Thinking Outside the Box #3 - Curtain Hardware

Curtains and the hardware necessary to hang them are a great place to think outside the box.  Hardware can add up very quickly, plus you're pretty limited on styles.  Rods are not such a big deal, because they are covered up for the most part, but I often find myself wishing for something a little more personal when it comes to finials and brackets.

Christmas ornaments, on the other hand, come in so many interesting shapes, sizes, colors, and styles. That, I can get really excited about!  Since many of them are designed to compliment a home's decor, they are perfect to consider for curtain accessories.  As a bonus they are lightweight, which is great for your walls, and you can get them for pennies after the holidays.  Whoo-hoo!

Look how beautiful this mercury glass ornament is as a finial.  

To attach this to the rod, I removed the ring from the top of the ornament.  Then using double threaded screws from Lowes, I screwed one end into my curtain rod.  You may need pliers to do this.  I then used some E6000 glue on the end of the rod around the screw, and then screwed my ornament onto the remaining exposed threads.  I let the glue set up overnight and now have a gorgeous glass finial.  Be sure to have your curtain or rings already on the rod if they will not fit over the finials.  

This next finial was a cheap plastic ornament that was painted and foiled a shiny gold.  I think the cheap plastic actually worked in my favor for holding spray paint.  If it appears too shiny, you might rough up the surface some, but I've never had any trouble with the paint peeling.  Just wash it with soap and water, first, and make sure it is thoroughly dry.

Again, I removed the ribbon and ring on the top of the ornament.  I then cut a piece of dowel and glued the ornament onto the end using gorilla glue.

In this case, my rod is nothing more than a long piece of electrical conduit, cut to fit my window.  I washed, then painted it using Rub-N-Buff paint.  I just squeezed some into my palm and ran my hand up and down the conduit.  Yes, it was quite messy, but worth it to get the results I was after.  It does wear off a little over time, but it is just a thin line on the top where the rings slide.  It is very easy to touch-up.

I then simply slid the dowel into the conduit and now have an interesting finial in the color of my choice.  OK, it is not really the color of my choice right now, as I have changed my mind.  But it will be as soon as I decide whether I want black, brown, or white hardware in the garden room.

What's so fun about this is how you begin to look at all kinds of trinkets, fake fruit, toys, ornaments, garden decorations - everything - and picture what you could use them for.  Ah, who wants to buy hardware that looks like everyone elses?  Not me!

Is this something you would do?  Let me know!  

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

This is a hook from Hobby Lobby that works great as a rod holder.