DIY West Elm Inspired Curtain Rod

So excited to share my latest DIY project! Today I am going to be sharing my very own take on West Elm's metal curtain rods!

(This post may contain affiliate links- for details read my full disclosure here)

Oversized Metal Rod- Antique Brass $109

I'm a sucker for all things 'West Elm'. Unfortunately, my home decorating budget just doesn't allow me to really shop there (however, they do have some nice sales from time to time!). Since starting my {R} Favorites Friday posts I have done a lot of on-line scouring and came across these curtain rods from West Elm and fell in love (yes, we're talking about curtain rods)!

Aren't they pretty? I just love them! But for upwards of $89 per rod this purchase is not justifiable...
Enter inner DIY goddess.

Once I decided that these would be the perfect rods to pair with my new Pom-Pom Trim Curtains I started the online search for something similar. I was really looking for a rod that had a cylinder shaped end that wasn't decorative but simple. I thought I had seen something similar at Target (confirmed: $28 per rod in silver) but I wanted to paint mine gold and I knew that Target might be pricier than I was hoping for this DIY project. I found these rods at Ikea and while they are not exactly the same they are relatively similar with the cylinder end. They also aren't gold but white is the perfect color for painting :)

RACKA Curtain Rod $8.96

$8.96. Now that is a number with an 8 in it that I can handle! I purchased two and then hit up my local Ace Hardware to pick up some Gold Spray paint (side note: I seriously love the smell of Hardware stores... it reminds me of trips to Ace with my Dad growing up). So, I get to the aisle with all the Spray Paint (side note #2: The spray paint selection now-a-days is amazing... they have every color of the rainbow to choose from, including dreamy pastels!) and start looking for gold spray paint. Most stores carry two types of Gold paint; a matte or a metallic finish. I wasn't really going for a true metallic look (aka you can see yourself in it), I really wanted it to have more of a matte or satin finish so my decision was made and I picked up a can of Kyrlon Dual Paint + Primer in Gold Metallic for $6.49 (don't let the name fool you... the nice man at Ace advised that the lid is a representation of how the paint will dry and this one was more matte/satin). So, at this point these rods are costing me about $16 to make... that is a HUGE savings!

Krylon Dual Paint + Primer in Gold Metallic

Now, it was time to transform my curtain rods! Let's get started :)

Step 1: Prep your rods/Spray Zone
Luckily, I purchased my rods in white and I picked up spray paint that was both paint and primer so no priming was needed! I simply made sure that all pieces were dust free (and they were brand new so really I did absolutely nothing).

I did, however, prep my spray zone. I started by getting all my products laid out on some cardboard. I also just happened to have the perfect sized cardboard box to spray the rods completely extended (keep reading to discover my biggest blonde moment yet)!

Step 2: Paint your products
I started by spraying down all the accessories. I did light coats until I was satisfied (I had to wait about 15 minutes between coats... and am literally writing this as the 2nd coat dries).

Notice the teal leftover from my DIY Lamps last week!

Sometimes you get things right the first time. Then there are times it's simply trial and error. Let's just say that this project definitely had it's blonde moments (and I'm blonde so I can say that). Mistake #1. Not completely taking the rods apart. For some odd reason I thought that I should leave them together to paint. NO. Not a good idea. Mistake #2 was trying to spray these laying down. This was not a good method. And one that had me ready to throw in the towel on this project. So, I decided to prop the box against a tree in our yard (thanks, nature!) and spray them that way. Now, I wouldn't have to wait 15 minutes to rotate the rods. You're welcome.

#Blondemoment

I wised up (literally)!

Step 3. You're done (almost)!
After a good three coats of paint you are ready to install and pat your DIY goddesses on the back :)

Very simply but I love the end result! I may decide to spray a nice gloss coat over these because they turned out a little more matte than I was hoping but for now they will do :)

How have you re-vamped your curtain rods? Do you have any West Elm hacks to share? Let me know in the comments below :)

Thanks for stopping by to visit {R&R} at home!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin