5 Things to Know Before Buying acrylic drapery rods

Acrylic curtain rods with brass hardware… could there be a more gorgeous combination?! If you’re looking for curtain rods that add style and glamour to your home, they’re it! I hung acrylic curtain rods and patterned drapes above the large window in our home office and couldn’t be happier with the new look of this space.

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Today I’m sharing everything you need to know about acrylic curtain rods and all of your options for DIYing and buying them. Let’s get to it… (post includes affiliate links; full disclosure statement available {here})

Want to first see how they look in our home office? I wish I could have you all over to see the acrylic curtain rods in person because the pics honestly don’t do them justice:

Sources:  Desk (similar)  |  Upholstered chair (similar)  |  Rug  |  Semi flush mount ceiling light  |  Drapes – no longer available

I love how they stand out against our black walls and add a touch of glam! Before I decided to go with acrylic curtain rods, I did my research to make sure they would be able to span our long window without sagging and. that they would hold up over time. Here’s what I found through my research and also my own personal experience.

Are All Acrylic Rods the Same Quality?

Nope! There are two basic types of acrylic – cast acrylic and extruded acrylic. Cast acrylic is made by pouring the acrylic liquid ingredients into molds where it hardens as it cools. Extruded acrylic is made by pushing acrylic mass through a form to produce a seamless shape (think Playdoh Fun Factory if you’re old enough to remember that!).

Which is better? Cast acrylic is the superior type of acrylic and much more expensive than extruded acrylic. It’s stronger, clearer, more rigid, and won’t break down or yellow when exposed to sunlight. Definitely the better choice for curtain rods and what I went with for mine:

Where Can I Buy Acrylic Curtain Rods?

I bought my acrylic rod from Nationwide Plastics (now Curbell Plastics) {here}. They sell the higher quality cast acrylic at a less expensive price than you can get at a design shop because you’re skipping the middle man. Their rods come in lengths up to 96″ long with diameter options ranging from 0.5″ to 2″. I usually choose 1″ curtain rods, but ordered a 1 ½″ acrylic rod in this case, figuring it would be more rigid and less likely to bend under the weight of heavy drapes. While you have to buy the full rod from Curbell, they will cut the rod to the specific length you want.

What if you need a rod that’s greater than 96″? You’ll need to splice two rods together. Curbell Plastics can machine a special end that allows the two rods to connect for an additional (not cheap!) fee. It’s best to put this joint in the middle so that it’s hidden by a center bracket (for ex., if you need a 120″ rod, join two 60″ rods so the joint is in the middle).

You’ll also need to decide whether you’re going to use end caps on your rods or not because if not, you’ll want to select the option with polished ends that’s an additional $15.

Another option for high quality cast acrylic rods is the Etsy shop Lux Holdups that you can find {here}. Their rods are more expensive but they’re one stop shopping and have a gorgeous product. Your brackets are included with the rod (you have your choice of polished brass, satin brass, polished nickel, and satin nickel), the rod ends are polished so you don’t have to add end caps unless you want to, and they sell curtain rings {here} that are a perfect finish match to the brackets. They also sell rectangular curtain rods {here} with rectangular rings {here} which I think are super cool:

Other sources include acrylic rod and bracket sets from Ballard Design {here} and Amazon {here}. They don’t note the type of acrylic their rods are made from. If any of you have tried either of these, please share your thoughts!

Where I Bought My Rings, Brackets, & End Caps

If you buy your acrylic curtain rod from Curbell Plastics, you’ll need to source your rings, brackets, and end caps on your own. I chose polished brass for my metal finish. I needed three support brackets (two on the ends and one in the middle) and went with the Lavi Industries 00-340/1H brass railing brackets that you can find {here} and {here}. These supports fit my 1.5″ rod perfectly!

I used these brackets to hang my acrylic rod about halfway between the top of the window molding and the bottom of the the crown molding. See my post on how high to hang curtains for more tips on the best height to hang your own acrylic rods.

I bought my 2 ¼″ polished brass curtain rings from Van Dyke’s Restorer’s {here} – they are the perfect size for a 1 ½″ rod.

Goto Bochuang to know more.

The price on these curtain rings has gone up a lot since I bought them so you might want to shop around a little for less expensive polished brass rings. {These 2″ gold curtain rings} that I used for a different project might be worth a try.

I bought {these 2″ end caps} that were a little looser than I would have liked so I put some double-sided duct tape on the inside which worked fine for keeping them in place (and FYI, the 1 ½″ end caps of this style were too small so don’t try those!):

Since they didn’t fit as snuggly as I’d like, the next time I buy acrylic rod hardware, I would go a different route and instead order {these end caps} or {these end caps} that are sized to fit a 1 ½″ rod perfectly.

Be aware that a brass finish from one manufacturer can be different from the brass finish of another manufacturer so when you piece your hardware together from different shops, they probably won’t match perfectly. If that’s going to bother you, pay a little more and get your brackets, rings, and endcaps all from one place such as {this Etsy shop}. Or you can use one of the many Rub ‘n Buff colors on everything so they’re all one unified color.

Will My Acrylic Rod Sag Over Time

I had our acrylic rods for over five years before we moved from this house and can happily report that they held up really well. There was a barely noticeable sag between the brackets a few years after I got my rods so I simply rotated the rod in the brackets 180 degrees and that totally took care of it. Also, there was no yellowing of the acrylic during that five years. I would absolutely buy the same acrylic rods again!

So what do you all think? Are acrylic rods for you?

DIY Tutorial: Acrylic Drapery Rods

THIS POST HAS AN UPDATE!!!  CLICK THIS LINK FOR THE UPDATED VERSION, & ENJOY!

I have loved acrylic curtain rods for years (name is interchangeable with lucite drapery rods).  They add a bit of sparkle to a room, and I think they are so simple and beautiful.  An elegance is effortlessly ushered into a room with their presence.  Take a look at these inspiration photos.  Love the square rod!  And the brass hardware? Swoon.

However, they have always been something I put out of my mind because of budget.  A quick visit to this site, and your mind reels at the cost: 8 foot 2″ acrylic rod $550 + pair of endcaps $195 = $745 FOR ONE ROD!! Eek.

Well, I dismissed the idea until I had an epiphany one day…why not find out if there is a plastic company that will supply the rods for me?  Maybe I could save money by not going through a fancy curtain rod company?  After calling around for pricing, I finally landed on Nationwide Plastics based in Dallas, Texas.  I have to give credit to their A+ employee, Kip, who sat with me on the a long time and answered my questions.  He taught  me quite a lot about acrylic, valuable information I can now share with you!  Side Note: Not in the DFW area?  No problem, Kip will ship to you!

Basically, there are two different types of acrylic: cellcast and extruded.  Extruded acrylic is the lower end type – it is more like plastic, may have imperfections, yellows over time, and scratches easily.  It is much cheaper than cellcast if you just want the look and are willing to take the chance it may not look great very long.  Extruded acrylic is not as strong either so you might need a center support if you use this as your rod.  Per Nationwide Plastics pricing for one six foot rod length, see table below for cost of rods by thickness.

Extruded Acrylic Rod (six foot length)

Cellcast acrylic rods come in eight foot lengths.  Compared to extruded acrylic, it is much much stronger, more clear, is similar to glass in weight and feel, does not yellow over time, and gives off more sparkle.  In my opinion, it is a superior product for this type of application, and therefore, what I chose for my home.  See table below for pricing by thickness.

Cellcast Acrylic Rod (eight foot length)

Now, you may be wondering…what if I want cellcast acrylic, but I need it to be five and a half feet wide?  No problem, says Kip, he will cut it to the length you need for free, but you have to purchase by the rod.  You will still be buying the rods in eight feet lengths for cellcast, and six feet lengths in the extruded.  If you need two four foot lengths of cellcast, you are good because you just have to purchase one rod.  But if you require two five foot rods, you will have to buy two lengths.  Side note on curtain rods:  I always make sure my curtain rods extend six to ten inches past my frame to give more width to my windows, and to ensure the drapes will frame the windows nicely.  

I also thought you should know that 1/2 inch is tiny for a curtain rod thickness, but I thought some of you may desire that if you have a light project so I am including it.  However, for regular drapes, I would recommend at least a 1″ thickness.  As for me and my house?  1 1/2″ rods.

The company is the world’s best acrylic drapery rods(ko,nl,cs) supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

Image by Kat Phillips, TheGrayAttic.com On to end caps…  You may decide you don’t want end caps as shown below.  The thing is, you have to make sure you get the ends of your rods polished which Kip will do for an extra $7.50 per rod.