Let me start buy setting the scene for you: It’s a chilly and miserable October afternoon. After creating my recent Autumn tree in my kitchen to cheer myself up (have you seen it yet? It’s here!), I’ve got the decorating bug and I’m looking for more inspiration! So, after mindlessly scrolling through social media, sipping my pumpkin spice latte (you know I LOVE my coffee!!) , I stumble upon a viral home decor hack – the “extension rod method.”
Have you heard of it? So, apparently, people everywhere are using curtain rods (yep, the kind you hang curtains with!) to create some amazing seasonal displays. ‘And so I figured .. “How hard could it be?” Turns out, it’s easier said than done, but totally worth it!
First of all, here’s how my kitchen window is looking before. You can see the Halloween gonk in the corner, but it could definitely do with a bit more autumn colour!
What is the Viral Extension Rod Method?
If you haven’t seen the trend yet, let me tell you. The idea is actually pretty simple: take an extension rod (the kind you’d normally use for curtains or shower hooks), suspend it in your window, and go crazy decorating it with seasonal items. Think leaves, pumpkins, fairy lights—anything that screams autumn vibes, or whatever season you’re decorating it for! It’s an easy way to make your windows look like the gorgeous Pinterest images you see, and a pretty cheap way of doing it if you’ve got some craft supplies on standby.
And of course, like a moth to a flame (or a crafter to a craft sale), I couldn’t resist trying it.
Step 1: Find the Right Extension Rod (or Anything That Resembles One)
My first obstacle? Realising I had a total of exactly zero extension rods. And as we have a shower screen, I couldn’t even steal one from the bathroom. So, I headed to Amazon and ordered this one. There were some cheaper ones, but I figured I needed something a bit sturdy to make sure it won’t collapse on me!
Step 2: Collect ALL the Autumn Decorations (basically, Empty Out Your Craft Drawers)
So while I was waiting for my “next day delivery”, I dumped out my craft drawers and scoured my local go to places (The Range, Home Bargains, The Works .. you know the ones!) for anything that fits the autumn vibes. Here’s what made the final cut for my window masterpiece:
- Faux autumn leaves (obviously)
- Some pumpkin picks from last year (have a look at these ideas from The Range)
- Pinecones (because I’m fancy like that, .. plus: THEY’RE FREE!!)
Things I didn’t use, but are SUCH a good idea if you can get your hands on some on a budget:
- Fairy lights (because I love a good twinkle)
- Twine and ribbon (for rustic flair)
- Hot glue gun (AKA the MVP of every DIY disaster) – I didn’t actually use a glue gun in the end, but it’s always handy having one on standby!
Top tip: If you don’t have fancy store-bought autumn decorations, go outside and grab some real leaves. The best part? They’re free and eco-friendly (until they crumble into dust on your windowsill).
Step 3: Suspend Your Extension Rod (and Pray It Holds)
Next day, my new addition arrived (Simba wants in on the action!) and this where things got interesting. You’d think hanging an extension rod across a window frame would be easy, right? WRONG!
Let’s just say there was a solid 10 minutes of going up and down those steps to make sure it was in the correct place (and that it was going to stay there!) But, with some persistence I finally got it up there. Success!
I know a lot of people move the rod into place once they have decorated it, but I decided to get it into place first. I didn’t want to faff about (technical term) and risk everything coming down again.
If you’re worried about stability, you can use Command hooks to secure the rod in place, but I like to live dangerously (besides, .. I was fresh out of Command hooks).
Step 4: Get Decorating!
Now comes the fun part—decorating your suspended extension rod! I started by draping faux leaves across the rod like a garland. That already filled up the rod quite a lot with that gorgeous autumn colour. I was so wrapped up (pardon the pun!) that I forgot to take a photo of that bit, but here’s what it looked like … excuse the photo quality. – I took a screenshot from a video to be able to show you the results so far!
Next I used three autumn picks from last year and used some tie wraps to secure them into place.
That really filled it out, but I was left with a few gaps. So, finally, I used some pipe-cleaners to wrap around some pine cones and filled in the gaps that were showing. And that .. was pretty much it! Apart from snipping off the tie wraps to tidy the whole thing up!
Step 5: Step Back and Admire Your Creation
After hanging my decorations, I stepped back to admire my work. Not going to lie .. I’m pretty chuffed with how it’s turned out! And once autumn is over I should be able to take the decorations off and replace them with some Christmas ones! Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!!
Why You Should Try the Extension Rod Method
In all seriousness, this viral hack is pretty genius. It’s an easy, affordable way to create a cozy autumn window display that transforms your space. Plus, as I said, it’s flexible—you can swap out the decorations for every season (just imagine the possibilities for Halloween or Christmas!).
And here’s the final result of what greets me in the morning .. ready for my morning coffee!
Whether you’re an expert crafter or someone who has never picked up a glue gun in your life, this method is foolproof… well … mostly. And even if it’s not perfect, at least you’ll have a good story to tell (and probably a few laughs along the way).
It was difficult to get some really good photos that do it justice because of the light, but here’s the final version as it’s getting darker outside.
Final Thoughts (Or, How I Learned Not to Be Afraid of Curtain Rods)
The viral extension rod method may have started as just another social media trend, but I’ve got to admit, it’s definitely something I will use again in the future! It’s the perfect solution for creating a dramatic fall display with minimal effort and maximum impact. Plus, it lets you get creative and use whatever season-themed items you already have lying around.
Would you PIN this for me so others can find me too?
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