our living room in our last house and were a wonderful present several years ago. I am still not tired of the classic, neutral colors and they are proving their worth by working in multiple rooms! Unfortunately, they had to be hemmed because we had a story and a half in our old living room, making for extra long drapes. It was painful to cut the beautiful hem off of these  but they look just as good as ever! Here is my method of hemming...I have had to do this multiple times in this house already and I personally think it is the most painless {no sewing required}.

NO SEW HEM DRAPES

The easiest way for me to do this is while the drapes are hanging. Sounds sort of crazy, but if I do it while they are hanging I know I will get the exact length I want. Also, have you ever tried to hem a drape {or sew one} with 3+ yards of fabric getting tangled up? I make way to many mistakes when there is excess fabric in the way, so this is a simple way to keep it contained.

1) Hang your drapes!

2) Pin the new hem in place as you want them to hang. I like mine just touching the floor. Also, in my case, I had 10 inches or so of excess fabric so I went ahead and cut off about 6 to get rid of the weight, making it easier to get a straight hem.

3) After they are pinned, pull them onto your ironing board and press your new hem line in place (starting with around 6 inches or so to start). I do this first, even though its still pinned, in case I lose pin or it slides.

4) Once you have pressed your hem, slide a piece of hem tape under your fabric and follow the directions on your package. It usually takes my iron a little steam to really get the tape to stick.

5) Work your way across the rest of the drape, pressing the hem in place and adding your tape underneath. If you have a lining, you may have to repeat this step to get that layer to hold up too. After you have your new hem in place, you can trim off any excess fabric and make it as neat as possible.

6) My fabric was extra thick on the ends so I pulled out the hot glue gun because the heat from the iron wouldn't work through 6 layers of fabric and lining.

Works like a charm and I would never be able to tell this was a no-sew job!

I found the chair at a consignment shop recently and immediately snagged it. The throw on the ottoman is also vintage and I got it for Christmas. It can be a tablecloth or bed throw- so pretty with some pink embroidery. I just got this new-to-me print from this shop last week and wasted no time framing it.