Surprising Shower Curtain Rod Hacks That Can Keep Your Whole House Organized
Anyone who has ever struggled to keep their home organized is probably on the lookout for creative ways to win the fight against clutter. Solutions can come in unexpected forms. For instance, have you ever thought to use a shower curtain rod outside of the bathroom? Read on for some unique organizational solutions that these inexpensive gadgets can provide throughout every room of the house. From your closet to the kitchen pantry, give these shower curtain rod hacks a try.
Keep Your Herbs Handy
Do you have a green thumb but no space to plant a garden? Perhaps you enjoy fresh herbs and want them close by while you're cooking. Those handy-dandy curtain rods can help you become a window gardener!
All you need to do is mount a rod inside a window frame. Choose a window that gets the right amount of sun for what you’re trying to grow. Then, use clips or hooks to hang up some lightweight pots and you’re set. This is particularly convenient for herbs since they need very little space to grow.
Beautifully Organize And Display Jewelry
Nothing is more frustrating than trying to untangle a bunch of necklaces that have become knotted in a big ball, especially when you're in a hurry and trying to get out the door. Traditional jewelry boxes are really no help when it comes to storing items that are better off hanging.
With a couple of small tension rods, you can turn any little space in your closet or dressing area into a jewelry display center that’s worthy of a boutique shop! Everything stays untangled and easy to see, making getting dressed a lot easier.
New Way To Store Frozen Foods
Who hasn't struggled to fit all of their frozen veggies or other foods into the freezer? There’s limited space to pile all of those goodies, and things can quickly go forgotten when they’re covered with a dozen other packages.
Stop wasting food and store your groceries where you can easily see them. Just mount a tension rod in the back of your freezer, get a few clips, and hang all those bagged veggies on it!
DIY Gate For Babies And Pets
If you have children or pets, then you're all too aware of how much space their baby gates can take up when you’re traveling. There’s a simple solution for that, fortunately. What you’ll need: several heavy-duty (1" or larger) tension rods.
Since the rods are so easily adjustable, you can quickly create a barricade in just about any doorway. As with regular baby gates, you’ll still want to keep a close eye on your child (or pet) when using these, but this is a great solution when you’re on the go.
Paper Towels, Anywhere You Need Them
It's great to have paper towels on hand throughout the house for any spills or messes that happen. But a big roll of paper towels is not necessarily the most attractive thing to have sitting out on the counter.
You can store them in any cabinet with a short tension rod. The paper towels will still be right there when you need them, but hidden out of sight when you don’t.
Keep Paper Clutter At Bay
The office is one of those areas that can be really hard to keep organized. Paper clutter is a real issue for many people, but it doesn't have to be anymore.
To take care of this problem, just convert any desk drawer into a filing cabinet with the help of two tension rods and a pack of filing folders. Now, all that messy paperwork can be organized and out of sight.
Easy And Cozy Reading Nook
Kids of all ages enjoy having their own private nooks to play, read, or just hide out in. If you want to give your favorite bookworm the perfect spot to curl up with their latest read, you can turn a corner of any room into a cozy little fort.
As seen in the photo, you can mount some heavy-duty tension rods between a piece of furniture and a wall and hang up some fun curtains. Add a blanket on the floor and some comfy pillows, and your child might just want to camp out in their new nook.
Stylish Shoe Racks
Shoe racks are one of the most convenient ways to store your footwear. It's no fun to go digging through a bunch of shoes that are piled up on the closet floor, trying to find a matching pair and discovering that your patent leather pumps have gotten all scuffed up in the jumble!
Shoe racks can solve this problem, but we’ve all bought expensive stand-alone versions only to have them collapse once they’re loaded up with shoes. Why not make your own inexpensive racks using tension rods? Space them about 12-18" apart in your closet, or however far apart you need them. Your shoes will thank you.
Keep Cleaning Supplies Out Of The Way
Cleaning supplies are a must in any home, but there's no reason they have to take up an entire kitchen or bathroom cabinet anymore. Instead, try hanging them at the top of the cabinet to leave some space for other things underneath.
Mount a thick tension rod at the desired height, and your spray bottles and cleaning rags will have a new home that’s out of the way but easy to access when it’s time to clean.
Think Vertical When It Comes To Cutting Boards
Cutting boards and baking sheets are some notoriously hard-to-store kitchen items. When stacked in a drawer, they can be really hard to get to.
Standing them upright is a better way to keep them organized and easily accessible. With the help of some small tension rods placed a few inches apart, you can turn any pantry shelf into a convenient storage spot for all those cutting boards, serving trays, and cookie sheets.
