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DIY Conduit Pipe Curtain Rod

Learn how to make a DIY conduit pipe curtain rod that’s up to 10 feet long and affordable!

How to make an industrial conduit pipe curtain rod

I’m on a mad mission to clothe all of our windows in curtains. I want to help prevent drafting for the winter, especially on our two sliding glass doors, which aren’t super energy efficient. But I also think curtains are an easy and affordable way to make your house look like a home, so I’m finally getting around to hanging some.

Today I’m going to chat about how to make the industrial conduit pipe curtain rod that I put up in Mike’s office. As with many of my projects, this one was a contest with myself to see how low I could keep the cost.

So my dad and I hit up Lowe’s after work one day and found a 10-foot piece of .75″ galvanized steel EMT conduit (aka conduit pipe). The list price was $2.70, but since one of the ends was damaged a bit and we didn’t need all 10 feet, we had the cashier knock off $1 (hey, every little bit counts!).

Industrial Conduit Pipe Curtain Rod and brown curtains

At Lowe’s, conduit pipe comes in lengths of 5 and 10 feet with widths of .5, .75, 1, 1.25, and 1.5 inches. Select your width based on the size your curtain rod brackets can accommodate. I purchased a 10-foot piece with a width of .75 inch. I decided on the .75-inch piece instead of the .5-inch piece because I didn’t want to use a center bracket and needed the pipe to be thick enough not to sag while holding the heavy curtains.

Supplies I used…

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  • Pipe caps: I glued the pipe caps onto the end of the conduit pipe, making finials.
  • Brackets: We have ugly vertical blinds mounted on our sliding glass doors, so I needed brackets that extended at least 4.5 inches from the wall. I ordered these.
  • Other supplies: Rust-Oleum Protective Enamel in Flat Black, Liquid Nails, power drill and screws, pipe cutter.

And here’s how I did it!

(Remember to wear a mask and eye protection while sanding and working with wood, and wear an appropriate mask while working with paints, stains, and finishes. Follow the directions and warnings from your particular brand. Do not use any tools without proper training, precautions, and supervision from a professional. Read my full terms of use here.)

Step 1: Cut the pipe

I cut the pipe using a pipe cutter. My dad helped me with this one. We cut my pipe down to about 6.5 feet and chucked the damaged end.

collage that says how to make a pipe curtain rod

Step 2: Spray paint everything

Next we spray painted the pipe, pipe caps, and brackets. I used Rust-Oleum Protective Enamel in Flat Black—it’s a rust-resistant formula designed for metal. (Check out more colors here.)

spray painting the conduit pipe

Step 3: Hang brackets

Next I mounted the brackets. Then I squirt some Liquid Nails into the pipe caps and popped them on each end of the pipe.

gluing the pipe caps on

Step 4: Hang the curtains and rod

When the glue from the caps had dried completely, I hung the rod in the brackets and dressed it up with some curtains. I love how they hide the ugly vertical blinds the apartment complex has on all of the sliding glass doors.

And that’s it! I think they turned out great, and the total for the materials was only $1.70 for the pipe, $3.96 for the two pipe caps, and $12.99 for the brackets. I already had the spray paint and the liquid nails.

I could have kept the cost for this project even lower had I not needed larger brackets that extended 4.5 inches from the wall, but even at $18.65, I’m really pleased with the result! Now on to the next project for Mike’s room…showing how I hemmed these curtains!

Industrial Conduit Pipe Curtain Rod and brown curtains
Industrial Conduit Pipe Curtain Rod and brown curtains
Industrial Conduit Pipe Curtain Rod and brown curtains
Industrial Conduit Pipe Curtain Rod and brown curtains

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  1. Cassandra Martin says:

    Where did U get brackets, or what did U use to make it.

  2. T says:

    Thanks for posting. I am planning to try this solution but I am nervous as many other sources indicate that spray paint will peel from galvanized metal. It has been more than a year since your post so I am curious to know if you have experienced any peeling. Thanks again for sharing.

    • Brittany Goldwyn says:

      We have not experienced any, but I did give the metal a light sand before painting, which probably helped!

  3. Betty says:

    Thanks very nice blog!

  4. Nicole says:

    Where did you get the brackets? I can’t seem to find any similar but I really like the ones you used!

  5. Kim says:

    We are needing to do a 9 ft curtain rod. I’m curious if we could get away with out a center support.

    • Brittany Goldwyn says:

      If it’s up there securely with strong end brackets, I don’t see this thing buckling! They make different widths, too. Maybe a wider width would help with strength.

  6. JoAnne says:

    Great idea but do you find the paint scraping off when you open and close the curtains?

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