Plumbing pipe curtain rods

When deciding on curtain rods for Jaxson's room, I just couldn't find anything that really caught my eye.  I knew I wanted something different, but also didn't want to spend a fortune.  This is where Pinterest came in handy (yet again!) and I stumbled across how to make curtain rods out of plumbing pipe fittings.  Drew Babe thought my idea was a little crazy, but he said I could give it a try (he always puts up with all my crazy ideas!....best husband ever!).

I somewhat followed this tutorial with a few modifications.  Everything, except the floor flanges were found in the plumbing section at Home Depot.

Here are the supplies I used:

• 4- 1/2" floor flanges (I ordered these on Ebay for just over $3 a piece.  This was tons better than paying $9.95 per piece at Home Depot or Lowe's.)
• 4- 1/2" x 3 1/2" nipples
• 4- 1/2" 90 degree elbows
• 1- 1/2" 10 ft long galvanized pipe (Home Depot cut it in half for me for free.)
• 4 packs of curtain ring clips

This is definitely a two person job, because after all the pieces are together, the curtain rod is quite heavy.  

We put the entire rod together, along with the curtain ring clips, and then mounted it on the wall.  Because Drew is much more of a perfectionist than I am, he did all the measuring and leveling.  I think Drew used anchors with the screws, just to make sure there wasn't any chance of the rod falling out of the wall.

We like to hang our curtains and blinds "high and wide."  It definitely gives the illusion of a much larger window and taller ceilings.

The last time we went on our annual Ikea trip, we purchased these simple white curtains for the nursery.  After the rod was installed, we simply had to clip on the curtains.

This was definitely one of the easier projects (thank goodness!...if only every DIY home project could go exactly as planned) in the nursery, and we love the modern-industrial look of the curtain rod.

DIY chalk paint

I first heard of chalk paint while visiting my extended family in Memphis, TN, where it has become a very popular design trend.  After learning more about this new-to-me painting technique, I learned it was perfect for me (a somewhat lazy DIY-er, who doesn't like to spend a long time on projects).  The whole concept behind chalk paint is, it's easy to work with, requires minimal prep work, and looks amazing when you are finished.

As we were putting together the nursery, we decided the rocking chair needed a little side table.  We debated buying a brand new table, but just didn't want to spend more money.  My mom recently got a beautiful new bedroom furniture suite, and I thought one of her old nightstands might be just the thing for our side table.

Of course, the 80's Queen Anne style didn't quite fit into our fresh and somewhat-modern nursery.

I decided to give chalk paint a try.  Instead of buying the more expensive Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, I simply researched Pinterest and the internet for recipes on how to make my own.  We already had the paint from the stripes on Jaxson's wall.

Here is the recipe I used from this blog:
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup plaster of paris (I just used some that I found in the craft section at Walmart- $4/box)
Mix together until dissolved.
Add 1 cup of paint

I know it doesn't seem like a lot, but the chalk paint covers so well it goes a LONG way.

No stripping.  No sanding.  Pretty much no prep work.  I just got right to work, and here is what it looked like after one coat.

The first coat looked very streaky, but the second coat filled everything in.

I ended up doing 4 coats, just to be sure everything was well covered.  After the piece dried for a couple hours, I started sanding off the grit and distressing the edges a bit.  If I wanted some of the dark wood to show through, I simply sanded a little bit more in that area.  This is where you can really make the piece your own by deciding on how much distressing you want to do.

To cure everything, I applied one layer of Minwax Paste Finishing Wax.  I put a very small amount on a soft, lint-free cloth and buffed it over the entire piece.

Once I finished the table, we picked out some new hardware to replace the old, flashy, brass drawer pulls.

We went with a brushed nickel pull.  Because of the size and spacing of the holes on the drawer, there were only a few pulls to choose from at Home Depot.  Thankfully we really liked the hardware that would fit the original holes.

Both of us love how the nightstand turned out, and I can't wait to mix up another batch of chalk paint to try on something else!  I really love when things can completely transform in just a few hours of work.

Jaxson's Nursery

Today is your lucky day.

Since I have been lazy about posting regular nursery updates, I am simply going to jump ahead to the grand reveal.  When If I get around to it, I will post more details about the specific projects that went into our little guy's room.

So without further ado, Jaxson's nursery, aka, my new favorite room in our house.

Drew is planning to build a custom wood frame around a mirror to go above the dresser, but that project might have to wait until after Jaxson is born.

I am planning to do a complete source list for everything in his nursery.