Make Your Shower Do Double-Duty
Unless you have an enormous laundry room, it can be tough to find a spot to line dry all of those clothes that can't go in the dryer.
Create a temporary drying area in your shower with a tension rod or two. Sweaters, delicates, and all your other non-dryable clothing will hold up a lot better now, and you can just put the rods away when you’re not using them.
Inspire Creativity With A Puppet Show Theater
Rainy days stuck inside are no match for this hack. Your kids are going to think you're the best parent on the block when you set up an impromptu puppet show theater next time there’s a bad weather day!
Purchase some fun fabric and make some short curtains from it. The bottom one should be one solid piece and the top one should be two separate curtains that open in the middle. Then, mount two tension rods in a doorway, hang the fabric, and let your kids’ imaginations go wild.
Unsnarl Those Scarves
Fashionistas, listen up! Anyone who has a lot of scarves knows that they can be hard to store. Many times, they end up in a bin or drawer where they get tangled and difficult to find. Luckily, with just a tension rod and a pack of shower curtain rings you can solve this storage problem.
Just put the rod up anywhere that's convenient, hang those shower curtain rings on it, and slip a scarf into each ring. Now they’re easy to see and won’t become tangled or wrinkled.
Customize Your Home Office
Here's another home office hack that will appeal to people who like to add some flair to their décor. A fabric skirt mounted under the desk can transform any boring old desk into a custom piece of furniture.
Three tension rods (one long, two short) mounted inside the top of the desk frame, along with some DIY or store-bought curtains, is all you need to personalize your workspace and spark some creativity.
Clever Crafting
No more cluttered craft bins or overflowing junk drawers filled with ribbons and tape! Turn your crafting and gift-wrapping space from an unsightly mess to a highly-organized and efficient storage center with the help of a couple of tension rods.
You'll want to use thin (7/16" or so) rods for this one. Buy as many as you need to neatly hold all of your ribbon, sheets of scrapbooking paper, tape, and other crafting supplies.
Cover The Kitty Litter Box
Part of being a cat owner is dealing with the fact that you have to keep a litter box in the house. As much as you probably clean Whiskers' box and change the kitty litter, it’s still not really a pleasant thing to look at. Plus, cats love privacy, so this solution is perfect.
Turn any cabinet into a hidden hutch for your litter box by mounting a rod just inside the door and hanging up a piece of fabric in any color you like. Your kitty will definitely thank you for this one.
Organize Tub Time Toys
Kids sure love to play with bath toys but they are a pain to store when they're not in use. You could place a special basket next to the tub to keep them all, but not every bathroom has enough floor space for that.
Instead, get out some trusty tension rods and a few small baskets, and turn the walls of your tub into a convenient place for the kiddoes to store their toys.
Keep Pots And Pans Out Of The Way
If you don't have a ton of extra kitchen storage, then you know how much space all those pots and pans can take up in the cabinet. Luckily for you home chefs, there’s a better way to store all your cooking utensils. Bonus: they’re easier to access!
Mount a tension rod under a top wall cabinet. Then, add a few S-hooks from the hardware store and you’ve got yourself a custom cookware storage center. Bon appétit!
Make Your Bedroom A Sanctuary With A Custom Bedskirt
Dust ruffles, or under-bed skirts, can be surprisingly expensive. Not only that, but if you have a specific décor in your bedroom it's sometimes tough to find one that matches the look you’re going for. DIYers are going to love this solution.
Make your own bed skirt and hang them on some tension rods you’ve mounted between the bedposts, and voila – you’ve created a truly custom look for your bedroom.
Create A Cheerful Window Awning In The Kitchen
Are you tired of the sun glare in your eyes while you're washing dishes but don’t want to hang a full curtain that blocks all that natural light? Well, you can craft a cute French café-style awning using two tension rods and any fabric of your choice.
Just mount the rods between the cabinets on either side of your sink. This is such a charming look, and it’s an easy enough project that you can even create a couple of different-colored awnings and switch them out with the seasons.
A Nice Coffee Station
Coffee lovers will certainly appreciate this idea. It's time to put your curtain rods to good use and help make your morning coffee routine even easier. This will make you feel like you're living in a nice B & B!
Grab your rods, S-hooks, and a wooden box, then make sure the box gets secured properly to the wall. After that, you can decorate under in any fashion your heart desires. Your friends will be impressed by your creativity.
A Handy Room Divider
If you live in a studio or a loft, this idea should be delightful to see. With all that open space, wouldn't it be nice to have a tad bit more privacy?
