It takes a lot to turn a house into a home. You need to decorate it in a way that makes you happy, fill it with all of your belongings, and organize your things in a way that makes sense. But the latter is easier said than done. Sometimes, it seems impossible to focus on DIY and home improvement when you're bumping into clutter and falling over pots and pans, but a trip to Lowes or Home Depot could help solve that issue. Don't believe us? Keep scrolling for the proof - this is how you can use a humble tension rod around the home for organization and decor hacks.
Hang Your Pots and Pans
You probably don't need us to tell you that storing pots and pans is an absolute nightmare. They very rarely stack together well, which means that you have to fill whole cupboards with them - and that's before we mention how difficult it is to grab the one that you want when it's underneath 10 other frying pans and saucepans. But one home improvement hack you might not have considered before is hanging your pots and pans instead.
By hanging these items from a tension rod, you can free up your kitchen cupboards and know exactly where your copper saucepan is as soon as you want it. Plus, it makes an intriguing visual feature in your kitchen.
Organize Your Accessories
Is there anything worse than losing your favorite necklace in your bedroom? Actually, eventually finding that necklace and realizing that it's tangled itself into an impossible ball is worse than that! With this in mind, it's so important to organize your accessories - for the sake of clutter and ease. You don't have to buy a fancy jewelry box or specific storage solutions for your collection of ties and belts, though.
By placing tension rods in your bedroom or closet, you can hang these accessories from the rod and keep them safe. Plus, they'll be on display so you'll always know where they are.
Design Your Own Headboard
You probably don't need us to tell you that headboards are incredibly expensive. Although they're a welcome addition to the bedroom, the price you have to pay for a bit of fabric is extortionate. You don't have to pay out that kind of cash, though. If you grab a tension rod next time you head to Home Depot, you could make your own headboard using the rod and the material of your choosing.
In fact, you could even hang a spare rug from the tension rod to add that visual appeal. The choice is yours, and you can make it as simple or as extravagant as you'd like.
Hang Your Plants
There's a high chance that you have plants outside, but what about inside? Whether you gravitate more towards typical houseplants or you want to create your own indoor herb garden, there's a very handy way to hang plants inside the home without taking up any floor space at all. You don't need to have any specific DIY skills, either! It's super easy to bring this home improvement hack to life.
Once you've headed to Home Depot and picked up a tension rod and some hooks, you can then put the tension rod anywhere you like. However, we'd suggest putting it near a window so the plants receive all-important natural light.
Make a Room Divider
If you live in a big city, there's a high chance that you live in a large, open space. In that space, you're supposed to have your bedroom, living room, dining room, and more. A great way to divide that open space is to use a room divider - but these can be pretty expensive, even if you head to the likes of Home Depot and Lowe's. Because of this, it might be worth making your own instead.
You don't need any fancy DIY skills for this hack, but using tension rods to create your own room dividers is a cost-effective and easy solution to open-plan living.
Add Vertical Storage
When you have limited floor space, it's easy to assume that you can't add any more storage. But most people fail to realize that they have so much vertical space that's left unused and that this vertical space is perfect for extra storage, organization, and even decoration. Thankfully, a tension of from Lowe's is all you need for this home improvement hack - and some old dishes wouldn't go amiss, either.
By drilling holes in the dishes and then standing the tension rod on its head, you can slide the dishes onto the rod and use them to house everything from your trinkets to your remote controls.
Make Party Decorations
If you're the hostess with the mostest and love to put on extravagant dinner parties for your friends, there's a high chance that you're constantly trying to outdo yourself. And if you're looking for the ultimate party decoration, you may be able to find it in a tension rod! Yes, by attaching tension rods from the ceiling or in between walls, you have the ability to decorate them however you want.
You can hang things from them, you can wrap things around them, and you can create visually stunning decorations above your guests' heads. A major bonus is that they can also be removed very easily.
Add Some Tub Helpers
If you have kids, you'll know that bathtime can be a chore. Although there's the odd child out there who loves bathtime and will sit perfectly still while you wash their hair, most children need to be distracted with toys and rubber duckies. Because of this, your bathroom can turn into a chaotic mess that's full of clutter. So, why not organize it with a tension rod and some tub helpers?
By attaching these things to the wall of your bathroom, there's still on-hand and ready for action, but they're also out of the way and keeping the main bathroom clear.
Hang up Your Christmas Stockings
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without stockings on the mantel, right? But not everyone has the ability to hang stockings from their mantelpiece, and some people don't even have a mantelpiece at all. In this instance, a tension rod will definitely become your best friend. You can put this anywhere, from above your fireplace to on the wall above your couch. Then, you can hang your stockings directly from the tension rod.
The best thing about this holiday decor is that it won't leave any marks. Using a tension rod means that there's absolutely no drilling or DIY skills needed to bring it to life.
Easily Dry Your Clothes
Nobody enjoys doing the laundry, right? As if having to wash them wasn't bad enough, you then need to deal with waiting for them to dry - which can take days when you don't have a suitable airing space for your clothes. You can make one, though. This home improvement hack requires one or two tension rods, which can then be placed between two walls of your house or apartment.
You can then hang your wet clothes from the rods, giving them the space and the air they need to dry. And it should take a fraction of the time.
Hang a Gallery Wall
If you live in a rental home or apartment, your landlord has probably advised against drilling any holes into the wall. But this doesn't leave a lot of room for personalization, which can be pretty miserable. Thankfully, there is a way to bring your home improvement ideas to life without drilling into the walls - and all you need to do is pick up a tension rod from Lowe's or Home Depot.
When you have this tension rod in place, you can then hang picture frames from it and create the gallery wall of your dreams. If you're not renting, you could still do the same.
Build a Paper Towel Rack
There's nothing more irritating than spilling something in your kitchen, only to realize that you can't remember where you put the paper towels. By the time you've found it, the spill has spread everywhere, and the paper towels are basically redundant. Ideally, you should keep your paper towels on hand at all times, which is why building a paper towel rack with a tension rod is one of the best DIY hacks we've ever seen.
The beauty of a tension rod is that it can be used at any length, so you can fit it into a small, unused cupboard and slide the paper towels onto it. Then, it's there whenever you need it.
Organize Your Bags
If you're the proud owner of numerous bags and purses, we're going to go ahead and assume that you want to give them a special home. But how many of you just shove them to the back of your closet so they don't get in the way? Well, it's time to get some organization on the go, and you can use a tension rod from Home Depot of Lowe's for that.
By placing a tension rod in your closet, you can then hang your purses from the rod and finally give them the space that they really need and deserve in your closet.
Make a Mug Display
If you can't start your day with a good ol' cup of Joe, you might have even dedicated a whole corner of your kitchen to a coffee station. And while you could just pop your coffee mugs into a cupboard, why do that when you could make a mug display? With a little bit of DIY magic, you can turn what would be a pretty boring space into something that's eye-catching and visually appealing.
You can go wild with this design, too. You could choose to display your identical mugs, or you could opt for different colors and patterns to make it stand out.
Create a Shoe Rack
While you can certainly head to Lowe's or the Home Depot for a brand-new shoe rack, there's no doubt about the fact that these dedicated products can be expensive. Before too long, you're shelling out $100 on a rack that will be invisible by the time you've put all of your shoes on it! But what if we told you that there was a cheaper DIY alternative to a legitimate shoe rack?
By stacking a few cheap tension rods on top of each other in your closet, you can create your own shoe rack. You'll even have a bit more space for your shoes, as they'll fit perfectly inside the closet.
Organize Your Scarves
If you're someone who loves scarves, there's a high chance that you've just shoved this handy accessory in a drawer or to the back of your closet for when you need one next. By doing this, however, you're giving your scarves the perfect opportunity to become a tangled mess, which will ruin your day the next time you want to grab one on a cold winter's day. So, head to Home Depot instead.
By placing a tension rod inside your closet, you can give yourself the chance to organize your scarves and keep them safe. Simply wrap them around the tension rod and get on with your day!
Build a Private Cat Bed
Cats are fickle creatures. And while you could spend a fortune on a brand new bed for them, the likelihood is that they're still going to sleep above your kitchen cabinets or underneath the side table next to your couch. If that's the case with your cat, why not leave them to it? In fact, you could go one better and turn that side table into its own little cat den.
By turning the legs into scratching poles and adding a tension rod to make the whole thing more private, your cat can have its very own suite - complete with privacy curtain!
Organize Your Spices
Do you ever wish that your kitchen cupboards or your pantry were bigger? Sometimes, having a few shelves just doesn't cut it - so what if you could split them in half and have double the space? You can do just that if you choose to put tension rods in the middle of your shelves. This is a particularly good idea for people who want to organize their spices and herbs without pushing them to the back of the cupboard.
