DIY Wooden Curtain Rod And Brackets

Follow me!

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. View the full disclaimer here.

I made these diy wooden curtain rods and metal brackets for my living room. These only cost me $10 each including the cost of the brackets.

Have you looked at wooden curtain rods online? They are expensive! Especially if you have larger windows to cover like I do.

I found comparable rods online at Bed Bath & Beyond that would’ve cost me $380 to do both windows.

I used those as my inspiration and came up with a game plan to diy them myself.

I also made a YouTube tutorial so you can watch that, or keep scrolling.

List Of Supplies Needed For DIY Wooden Curtain

Curtain Rod Supply List:
72″ long 3/4″ wide dowel rods (I used two for each window, use as many as you need for your width)
wood glue
dowel screws (I used 3/16″ drill)
drill bit (I used 1/4″)
ruler (or some type of straight edge to mark your center point on the dowel)
saw (I used a band saw to cut my dowels to size, but a miter saw would be easier)
sand paper (to smooth edges where dowel was cut down if needed)
wood stain
pre-stain conditioner (optional, helps even out the stain)
polyurethane or polycrylic (optional, helps protect your finished curtain rod)
paint brushes or a rag to apply stain
paper towels to wipe stain off

List Of Supplies Needed For DIY Metal Brackets

Bracket Supply List:
1 1/2″ corner braces
1/2″ one hole straps (these will be where the conduit is at the hardware store)
screws (just long enough to join the brace and one hole straps so you don’t have a long screw hanging down)
lock nut washer (I prefer these to create more friction and less likely to loosen over time)
screw driver (I used a phillips head to fit my screws as well as a rachet screwdriver with a socket that fit my lock nut washers. this allowed me to get a tighter fit than I could’ve with just a basic screwdriver)
spray paint (optional)

Bracket Mounting Supply List:
drill
drywall anchors and the screws that come with them
foam board (I used this to mark the exact distance down from the ceiling where I wanted my brackets to be)
ruler (used to mark the foam board and as a straight edge to cut the board down to the width needed)
exact-o knife (to cut the foam board)

DIY Wooden Curtain Rods And Brackets: Before

I needed to make two curtain rods for my living room, both different sizes.

One will cover 3 windows in the front of the house. They are tall, narrow and don’t have much space in between them. Using one wide rod hung closer to the ceiling will make the room look taller and the windows larger.

I had been using an old, bent up curtain rod previously. I loved the curtains for Society6 but they didn’t come in the length I needed and I wanted to tone the space down.

The other curtain rod will be covering the window and door facing the back of the house.

The window is the same size as the others, tall and narrow. The door is to the right of the window.

They look awkward next to each other. It has always bothered me. The window is taller and the door is wider. I also cannot find a solution that I like for that awkward window on the door.

I was using the same old bent up curtain rod on the window with a cheap curtain from Walmart. The window on the door was covered by a paper blind that just sticks on to the top.

At the time of this diy I was still ripping things out of the living room. The aesthetic was lacking. It’s getting better and I’ll share the progress on this room soon.

DIY Wooden Curtain Rod

Since both of my windows are over 72″ wide, I needed two dowels for each window. If you have a smaller window, you could use one dowel. You could also use three dowels for a larger window.

This diy can be midified to meet your specific needs, so keep that in mind as we go along.

Measuring Your Wooden Dowel Rods

The set of 3 windows at the front of the living room are 101″ wide from edge to edge. I wanted the curtain rod to expand out past the windows on both sides, so I’m making the rod 114″ long.

That will give me 6 1/2″ on both sides of the windows, leaving the exposed wooden curtain rod showing past the brackets once it’s hung.

You can leave more or less overhang depending on the end result you’re going for.

Whatever width you’re going for, devide that in half. that’s the length your dowel rods need to be.

Mine need to be 57″ long, so I used my measuring tape to mark them both. You want them to be as close to the same length as possible.

My second curtain rod is a little smaller but I measured it the same way, dividing the width in half.

Cutting Your Dowel Rods

After making sure you’ve marked both of your dowel rods to the same length, Take your saw and cut them along that mark.

At the time of this diy we were between miter saws so I used our band saw.

