16 Uses for Tension Rods That Go Beyond Hanging Curtains

This useful household item can be used to tame clutter, keep essentials handy, and so much more.

You might already be using tension rods in place of traditional hardware to hang window treatments or shower curtains, but they have many other practical uses. They’re inexpensive and take up minimal room whether they are or are not in use. Plus, they can help keep you organized by providing unique storage solutions without the need for a full remodel or DIY project.

Tension rods are adjustable, so you can completely customize your space. And since you don't need any hardware to install them, they're easy to hang and prevent damage to walls. This makes them ideal for renters and anyone looking for a temporary or quick fix. We're sharing our best tension rod ideas to help you find new uses for them around your home.

1. Conceal Visual Clutter

Even if a product or appliance is vital to your home, it doesn’t mean you want to constantly look at it. Cover up any household eyesores using a tension rod and curtain cut to size. Whether that be the mess of electronics and cords in an open TV console, off-season clothes under the bed, or the laundry appliances in a hallway nook, you can simply close the curtains to conceal clutter.

Related: 6 Hidden Laundry Room Storage Ideas That Conceal Clutter

2. Hide a Hangout Spot

Similarly, you can create privacy for some spaces without needing to install a door. A play area beneath a lofted bed, storage under the stairs, or the cat’s litter box can all be tucked away behind a curtain hung by a tension rod.

Related: 11 Smart Storage Solutions for Your Pet Supplies

3. Corral Desk Supplies

Nothing ruins a productive work environment like clutter all over your desk, but you don't need to spend a lot on your work from home setup to stay organized. Here, a small tension rod and painted wood box keep notebooks, planners, pens, and cards accessible but out of the way.

Related: 21 Home Office Storage Ideas for a More Productive Work Space

4. Keep Kitchenware Accessible

Small kitchens require some extra creativity when it comes to storage. Keep countertops clear by forgoing a crock and hanging cooking tools using S hooks on a tension rod along the backsplash instead. Your go-to spatula or oven mitt will always be available when you’re in the middle of making your signature masterpiece, and your countertops will stay clear.

Related: 15 Clever Storage Ideas for Silverware and Utensils

5. Sort Shower Supplies

If there’s already one tension rod in the shower for the liner and curtain, why not add another? Add one just below the original rod and hang small buckets using S hooks. Each bucket can hold different toiletry categories such as shampoo, body care, and shaving supplies to help streamline your shower routine. Alternatively, if you have little ones, place the rod against the tile near the top of the tub and use baskets to hold bath toys at their eye level.

6. Store Spray Bottles

Avoid cluttered chaos underneath thesink by storing cleaning supplies—specifically spray bottles—off the ground. Install a tension rod near the top and front of the cabinet and then hook bottle nozzles over it. This clears the rest of the space for other items and allows you to easily grab a bottle to clean up spills in a flash.

Related: How to Organize Under Your Kitchen Sink

7. Separate Baking Sheets

Whether you have a few dozen reserved for bake-offs or just a handful for when you’re in the mood for cookies, baking sheets, muffin tins, and cooling racks need a designated home. Place horizontal tension rods a few inches apart from one another in a wide cabinet. Then slide the various bakeware into the slots so they stay upright and sorted.

Related: How to Organize Kitchen Cabinets in the 22 Absolutely Best Ways

8. Hang Clothes to Dry

Drying racks are convenient to have but often bothersome to store when they’re not being used. There are quite a few ways to get innovative with drying racks, but there’s one that is the simplest. And that is to include a tension rod close to the ceiling in the laundry to hang-dry clothing indoors.

Related: 8 Laundry Room Drying Rack Ideas to Make Life Easier

9. Organize Gift Wrap

Whether it’s a ream of construction paper or a roll of your wrapping paper, a tension rod is the perfect way to store it. Just slide a roll of paper onto the rod, secure it in between two sturdy spots, and unfurl as much or as little paper as you need. Other craft or gift wrap supplies that come with a spool design, such as ribbon, twine, or washi tape, can also be slipped onto a tension rod for the same result.

Related: 27 Clever Craft Storage Ideas for All Your Creative Supplies

10. Line up Lids

You should always try to store pots and pans with their assigned lids, but that’s not always possible. There will always be a few that can’t be stored together because of the way the pans fit in the cabinet. Fortunately, there’s a way to prevent them from cluttering up the kitchen. Stick a tension rod near the edges of a deep drawer or towards the back of a cabinet. Then, slip the lids down into the gap, letting their handles rest on top of the rod.

11. Tidy Food Storage Containers

The same can be said for the food storage containers that can easily become a jumbled mess in the cabinet. Use as many tension rods as you need to create dividers before adding in the assorted lids and containers in order. Just make sure that they’re all matching before you do so.

Related: 10 Genius Solutions for Organizing Food Storage Containers

12. Show Off Schoolwork

If you prefer to keep the outside of your fridge clutter-free, carve out a designated space for children's artwork, schoolwork, and photos. Fasten a tension rod in their bedroom, the playroom, or by the family command center and incorporate some hook clips. Then, when they come home with a piece they’re proud of, attach it to the collection and swap out artwork as time goes on.

13. Hang Indoor Herbs

Herb gardens are great to have year-round but you do need a sunny spot to store them. A window with bright, natural sunlight is the best place but sometimes you can’t (or don’t want to) give up the ledge space. In this case, hang a tension rod in the window and line up S hooks on it. Then, hang small potted plants using sturdy twine and lightweight pots. They will not only look pretty near the window, this method also serves a practical function.

Related: How to Grow Herbs Indoors for a Fragrant Garden Within Reach

14. Style Spaces Short-Term

Seasonal holidays, birthday parties, and other celebratory events are always better with decorations. But there’s no reason to put holes in the walls or scratch windows in the process. Instead, you can use tension rods to safely hang garland or festive banners before the big event.

Related: 6 Holiday Decorating Tips to Keep Your Home Damage-Free All Season

15. Hook High Heels

A collection of fancy heels should be shown off, not stuffed away into boxes where they can’t be seen or allowed to breathe. You can create a display in your closet (or any available nook) by securing tension rods between the walls. Then, gently, hook shoes with heels that will fit the width, and be careful not to overload the rods with anything too heavy.

Related: Our Best Shoe Storage Ideas for Your Closet, Entryway, and More

16. Arrange Accessories

Take the same approach and apply it to all of the accessories you have shoved into dresser drawers, or items that are taking up too much space on closet shelves. Using a tension rod and helpful S hooks, display everything from hats to scarves to necklaces and handbags. Not only will this help you keep track of the accessories you have so you can easily find them, it'll protect them too.

Related: How to Store Scarves for a Clutter-Free Closet

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