Funky Junk Interiors

How to make pipe curtain rods with sheet curtains – plus video

Hey everyone! Remember my photo studio in part 1?  

Here’s the promised tutorial on how to make pipe curtain rods with sheet curtains – plus video!

If you love industrial with a dash of beach, you’ll love this look. These pipe rod cheap sheet curtains are so easy to make, and help to diffuse the sunlight in a bright room beautifully. 

They happen to be in my photo studio but if you love natural light in any room without the harsh hit of direct sun, these could be for you! Here’s how I did it…

Making the pipe curtain rods

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Cutting your pipe

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A low cost hand held pipe cutter will do the job easily. Click the video above to see the tool in action.

This is a little hand held pipe cutter. All you do is slip the pipe inside the opening, tighten up the clamp, and spin the cutter around the pipe until the blade cuts right through. It’s super easy to use!

I spun the cutter about 2-3 times, then tightened the clamp, then spun, tightened, spun, until…

*clang* … it cut right through.

Hardware required: pipe fittings with screws and anchors

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The pipe components are available in any hardware store. Just decide on your dimensions, and purchase the pieces.

I set the flange against the wall in the desired location, and penciled in the holes. Then I screwed in the anchors first with the cordless drill, set the flange in place, and mounted the screws through the flange into the anchors. It was very easy.

Installing the pipe

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Install one flange. Insert the pipe, then dry fit the other flange. Pencil in the 2nd flange, set everything down, screw in the 2nd flange, then insert the pipe.

I made sure the pipe fittings were loose enough to turn in my favour to be able to set the pipe in place.

Curtains

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Ikea twin sheets – 1 per panel – approx $3.99 @

The material used for no sew curtains were cheap sheets from Ikea. They were very gauzy, which was perfect for allowing sunlight to penetrate through, while cutting out the glare.

Ties – new mop head – thrift store, $1.00 

Best kept secret for beachy styled soft twine is a mop head.

The mop strings were cut as long as possible so there were more options.

Once figuring out how long I desired the ties, they were all cut evenly with a knot placed about 1/3 down the strings.

A fold was created along the top of the sheet and ironed into place. No sew curtains at their best!

Each tie was hand stitched into place, behind each knot.

Then one by one, the strings were hung by double knotting along the tops of the pipes. The knots were left loose enough to unknot and take down for washing when desired.

The pipes are also loose enough to twist up and release the pipe, to release the curtain. Either way works!

Don’t you love how beachy scrappy they look?

Part 1 of the full photo studio build and reveal is HERE.