If you have a miter saw, that would be the easier tool to use. If not, just use what you’ve got!

Sanding The Dowel Rod Ends

You want to use sandpaper to smooth the cut ends down afterwards. You’ll be joining these ends together, so you want them to be as flat and smooth as possible.

I started off with a coarser sand paper to flatten out the ends. They were pretty flat already but the band saw didn’t give me as perfect of a cut as a miter saw would have.

I followed that with a fine grit to get a smooth edge. If you’re going to be staining your wooden curtain rod, it’s a good idea to lightly sand the entire dowel as well.

Marking The Center Of The Dowel Rod

You’ll be joining two ends of the dowel rods together to create the longer rod. To do this, you first need to find the center of both rods and mark it.

I cannot stress this part enough. If you don’t find the exact center, even if it’s slightly off, you’ll end up with two rods that are not quite lined up right.

Whatever thickness your rod is, divide that by half and make sure to find that point. My halfway point was 3/8″.

I used a ruler to find that point, turned the rod and checking my mark, then turning the rod and checking it again. I also used my ruler to mark an X across the end to make sure it all intercepted at the same point.

Drilling The Pilot Hole

When drilling your pilot hole, you want to use a bit that’s slightly smaller than your dowel screws. This will give you a tighter fit when connecting the dowel rods.

As you’re drilling your pilot holes, hold your dowel rod and your drill as straight as possible. If it get’s off centered your rod could end up looking bowed in the end.

Attaching The Dowel Rods Together

After you’ve drilled pilot holes in to one end of both dowel rods you can attach them together.

Take wood glue and put a little either in the pilot hole or on the end of your screw. Start threading the screw in to the first dowel rod.

Then do the same thing with the other side of the screw and the dowel rod.

Begin twisting both dowel rods in opposite directions, threading the screw further in to each end. Before closing the gap up completely, add more wood glue to the screw that’s still exposed.

Finish tightening the two rods together then wipe off any extra wood glue that has seeped out between the two dowel rods.

Follow the directions of your wood glue and leave them to dry for the recommended amount of time. I left mine to dry overnight.

I would also suggest taking your fine grit sandpaper and going over the seam where you joined them together. Any glue residue left on the wood can interfere with the wood stain and keep it from taking in that area.

Staining And Sealing Your DIY Wooden Curtain Rod

Before staining my curtain rods, I used a pre-stain conditioner. It isn’t a must, but the stain will take better and have more of an even finish if you do.

Apply The Pre-stain Conditioner

In a well ventilated area, use a brush or lint free rag to apply the conditioner evenly along the entire curtain rod.

Let that sit for 5-15 minutes, then thoroughly wipe it off with another rag.

Paper towels will do as well, which is what I used since I didn’t have a lint-free rag on hand.

Just make sure you aren’t leaving any fuzz or lent behind.

Staining The Dowel Rod

Apply your stain within two hours of wiping off the conditioner.

Apply the stain evenly along the entire curtain rod just as you did the conditioner. Let that sit for another 5-15 minutes, depending on the depth of color you’re wanting.

Wipe the stain off very thoroughly once you’ve reached that 5-15 minute mark.

If you want a darker stain, you can repeat that last step. Otherwise, let your wooden curtain rod dry for the next 24 hours.

After 24 hours, apply a couple coats of polyurethane or polycrylic to your wood to give it a protective finish.

DIY Curtain Rod Brackets

For your brackets, if you’re making a larger curtain rod like mine, you’ll want to make 3 brackets per curtain rod. You can adjust that to more or less depending on your needs.

I used a 1 1/2″ corner brace, 1/2″ one hole strap, screws and lock-nut washers to make these brackets (pictured below).

Attach The Bracket And The One Hole Strap

Take your one hole strap and line it up underneath the corner bracket, so that the holes in both align.

Stick the screw in through the top, going down through the corner bracket then through the hole in the one hole strap.

Attach the washer to to the screw. Tighten it the best you can by hand (I used lock-nut washers because it’s what I had on hand, but you could use any washer).

Take a ratchet screwdriver with a socket that fits your washer and tighten the washer the rest of the way.

