The Best Drapery Rod Hack Ever!

How to create beautiful french return drapery rods on the cheap! 

In my book, nothing beats the simplicity of a custom french return drapery rod.  The only drawback is that "custom" usually means pricey. I know this because I left a lot of beautiful, custom rods behind when we moved. Lucky for the new owner - not so lucky for me. I was determined to come up with a more economical solution.   I began scouring the internet for adjustable return rods that had enough heft to hold lined and interlined panels of considerable length and finally hit pay dirt at JCPenny! 

If your drapery panels are going to be mainly stationary and your windows aren't terribly wide this is the solution for you. The trick when using adjustable rods is buying the longest length possible.  If the rod barely has to be adjusted it will appear custom because the seam won't be visible once the rings and drapes are in place. Plus, the rod will be much stronger.

Three tips to remember during installation. First, my husband used longer screws than were provided with the rods to ensure that they were secure. Second, after installation use a gold paint pen to color the screw heads of these new screws so they won't be visible. Finally, know the number of rings needed and have them at the ready. Its much easier to put them on during installation. Remember there is no finial that simply screws on and off easily.

This rod works well because the 1" width gives it enough heft to not look cheap but isn't too big so it still looks fresh. Upon arrival the finish needed some work. The above picture is deceiving. While the finish appears to be matte, in person they were very shiny. I wanted gold tone hardware anyway. No problem - I turned to my favorite gold spray paint.

After spray painting the rod, I had to paint the rings and center support pieces as well, because I wanted them to match. 

I have used these in several places in my house and have always been pleased with the final result. I love a bargain, but only if it provides value and in this case I can say these rods are functional and beautiful.