24 Great Ways to Use Tension Rods in Your Home

Tension rods may be a seemingly boring DIY tool, but don’t underestimate their power! There are so many interesting home hacks and decor tricks that can be accomplished using tension rods – and at a nice, low cost! Check out these 24 surprisingly useful ways to use tension rods in your home.

Bookshelf Covers

Better Homes and Gardens

As great as bookshelves are, they tend to become a place where clutter lives. For the next time you’ve shoved some random objects onto your shelves right before company arrives, try these pull-down curtains on tension rods to hide the mess.
Hanging Plants

JillM

Bring a little life to your home with a hanging garden in your window! Supported by the one, the only, the tension rod.
Kid’s Stage Area

Sunshine on the Inside

For all those plays and concerts your kids love to put on for you, make an DIY curtain so they have their very own stage!
Chord Coverage

Better Homes and Gardens

An antique wooden desk? So cute! A million chords and cables running underneath it? Not so cute. Use tension rods to make an impromptu curtain to hide your technology.
Litter Box

This Old House

Give your little guy some privacy. Put up a curtain around the litter box area to fancy-up something…not-so-fancy.
Jewelry Organizer

Pinterest

For a no-tangle way to hang your bracelets and necklaces, try a tension rod in your room.
DIY Kitchen Awning

Musings from a French Cottage

To get that French country feel in your kitchen, tension rods can help you create a lovely awning for your window on a dime.
Scarf Holder

Hative

No more tossing your scarves in a bin – show them off with this DIY tension rod holder.
Portable Drying Rod

Hometalk

Delicates? Don’t machine dry! Save your clothes by hanging them to dry on a rod.
Dust Ruffle

Seagrass Interiors

Make your very own dust ruffle! Use whatever fabric tickles your fancy and tension rods for this amazingly easy DIY.
Organize Tupperware

Montana Prairie Tales

Tupperware can get SO MESSY. Containers and lids are just everywhere, all of a sudden! Not any more with some clever organizing by your tension rod.
Pet Gates

Pinterest

For an inexpensive pet (or even baby) gate, a few tension rods stacked to the right height will do the trick.
Vertical Storage

Skona Hem

A unique storage option to display or organize anything in your home!
DIY Canopy Bed

HGTV

Always wanted a canopy bed? Make your own with some tension rods! Your partner may or may not thank you for it though.
Holiday Decorations

Better Homes and Gardens

For decorations that come down in a flash, hang your decor with tension rods from now on!
Pot and Pan Organizer

Everyday Home Blog

Make your kitchen a more efficient place to be with some pot and pan organization. Hang them on the door to free up extra cabinet space.
House Cleaner Storage

A Thousand Words

Under-the-sink storage keeps things (like cleaners) neat and out of the way. Make it happen faster with a quick tension rod in your cabinet.
Extend Your Closet

Apartment Therapy

Need more room but out of closet space? Use the empty spaces to create extra hanging room for your clothes!
Cutting Board Organizer

Martha Stewart

Keep your cookie sheets and cutting boards in line with some well-placed tension rods in the kitchen.
Filing Cabinet

The House on Hillbrook

A few tension rods in a regular desk drawer instantly turns it into a handy filing cabinet.
DIY Curtain Door

The Painted Cottage

Do you have a space that could act as an office, but there’s no privacy? Instead of going through the process of installing a door, put up a curtain with a tension rod for a quick DIY door.
Papertowel Holder

Alejandra

This could work great for garbage bags as well! Create some under-counter organization.
Craft Organizer

Apartment Therapy

For the crafty among us, hang and display your materials and tools with tension rods. Also works great for ribbons and wrapping papers, like a gift wrapping station!
Shoe Organizer

A Loyal Love

SHOES. You can never have enough of them, so why limit yourself with storage space? Tension rods make a great, expandable place to hold your most prized possessions.