By stacking the spice jars on top of the tension rod, you can make sure that you can see the jars at all times, and they're ready to go whenever you need them.
Add Storage to Your Shower Curtain
You probably don't need us to tell you that tension rods are perfect for shower rooms. Most people use them when they're looking to hang up a shower curtain, but many also fail to realize that there are so many other steps to take to turn this shower curtain into something truly special. In fact, you can add more storage without having to buy a whole new curtain from Home Depot.
By sticking or stitching transparent pockets onto the shower curtain, you instantly have more space to store your bottles, razors, slippers, and so much more. Everything will be at your fingertips.
Tension Rod Bookshelf
Are you a bookworm? Whether it's fantasy, cookbooks, or non-fiction, you need a place to store your books. But traditional bookshelves can take up a lot of space and be boring to the eye; so get creative with this DIY tension rod shelf. It looks sleek and unique, and will look even more so once it's actually in place! Imagine a book shelf that looks like it's hanging from the ceiling to the floor; how cool.
All you have to do is get two tension rods and set your choice of shelves in place. If it's a simple trick, but one that can make a huge difference in your home.
Create Barriers for Pets and Kids
If you have experience with wriggly toddlers or naughty puppies, you'll know that you need to keep your eyes on them at all times to stop them from going where they shouldn't. But if you want some extra peace of mind, buying some tension rods from Lowe's or Home Depot could work in your favor. After all, you can create your own baby or puppy gates wherever you need them.
The fact that they're only temporary is great for busy people who move from room to room in their house. And you can move them around depending on where you are at the time.
Make a Four-Poster Bed
If you're looking at your bedroom and wondering how you can turn the decor up a notch, might we suggest turning your bed into a four-poster bed? You can instantly transform your bedroom into a fairytale dream, allowing you to shut the drapes and cocoon yourself in the material. Of course, buying a brand-new four-poster bed will cost you a fortune, but you can DIY it for a fraction of the price.
All you need to do is use tension rods as the upper curtain tracks. You can then drape the material of your choosing over the top of it to add that final touch.
Make a Gift-Wrapping Station
If your kids are attending birthday parties every weekend or you just love to put time and effort into wrapping gifts for the ones you love, you can never go wrong with a gift-wrapping station. And while you could buy a piece of furniture from the Home Depot to do this, it's much cheaper to DIY this home improvement project instead. Instead, you can make your own gift-wrapping station on the back of a door in your house.
By attaching some tension rods to the door, you can then slide on some wrapping paper and even hang some baskets for your smaller gift tags and your many colorful ribbons.
Create Closet Doors
If you live in a small home or apartment, you'll know that having a large closet can make a huge difference. It can decrease the clutter in your bedroom and reduce the need for big, bulky furniture in your sleeping space. Having doors in a closet like this can take up a lot of space, too, which is why it might be best to opt for curtains in closet doors instead.
By attaching a tension rod inside the door frame and sliding on some drapes of your choice, you can create a separate space that won't take up space in your actual bedroom. It's the perfect alternative.
Organize Your Chords
We all know that one drawer or box in our home that holds an intimidating amount of chords. We dread having to go in there and look for something - it's always such a mess! So why not use tension rods to easily organize them instead? Since tension rods come in all sizes, it's up to you how big or small to make your chord-hanger. Either way, it'll keep those accessories easily accessible.
Of course, you'll have to spend some time disentangling them one more time before you can get this end result. But it'll be worth it.
Cover Up Ugly Tables
No home would be complete without a table or two. From dining room tables to home office desks, these tables come in so many different shapes and forms. But if you can't afford to buy a new table from Lowe's or Home Depot but still want to mix things up, why not cover the ugly underside with some drapes? This can look incredibly chic and instantly make a room look warmer.
You don't need DIY skills to do this, either. Simply attach a tension rod to the underside of the table and slide some curtains of your choice onto the rod.
Add Privacy to a Doorway
It's not uncommon for many houses and apartments to have doorways but no doors. This is often a space-saving decision, as doors can take up a huge amount of space. Of course, being without a door also means that you also have very little privacy - but a tension rod could help you with this. Instead of keeping the space open, you could hang a fabric curtain or drape there instead.
Simply put the tension rod between the door frame and hang your chosen material from it. If you wanted to, you could even add a hook to keep the material back when you want the space open.
