Morgan ma Belle

My go-to way to dress up and any living space is curtains! Unfortunately, sometimes there are rules imposed by landlords, RAs and property managers about how you can attach things to your wall. Let me tell you, Command Strips will be your best friend!

I found all the materials I needed to complete this 15-minute DIY project at Home Depot. Here's what you'll need:

5/8" Dowel Rods - I needed 2 to go across my 76" wide window
Copper coupling with stop - to connect the two dowel rods
Command Strips Large Utility Hooks
Tape Measure or Ruler
Rubber Mallet - to secure the copper fitting

How high you hang your curtain rods depends on your curtain length (typically either 84" or 96") and if you like puddling curtains or not, but a good rule of thumb is to put your brackets - in this case, Command Strip - 4 to 6 inches above your window OR centering them between the window molding and the ceiling.

I chose to stick my Command Strips where the hook would be at 6 inches above the window, which was just a little shy of vertically centered in my small apartment. You can follow the instructions on the Command Strips box, but it's basically a peel-and-stick method.

Because my windows are pretty wide and I didn't want a third Command Strip in the center of my window, I positioned each about 6 inches from the window edge to give more support toward the center of the rod.

You'll want to wait for the Strips to adhere strongly to the wall before hanging anything from them; the recommended length of time is 1 hour.

You can see by how the dowel rod sits on the Command Strip that pulling the curtains closed won't be a smooth task, so you don't want curtains with a rod pocket because you'll have a pucker where the hook sticks up. I recommend using curtains with the back tabs or hidden because they'll conceal the hook and you'll be able to arrange them on the rod smoothly. Curtains with grommets will be too wide because of how close to the wall the dowel rod will sit.

I've linked a few back tab curtains that are similar to what I found at TJ Maxx that you can order online from JC Penny or Target:

To have a more polished product than the bare ends of the dowel rods, you can also purchase copper caps at Home Depot in the same aisle as the copper couplings. I used them to finish off my blanket ladder DIY because it would be leaning against the wall and floor. I may go back and add them after I've had the curtains up a few days if I decide this project needs that finishing touch.

So not counting the price of the curtains ($19.99 at TJ Maxx), here's the final tally:

5/8" dowels x 2 = $5.08
1/2" copper coupling x 1 = $0.56
3M Command Hooks value pack (qty 6) x 1 = $8.87
+ tax

TOTAL = $15.71*

*you're closer to $10 if you purchase a pair of Command Hooks instead of the value pack

If you give this easy DIY curtain rod a try, let me know or tag me in your Instagram photos @morgan.ma.belle so I can share your results! And, as always, pin this project for later!

No comments

God is good, regardless of your circumstance.

He is good in the victory.
He is good in the heartbreak.
He is good in the trials.
He is good in the dark times.
And He is good in the breakthroughs.

I didn't want to write the typical end of year round-up because this hasn't been a typical year. Together, B and I have walked through the highest highs and the lowest lows either of had ever experienced.

2018 began with the biggest surprise of all, one that happened much sooner than we thought it would and quite a bit before we thought we were ready -- but when are you ever really ready to become parents? But before we began preparing and training and studying and sharing, we were taken breathless by unimaginable heartbreak. I, who had never dated in high school and married my college sweetheart, was ill-equipped to handle heartbreak.

We learned to love each other through the pain and grief of miscarriage, and our relationship with each other and Christ grew and strengthened. Boy or girl we never knew, but our Baby P was loved. It didn't matter that Baby P lived only 10 weeks and had never been held or snuggled or kissed; Baby P was our first. And the first thing that she saw (yes, I think our baby was a she) on March 2, 2018, where maybe she was greeted by aunts and uncles and held by my great-grandmother, was the face of Jesus.

And though my miscarriage was the BIGGEST event in 2018 for us, it wasn't by far the only one and with the support of our family, it wasn't an all-consuming one! Like I said, 2018 held a lot of highs for us, too.

We're well on our way to the financial independence we've been working toward since we married (take that, student loans!).
I let real true friendships develop and deepen in a way that I've shied away from since college.
Two of our best friends got married and had one fabulous party to celebrate #branandshangetweddingbands
I walked in 5 runway shows in Kansas City, (with 2 more already booked for 2019 in KC and Austin)
I really focused on developing this blog and my portfolio by taking the time to treat it like a business (take a look at those new Facebook reviews!).
We've moved back to Texas and I type this post from our cozy apartment in west Austin where we're only an hour or so away from our closest family.
Our church, friend circle, and family grew with the healthy births of 4 beautiful babies 👶🏼, 1 wedding 👰🏻, and 1 engagement 💍.

So here I am closing out the year with an angel watching over us, blessings surrounding us, and maybe - just maybe - a new (furry) family member joining us soon.