Drop Cloth Curtain Call

Greetings blog reader-lings.  We left off last week by barely moving into our master bedroom.  And just in time for some Vermont folk to come a visiting.  But when we last left off (read about the move-in here) the closet area was looking a bit like this:

As in 100% not pretty.  Today, after a quick little rehab, it’s looking a little more like this.

100% concealed mess.  One thing is for certain, I cannot handle clutter or mess or poor organization.  It’s the type A personality in me.  Thus, our master bedroom “closet system” (it’s 100% temporary) was 100% bugging me.  Inspired by all the drop cloth projects popping up in Country Living Magazine and Pinterest, I opted to create some cheap drop cloth curtains for the closet.  I picked up a pair of 6′ x 9′ drop cloths for only $10 each at the Home Depot.

Other supplies for the project included a closet rod socket, purchased from the Home Depot for about $5.70, and a piece of 1″ x 10′ conduit pipe, which we cut down to 8′, for $6.00.

And finally a pair of curtain clip packages from Target which regularly cost about $7.00 but I got some on clearance for just over $4.00 each.  Score!

Colby started installing the conduit pipe closet rod by attaching the sockets to the wall, making sure they were level and secure to a stud.

Is that a commercial for Milwaukee Power Tools or what?!  Milwaukee shirt….Milwaukee drill….my boy loves him some Milwaukee!  And that shirt cracks me up!  It’s cut off a little bit but says “My tool lasts longer than your tool”.  Funny t-shirt related story incoming.  Our Milwaukee Tool rep gave me that t-shirt a few years ago and I promptly gave it to Colby.  A few months later, I was telling the rep how much Colby loves that shirt and how he can’t seem to wear it enough.  A few days later, we were out for dinner and ran into the rep.  He was razzing Colby about his Milwaukee t-shirt attachment and shaming him for not having it on.  Colby responds by peeling up his hoodie and saying, “you mean this shirt?!”  I told you he loves that shirt!

But anyway…once the socket was firmly screwed into the wall at both ends, we slid the conduit pipe into it.

And then we folded over the drop cloths about 14″ so it would just barely graze the floor, and clipped the folded end to the rod using the curtain clips.  I may hem them eventually, but for now the folding over technique works really well.  Besides, I like living with my decisions for a little while before I make them permanent decisions, like lopping off a foot of curtain material.

Let’s talk about the conduit pipe for a moment.  It may not be most people’s first choice for a closet rod, but it totally works for us.  We wanted a metal rod, but at over $35 for a closet rod at the Home Depot, we opted for the cheaper, $6 version in the electrical aisle.  It’s essentially the same thing, just a little less shiny than the closet rod version.  But so close to the ceiling, we figured no one would know the difference.

Total cost of the project:  $40 for our drop cloth curtains and curtain rod system to conceal our master bedroom closet mess.

Here’s another view of the curtained closet from the bed.

That’s my view when I go to bed at night.  So much improved from what it used to look like.  And it’s so easy to just pull the curtains aside and pick out our outfits for the day.

And the view from the bed.

It’s kind of funny that my side of the closet is the left and my side of the bed is the left.  Compared to Colby’s clothes and bed side being on the right.  Random coincidence.

I’m thinking someday I may stencil the drop cloth curtains or paint them, but I want to see how the rest of the room plays out first.  You know…the window treatments, rug, art work, and other accessories.  But until we reach that point in the room, where there’s more pizzazz, the plain old, out of the package drop cloths are working out just fine!

Now this would be the point where I would write up the little to-do list for this room but other than find some blinds, I don’t really know what I want to do next.  I don’t have a game plan, can you believe that?!  I blame wedding brain.  T-minus 12 days for us short time, single-doms.  Crazy town batman!

Pssst…speaking of wedding, HUGE shout out to all my friends, family and future family (I still can’t believe you crazies came all the way from VT this weekend) for an amazing bridal shower!  I am so thankful for all the love and the gifts.  You ladies rock my socks!