Clever we are! 12 Easy Home Hacks for Spring Tension Curtain Rods
Ah, the humble tension rod! Less ornate or decorative than other curtain hardware, but a quick, easy alternative, especially for inside mount curtains and shades. Spring tension rods are a good option for hanging lightweight shower curtains, especially if you don’t want to drill into tile. They’re also a favorite of renters and those who live in dorms and other spaces where holes in the wall are not permitted. Because they require no hardware, they don’t leave screw holes or other marks on the frame or the wall.
The mechanics behind spring tension rods are quite clever. A tension spring rod is actually two rods, each with one capped end, and one slightly smaller in diameter than the other. The smaller rod fits into the larger rod, causing a spring inside to compress. When affixed to two smooth, level surfaces, the spring well…springs into action, pushing its energy into the two surfaces and thereby holding the rod in place.
But if that’s all you think they can do, you’re missing out on some great tension rod hacks. Here are some really clever ways to use spring tension rods that go beyond the window.
1. Create shoe storage
Skip the cheap plastic racks that fall apart when you breathe on them. Use round spring tension rods, spaced about 12-18” apart to make a wall of shoe storage.
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2. Tension rod with S-hooks to store (and display) kitchen utensils
A lightweight spring tension rod hung under an upper wall cabinet keeps utensil handy and off the counter.
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3. Add more closet space
If you have a narrow, leftover space in a clothes closet, use adjustable tension rods to create more hanging space. You can customize closet space by using an inexpensive cupboard or shelving unit, paired with the tension rods. In fact, tension rods are a great alternative to installing closet poles and end caps in almost any closet.
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4. Instant dust ruffle for your bed
Run tensions rods, like the Graber oval spring tension rods, along the bottom of your bed frame on all sides and then hang ready-made valances. Or, if you’re handy, sew your own.
source: seagrassinteriors.blogspot.com
5. Turn open storage into a design statement
Whether it’s messy bookshelves, entertainment center clutter or modern storage cubes, you can give it a cleaner look, hide the mess and enhance your decor by hanging fabric from these tension rods, sold in pairs.
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6. Crafty solution for crafters
The odds and ends of crafting are notoriously difficult to keep organized. Hang a Graber 7/16 inch round spring tension rod to hold rolls of ribbon, tape, yarn or paper.
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7. Organize kitchen drawers
A few well-placed Kirsch tension rods work just as well as drawer dividers to keeps things in their place. Organize spices or plastic containers and their lids.
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8. Conceal cord clutter
What’s the point of a pretty little desk if wire and cords are snaking everywhere? Use a Kirsch Spring tension rod to hang cafe curtains or homemade fabric skirting around the desk frame.
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9. Need an impromptu dog gate or baby gate?
No need to store a large gate or take one with you when traveling. Grab some heavy one-inch diameter tensions rods and turn any area into a safe place for baby or a dog-free zone.
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10. Instant filing cabinet
You can turn any deep drawer or chest into an organized filing system with two oval spring tension rods fitted back to front and some hanging file folders.
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11. Turn a valance into an awning
Update your kitchen window (or any window) by turning an ordinary valance into a charming cottage-chic awning by hanging the top of the valance from one Graber 3/4 inch spring tension rod and then placing a second tension rod lower and further in front of the first. Then drop the valance over that. Instant French café!
source: musingsfromafrenchcottage.blogspot.com
12. Double duty in the laundry room
Hang a spring tension rod, like the Kirsch R703 over the washer-dryer or laundry sink. It not only hides all the tubs and spray bottles of laundry products, it also serves as a hanging rod to dry clothes.
source: sewandsowlife.blogspot.com
With so many useful, clever ways to use tension rods, you may just want to stock up on several styles and sizes to have them handy for these ideas and whatever creative brainstorm you come up with on your own.
