PVC pipes and ping-pong ball curtain rod and finials!

 Using PVC pipe, a couple of wall mountings and a custom paint job and you can make decorative curtain rods for your entire home for what it would cost to buy one ready-made rod.

 

 

 

shineyourlightblog.com

 

 

Using PVC pipe as a curtain rail is perfect for any window, but for wider windows you need to add a centre support onto the wall to hold the weight, otherwise the pipe will bow in the middle.

 

 

 

 

HERE'S HOW:

 

1. To drill holes in the ping-pong balls you first need to make a small hole to puncture the ball. Any small sharp object can be used to do this. Hold the ball in a towel to protect yourself from harm.

 

 

2. Once you have punctured the ball you need to secure it to allow you to drill a 10mm hole using a wood bit. You can place it in a vice or between the centre section of a workbench that closes up and clamps. Keep it wrapped in a small towel to prevent squashing the ball. Now you can slowly - S.L.O.W.L.Y - apply pressure to the ball to drill out an opening for the PVC pipe.

 

 

 

 

GOOD TO KNOW

If you need to make the hole larger using 80- or 120-grit sandpaper wrapped around a pencil to enlarge the opening.

 

 

3. Spray the ping-pong balls with a couple of coats of Rust-Oleum Universal pure gold spray paint. Let each coat dry before spraying on the next coat. Move the ball around once dry so that you can spray the entire ball.

 

 

 

 

Rust-Oleum Universal metallic spray paints comes in a variety of metallic finishes, so you can choose one that you prefer. Choose from Dark Steel, Satin Nickel, Titanium Silver, Oil Rubbed Bronze, Aged Copper or Pure Gold. The entire range of Rust-Oleum products is available at your local Builders store.

 

 

4. Once the ball is painted and dry use a dry and wet rag and black acrylic craft paint to add the aged effect. Simply dip a rag in the paint and dab onto the ball. Use a wet rag to gently remove excess paint until you are happy with the finish.

 

 

 

 

5. Use the same technique discussed above on the curtain clips for your curtains, as well as the pvc pipe. It helps to lightly sand the pvc pipe with 180-grit sandpaper before painting.

 

 

 

 

6. Use Tangit PVC weld adhesive to secure the ping-pong balls onto the ends of the mounted rod. This adhesive works by melting the plastic, so be ready to slip the ball in place as quickly as possible and hold for about 30 seconds. Alternatively, use 5-minute epoxy glue if the balls fit snugly on the end and don't have to be held in place.