If you answered yes, then grab a rod and a floor-length curtain. This even works for dorm rooms or your master bedroom as well. Any type of open floor plan can benefit from a room divider like this
Organize Your Gift Wrapping
When the holidays come around, this can be a lifesaver. Instead of stashing all that wrapping paper in your closet or under your bed, get creative and make a station using your curtain rods.
How advanced and creative you want it get depends on your taste, so don't feel as if you need to go all out. You can even place it in a small closet or a tall enough cupboard. All you have to do is roll the paper tubes onto the rod!
Be A Master Of Disguise
Some sections of your house will always find a way to showcase some unwanted clutter. It's up to you if you want it to show or if you want to hide it.
Of course, in this situation we're showing you how to hide it. Take this image for example. The washer and dryer are elevated, but that doesn't mean you have to see all the lint and miscellaneous items under it. Grab that curtain rod, some fabric, and get to work!
For Your Precious Purses
Ladies (and even guys) can never have too many purses or satchels. Getting a box for them is fine, but there are other ways to keep them tidy and out of the way.
The tension rod technique is perfect for this. You can hang one up in a small section of your closet and get to hanging. Arrange them by color, shape, or even size. Whatever your heart desires... design it how you see fit.
Fancy Up Those Windows
Unless you prefer your windows bare without any decoration, then this might not be for you. If you do like to have something hanging in front of them, this is a stellar idea.
Most windows already have something of the sort if you're renting, but if not, grab a shower curtain rod and hang some fabric up. Now, you can decorate them with any type of drape you wish and get some privacy while you're at it.
Change Up Where You Put It In The Shower
Yes, they already hang horizontally in your shower, but that doesn't mean they have to stay like that in there. Take a good look at your shower and figure out where you can put a rod vertically!
You can get fancy with it like in this image and drill in a few plates so that it can hold items for you. Get even more creative and spray paint the curtain rod any color you wish to match your bathroom!
Show Off Your Family
Have you been trying to figure out a unique way to show off your gorgeous family along your walls but can't come up with anything? Don't worry, we've got you covered with this idea.
People can use shower curtain rods for almost anything, it seems! Find a blank wall, a rod that allows you to space out your photos as you wish, and the pictures. Once you have all of those items, you're pretty much good to go!
Cover That Bookshelf
Are your bookshelves so cluttered that you want to cover them when people come over? That'd be an interesting issue to have, but if you just want a way to conceal your bookshelf then try this!
Find your tension rod and fabric of choice for covering it. After you've done that, the installation part comes into play and you're done after that. This look can add a bit of spice to your decor.
Festive Holiday Idea
The holidays only come around once per year, but they still find a way to make the biggest dent in your pockets. Don't waste money on expensive decorations when you can use household items.
Head on over to your fireplace, or wherever it is you hang your stockings, and put up a curtain rod. You can hang as many as you want and the curtain rod will keep them safely in place.
Spice It Up!
Those who love to cook might have an excessive amount of spices and herbs in their cabinet. That's fine, we're not judging because we're only here to help you out with all your food journeys.
This is a brilliant hack that gives smaller bottles a chance to sit higher than the rest. That way, you won't spend time searching for them if they become hidden by the larger basil leaves or seasoning salt containers.
A Drying Rack
Who doesn't need a drying rack? This idea is for pretty much anyone who has to do laundry -- meaning everyone. Whether you're hanging clothes or towels, this is a great idea.
You can extend the curtain rod can as far as you want, just so long as it fits on the wall in your bathroom. You can place it high or low, so that's one cool feature about it.
Get Super Creative
Make any room in your house more elegant with a simple tension rod and some craftiness. This is a unique room accent idea that allows you to decorate with whatever your heart desires.
As you can see in this photo, you'd have to make holes in the holding plates and be sure they're secured, but after you do that, things should be ready to go. It's something most people haven't seen, so you'll stand out for sure!
Organize Your Shower
You might already have one hanging up to hold your curtains, but that doesn't mean you can't add another tension rod parallel to the original one! If you're the kind of person who has one too many items in the shower, this is perfect.
Just put up a tension rod on the other side of the wall and add some S-hooks for good measure. You can find something else instead of S-hooks, but they're probably going to be your best bet.
Faux Roman Shades
If you're looking to add some zest to your design, then look no further. You can use three rods to help you recreate a faux Roman shade effect. Clearly, this isn't for everyone, but if you're feeling adventurous give it a try!
These are easy to make and delightful to look, so give it a try. Guests will ask how you pulled it off and all you have to say is "tension rods."