The best way to do this is to use a screwdriver to hold the screw in place with one hand while you tighten the washer with the ratchet screwdriver with the other hand.

This is how your diy curtain rod brackets should look by the time you’re done.

Choose Finish For The Curtain Rod Brackets

At this point you can leave your curtain rod brackets as-is for a more industrial look or you can spray paint them whatever color you’d like.

I decided to paint mine gold since I have a lot of gold accents in my house.

This is after 1 coat, I ended up doing 2.

Hanging Your DIY Wooden Curtain Rod And Bracket

When hanging your curtain rod, take in to consideration where you want the bottom of your curtain to land. I wanted mine to barely sweep the floor.

Having your curtains picked out ahead of time will help with this, and I’ll tell you what I used shortly.

Determine Where To Mount The Brackets

By hanging one panel on the rod and holding it up to the wall I could see where the rod needed to hang.

I determined the bracket needed to go 2″ down from the ceiling.

I wanted to make sure there was plenty of rod showing past the bracket, while also making sure the curtains could cover past the windows edge. Mounting the bracket 2″ over from the windows edge accomplished that.

You can make a guide using foam board or cardboard. Cut the board to the width you want between the window and the wall, then mark down however many inches you want it to hang from the ceiling.

Mark Where The Bracket Will Go

Hold that board up against the edge of the window and your mark on the board should be where you want to bracket to go.

Mark the wall right where the mark on your board is. This is where the top of the bracket will line up.

Hold your bracket up, lining up the top of the bracket with the mark on the wall. Mark where the top hole is on the bracket. I used a drill bit to mark where the screw needed to go.

Attach Your Brackets To The Wall

Set the bracket aside and drill a drywall anchor in to the spot that you’ve marked

Screw your bracket to the wall through the top hole in to the drywall anchor.

Double check that the top of the bracket lines up with the mark on your guide.

The screw in the anchor is what will support the wight of your curtains. The bottom hole only needs a screw to keep the bracket from spinning around.

Make sure the top of your bracket is level and attach the second screw. Repeat these steps to mount your diy curtain rod bracket to the other side of the window.

Find the center point above your windows, between the side brackets, and place your middle bracket there.

‘The middle bracket gives you added support so your curtain rod doesn’t sag. It will also cover the seam where you joined the two dowels together, so if there are any imperfections, the bracket will hide them.

Curtain Rings W/ Clips And DIY Curtains

Before Mounting the brackets and hanging the rod, I had decided on curtains and how I was going to hang them.

Making these decisions beforehand will help you get the rod hung at the right height the first time around.

Hanging Your Curtains With Ring Clips

When you’re using rings with clips to hang your curtains, you want to take in to consideration the look you’re going for. For me, I didn’t want a lot of drooping between each clip and I wanted a soft wave in the curtain since I’m not pleating them.

To get a slight dip in the curtain between your clips, place your clips spaced out exactly 5 inches appart from each other.

If you’re wanting a flowing wave in your curtains, you can rotate the direction in which you hang your curtains.I took one ring and turned it to the left when sliding it on to the rod. The next ring I turned to the right.

Continue rotating them to get that wavy movement in your curtains. That will keep them from hanging flat and looking boring.

Affordable DIY Curtains

I ordered white twin sized flat sheets from Amazon, but you can find them anywhere. I am not the first person to think of this but it’s too good of an idea not to share.

You can hang them with curtain rings like I did, or you can cut a slit in the back to create a pocket. Check out my Dollar Tree diy curtain rods post for more on how to do that.

These sheets filter light and add some privacy without blocking the light completely. If you have 8 ft ceiling like I do, they are the perfect length.

DIY Wooden Curtain Rods And Brackets: After

This is the third time I’ve replaced the curtains in my living room and the first time to replace the rods and brackets. This time I know I’ve gotten it right.

When we need to use the backdoor I can pull the curtain back out of the way. Otherwise, I can leave it closed and give it the look of another large window instead of the awkward window and door that it is.

I’ve ordered bamboo shades to install in the windows, but I’ll probably just do a privacy film on the window in the door.

I can’t wait to share the end results of this living room with you guys when it’s done.

Now go get your DIY on and I’ll talk to you all soon!

Thank you for following me!