The $1.50 Dollar Tree Hack For Hanging Curtains Without Any Drilling

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Traditional curtain rod support brackets aren't super expensive, but they can still cost you a lot. If you're a renter and you'll get dinged for putting holes in the walls (do landlords expect you to get by without curtains?), the usual wall-mounted hooks won't do. TikTokers are always on the lookout for solutions that are both cheap and good, and they might have found a drill-free curtain hack that's perfect for renters. The simple strategy involves repurposing Dollar Tree Mop and Broom Holders ($1.50 for a pair) to handle curtains instead. Traditional aluminum curtain rod hooks cost significantly more.

The method of this hack is to cut the holder in half and mount it so that it will hold a horizontal pole, rather than working as a vertical holder intended for mops and brooms. This may not be what comes to mind when you think of hanging a curtain rod just right, but it usually works. The holders adjust to various rod diameters, but commenters on some TikTok videos suggest that you can improve your odds of making this hack work by using thinner curtain rods. In fact, commenters on most of these curtain rod hack videos have a lot of suggestions; for example, mounting the hangers on the window frame so the rods won't be held so close to the wall. But one TikToker, @dallasbaker2, mounted a rod with fairly large finials on its ends using this method, with no apparent trouble. A commenter on a similar video suggested just using a painted plastic broom handle from Dollar Tree as a curtain rod for smaller windows, since the broom handle will naturally fit the broom holder with no issues.

These mop and broom holders are fairly well-reviewed with 4.5 stars on 15 ratings, but a couple of complaints come up frequently, especially in the context of using the hangers on walls. A reviewer on the Dollar Tree website warns that adhesive might not hold well, and can damage walls — different and somewhat opposite problems. An adhesive that isn't holding well is not, of course, going to pull paint or sheetrock off of the walls. But it's clear that both problems are happening to users, and for different reasons.

You can try Command Curtain Rod Hooks over the Dollar Tree version, though these are pricier at $15.98 for a pair of hooks. In both cases, when an adhesive strip isn't holding well to the wall it's mounted on, be sure to follow the product's package directions carefully. TikTok commenters advise cleaning the wall with rubbing alcohol and, after you stick the hanger on, don't put any weight on holders for at least eight (and some say 24) hours to give the adhesive time to form a proper bond. 

Heavy curtains can simply be too much for the adhesive. TikToker @lbkthegoat solved this problem by adding more Dollar Tree hooks along the length of a long rod with heavy curtains. Others warn that the adhesive won't work well on textured walls at all, and others suggest using a thumbtack in the screw hole for additional support with as little visible wall damage as possible.

If you have the opposite problem — the adhesive sticks so well that it's damaging your walls when removed — commenters have some good suggestions for that, too, probably based on experience of removing double-sided tape from walls. The most common is probably using a hair dryer on a low heat setting to slowly soften the adhesive, allowing you to pull it away from the wall without damaging paint. You can also employ a heated metal spatula to remove the adhesive without damaging the wall or its finish.

A few suggest sticking painter's tape to the wall, then adhering the hangers to that. But even if this suggestion turns out to be effective for heavy curtains, keep in mind that painter's tape isn't designed to be left on walls long. The longest time we could find was for Duck Clean Release Painter's Tape, the instructions for which suggest not leaving the tape in place longer than 60 days for residue-free removal.