Organize Your Shower
Shower caddies are for students, but putting your shampoo bottles on the floor is a recipe for disaster - especially when you get older. So, how are you supposed to organize a shower? Well, you might be intrigued to know that turning a tension rod on its head could be the solution you're after. By sticking the tension rod between the floor and the ceiling, you have space to hang baskets and shelves.
You can then use this extra space to organize your toiletries and keep everything in one place. It'll also drastically reduce the chances of you slipping over in the shower.
Organize Your Laundry Room
Let's be honest; nobody likes doing the laundry. It's time-consuming and boring, and it's often extremely hard to find space to organize your clothes properly in such small spaces. But one of the best ways to make the most of laundry day is to utilize a tension rod or two. By placing these on the wall, you can use them to hang up all of your dry clothes, and get them ready for steaming.
It's also a great way to hang and dry larger items, such as towels. And before you know it, your laundry day will be over and done with as quickly as you can say "washing powder."
Make Roman Shades
A home isn't a home without some kind of privacy, and if you don't want your neighbors staring into your living room while you're binge-watching your soap operas, drapes or blinds should be your go-to. But anyone who has ever tried to buy these products before will know that they're cheap - even when they're on sale at Home Depot. However, you might be interested to know that you can DIY Roman shades at home.
If you mount a few tension rods in between your windows, you can then layer the fabric over the rods and create this Roman blind effect. You also have the added bonus of choosing your own color and pattern.
Create a Private Hideout
Most kids beg their parents for bunk beds, but their needs and requirements change as they get older. As they turn into teenagers, they suddenly want nothing to do with their parents and want to sulk by themselves in their rooms. Well, you can give them that private space if you utilize this home improvement hack - and it will only cost you the price of a tension rod and some fabric.
Then, you can turn the bottom of the bunk bed into a secret den that will give your teenager a chance to let out their teenage angst in private. Pretty neat, right?
Make a Paper Workbench Dispenser
If you're a crafty person, your happiness probably comes from making things and heading to the craft store to stock up on your supplies. But hands up if you've just shoved all of these supplies in a bulging cupboard? Not only is this messy, but it can also damage your supplies in the process - which is why this tension rod hack might suit you better. In fact, you could create your own paper workbench dispenser.
This way, you can keep your craft paper safe and wrinkle-free and make sure that it's ready to use whenever you need it. Plus, you'll be able to keep track of how much you have left!
Create a Kitchen Towel Rack
There are probably things in your kitchen that you use multiple times a day. Because of that, it seems silly to put them away, so they're left on the countertop and look messy and cluttered. To combat this, you can buy a cheap tension rod from Home Depot or Lowe's and use it to create a kitchen towel rack for all of our kitchen essentials. Then, they'll be tidy while still being accessible.
What you put on this rack is completely up to you, but we'd definitely put dishcloths, chopping boards, and cutlery on it so they're ready to go whenever you need them.
Make a Cling Wrap Holder
If you hate wasting food (and so you should) there's a high chance that you go through a lot of cling wrap. And while there's nothing wrong with that, there's also nothing worse than rifling around in your kitchen cupboards for the box of cling wrap. So, why don't you make it readily available? If you head to the Home Depot and pick up a tension rod, you can make your very own cling wrap holder.
You can put it anywhere you like, but as long as you slide the tube of cling wrap over the tension rod you should be ready to go whenever your leftovers are ready to be saved.
Install Extra Curtains
This may seem pretty obvious, but why don't you use a tension rod to add more curtains and drapes to your home? This is what tension rods were originally designed for, and they're perfect for renters who don't want to cause damage to their landlord's property. Plus, it gives you the chance to cover windows that don't typically have drapes or make it seem as though you have more windows than you do.
Tension rods are perfect for hanging drapes, and it couldn't be any easier to do so. You also have the added perk of being able to choose new and exciting color combinations and patterns.
Jazz up Your Kitchen Windows
Hands up if you ignore your kitchen windows? You're not alone. Most people fail to clean or take care of their kitchen windows as they don't spend a lot of time in there, and this can leave the room feeling cold and unloved. But you don't have to buy expensive drapes or blinds to jazz up your kitchen windows. You can use a tension rod and some fabric of your choice, instead.
If you use multiple tension rods, you can even create a real focal point that will pique your interest and bring intrigue to your space. And you can go as bold as you like.