Living Room Archives – Page 2 of 2

If you find yourself in a dilemma where you have multiple curtains you want to hang up and only have one rod (or no rod!), there may be more options than you think to get what you want. Whether you want to add a layer of sheer curtains or some heavier duty material, setting up your curtains to be able to have multiple layers in one spot can be relatively simple. There are several different methods you can use to hang your double curtains up without a double rod. These methods include using a bungee cord, curtain rings, or even coat hooks! But we're all into DIY projects, right? I mean, after all, that's why you're here. It's time to get creative! This article will walk you through several different methods you can use to hang your double curtains up, even if you don't have a double rod. It would help if you had a few extra accessories and know-how tricks for the given method that you choose. Why Not Just Buy A Double Rod? The obvious fix to this dilemma would be to go purchase a double rod so you can hand your double curtains. However, most individuals don't have the time or the means to do this. For decent double rods, you're looking at $120 to $180! So, what's the point of paying that much when you can hang your double curtains for less? Not to mention, installing the double rods can be a pain, literally. They tend to be a bit heavy, and if you don't have a second person to help you, an easy project can become a problematic one real quick. So, we've come up with three methods where you can utilize some at-home materials to hang your beautiful double curtains. The Bungee Method One method that’s been trending lately has been to use bungee cords to hang curtains. Using a bungee cord can be a simple and elegant way to upgrade your curtains, and you can add dimension to your curtains, whether you put them in front or back of an existing curtain. This method can also be a resourceful way to add a curtain to the one you already have hung up, or you can hang up two bungees to act as curtain rods but be sure they’re strong enough to hold your curtain up. What you’ll need: Bungee cord cut to the desired length Curtain rod hooks hung up on the wall Curtains Instructions Measure your bungee cord. First, measure out a length of bungee cord at least 4 or 5 inches past where both your curtain rod hooks are on your wall. You'll want this extra length at the ends of the bungee cord so you can tie them to the hooks of your curtain rod. Tie your bungee cord to the curtain rod hooks. Depending on if you want the curtain layer to be in front or back of an existing curtain, you'll tie the bungee in either in front or behind your curtain rod on the hook. Put a layer of curtain through the bungee. After you’ve secured your bungee end, put the entire layer of curtain through the bungee. Once you have your curtain strung up, tie the other end of the bungee to the other curtain rod hook, the same as the first step. Fluff the sides of your curtain. To finish, fluff the sides of your curtain, so the bungee doesn't stick out, and you've got yourself a new curtain look without a double rod! A Few Things To Keep In Mind With the Bungee Method Use hooks for more elegance. If you find you want to add a little more elegance to your bungee curtain appearance, you can also tie the ends of your bungees to hooks, then place those hooks onto your curtain rod hooks. Give yourself extra length. You can add or subtract however much length you think you'll need to tie the bungee ends, but giving yourself around 4 or 5 inches to tie the ends off should be enough. Use a bungee for a nice drooping effect. Having a bungee cord for a curtain rod allows you to increase and decrease the amount of tightness of your bungee layer to add a nice “drooping” effect, or you can keep your bungee fully tight. Curtain Rings Curtain rings are another popular method used to hang one or multiple curtains up with. You can use curtain rings to hold up two or more curtain pieces on one rod, but if you’re going to use this method, you’ll want to make sure all your curtain layers have loops where curtain rings can go in. For rings to work to hang up a curtain, they’ll need to be at least ½” larger in diameter than your rod so the rings can fit around the rod with a curtain loop around them too. You'll only need curtain rings for this method! Instructions Count the rings you'll need. First, you’ll need to figure out how many rings you'll need and where to put them. This would be an excellent time to decide if you want any of your curtain layers to be tight across your rod or have a “drooping” effect. Line your rings up. Next, you'll want to line out the rings you're going to use and put them on your rod (or bungee!). That'll make putting your curtain on the rings a lot easier and help you keep track of the loops and rings in the order you want. Now you’re ready to hang your curtains up! Hang your curtains. Take a loop at one end of your curtain and put a ring through a loop in the spots you want down the whole curtain until you’ve finished at the other end. Once you’re done, you can stand back and marvel at the new look you just made. Food For Thought With The Curtain Ring Method Tight curtains. If you want a tight curtain across, you'll put a ring through every loop of your curtain layer. Drooping effect. To get a drooping effect, you'll put a ring on every other loop or skip two loops in between where you put a ring to enhance the “droopiness.” Coat Hooks If you don't want to use rods (or don't have any), but you still want double curtains, you could put up coat hooks along your wall that span the length of where you want to put your curtains. Make sure that the type of coat hooks you get jut out from the wall far enough to where you can hook your curtain to them without it falling when it's slightly bumped. The only material you will need for this method is the coat hooks! However, they should be sturdy enough to hold a heavy curtain. That way, you don' tend up pulling them out of the wall once you've completed your masterpiece. Instructions Count how many loops in your curtain. To start, you'll want to count how many loops your curtain has so you'll know how many hooks you'll need. You'll also need to have coat hooks that will be large enough to take on multiple fabric layers if you put more than one loop per hook. Measure between each loop and hang a hook. Once you’re done, you can stand back and marvel at the new look you just made. Next, measure the distance between each loop on your curtain and put a hook on the wall for each of those loops. Doing this will help you keep each hook evenly spaced and keep track of which loop goes to what hook. Hang your curtain. Finally, place a loop from your curtain on each hook you want. Tips And Tricks For The Coat Hook Method Add more hooks. You can place a second curtain on the same hooks if they’re big and strong enough, or you can add a dimensional appearance and put more hooks on your wall to account for a second layer. Get thin curtains. Make sure that your curtains aren't too bulky. If they are, they will push away from the wall and, more or less, remove themselves from the hook. Find some clips. You might want to add something that goes on the end of the hook so you can more or less fasten the curtain onto the hook. That way, it won't slip off when someone bumps it or the wind blows through your window and catches it at the right angle. Summing It Up Using these methods not only gives you the freedom of not having to use a double rod to hang double curtains up but presents you the chance to use everyday household items to spruce up how your curtains look. When you don't have these things lying around, you can get them reasonably easily online or in a nearby department store that sells these materials. Hanging curtains up without a double rod allows you to get creative with the appearance and utility of your curtains, so have fun and enjoy making new looks for your curtains!