DIY Acrylic Hardware For Kitchens + Baths & More

07 Aug DIY Acrylic Hardware For Kitchens + Baths & More

Without a doubt, one of my most popular projects has been my DIY Acrylic Curtain Rods.  (some people say lucite, some say acrylic – potatuh, potatah)  So imagine my feelings one night when I am searching for hardware for our Master Bath renovation, and I come upon an image of this.

brass pipe clip

Do you see what I see?  I instantly thought “I CAN MAKE SOMETHING WITH THIS!”  Originally, I was thinking I could put brass rods through these to make some killer hardware, but then I pondered acrylic.  It would definitely be cheaper, and since the pipe clips are a little more bulky and industrial looking, perhaps that would be the perfect combination of mechanical and sophisticated.

This is a rather convoluted story, but follow me on the struggle for an idea to come to fruition…

So the next day, I called up my local plumbing supply searching for brass pipe clips.  They did not have them, never heard of them.  I called several others…nothing.  No one seemed to have ever heard of pipe clips; rather, pipe clips that were brass (aka pretty).  Finally, I got my answer after calling yet another plumbing supply store (and after he laughed at me when I told him I was looking for brass pipe clips).  After sending him the picture, he said, “Oh, these are probably European.  In the UK and countries over there, they care about stuff like this.  You will never find these here.” (WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU AMERICA?!  : )  )

Therefore, I did what I always do when I cannot find something in the States, I go to Ebay UK.  My first set of clips I ordered from this seller.  They were very nice and easy to work with.  Sadly, in the midst of all of our home renovations, the pipe clips got lost.  By the time I went back to order, my Ebay UK seller was out of the ones I needed.  I had to find another source.  Then I found Supreme Plumb.  On their site, they tell you they will not ship internationally, but they will.  Just email them.

Note:  When I am shipping items internationally, I always request Expedited Shipping.  It is worth the extra few dollars, and trust me, Standard Shipping from other countries these past couple of years has been a nightmare.  I bought some art for a client last year, and it was stuck in customs for MONTHS.

Just FYI, if you prefer a silver look rather than a gold, pipe clips come in chrome, too.

chrome pipe clip

The new pipe clips arrived, and I was ready to get started.

Here is what you need…

Of course, for my acrylic rods, I called my buddy Kipp over at Nationwide Plastics.  He can get you any width of rod you want, cut to size, with ends polished.  You can see the Acrylic Rod post for more details.  It has been really fun to get emails from my readers over the years about what they have done with their rods, and how great Kipp was to work with.

Once you have gathered all of the materials you see above, you can literally assemble your hardware in minutes.

1.  What you want to do first is insert your screw through the hole in the pipe clip and then through your cabinet door or drawer front.  Secure it with a nut and bolt.

2.  Place a vinyl bumper (found at any hardware store) over the screw hole.

Now Grace, you may be asking, why do I have to do that?  Well, it keeps the rod secure.  These pipe clips have holes that are measured in millimeters. (again, these are form the UK…which reminds me…in third grade, I will never forget my teacher Mrs. Carruthers telling me that by the time we graduated high school, America would have changed over to the metric system.  : )  )  What I did to decide what size pipe clip to order was I converted the mm to inches.  For example, I made this hardware for my kitchen cabinets…I wanted really narrrow rods to work with the look of my cabinet doors so I ordered 1/2″ acrylic rods from Kipp and 15mm pipe clips.  I ordered the 15mm because it equals out to .59 inches.  Therefore, I knew the hole would be slightly bigger than my rod.  Of course, it is better to order them slightly bigger than slightly smaller.  The vinyl bumper makes up for the extra room and keeps the rod tight in the pipe clip.

3.  Place your rod in the pipe clip opening, screw the top bracket and screws tight, and you are done!

After I finished the first rod, I stepped back, and I knew I loved it.  It was a bit of a primal moment – I HAVE MAAAAAAAADE HARDWAAAAAAAARE!!!!!!

Changing out your hardware is such a quick and easy fix for bathrooms, kitchens, and furniture, but to get something stylish, it can be very expensive.  I think these are a very budget friendly fix.

For my lower kitchen cabinets, I used the same method, but I attached the rods horizontally.  They are only about two inches long.  This project works for pretty pulls, too!

Because these turned out so well, I did them again in my Master Bath, and used a different type pipe clip.  (the first brass one I showed you in this article, photos to come)

My kitchen is not very big, and I had such a hard time finding hardware that I liked.  I decided I wanted something with more substance on my upper cabinets than knob pulls, and the long pulls that you see in all of the magazines just seemed like too much.  This solution provided me with the style and sleekness I was looking for.

This hardware is beautiful in the kitchen, in a bathroom, on furniture, or as door pulls!  I think it works with a myriad of styles, too.  Don’t you need some DIY hardware somewhere?  ; )

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PS – You may have noticed my backsplash change!  (here is the before and what we did to make it look a little better while we saved and waited for a new backsplash) Woohoo!  Many thanks to Rebecca at Bottega Tile for her expertise and help with that project.  We have also made other changes to the kitchen since I took these photos.  I will have a reveal up when all is completed!  I still have more coming on the Garden Makeover, plus another Bathroom renovation at our house!  #whywearestillsharingonebathroom

One more thing!  

I received a few emails about the Sprout by HP and wanted to touch more on that here.  In this post, the DIY board (here it is again below) was created using the Sprout.  

The Sprout has revolutionalized the way I write about projects I have created because I can actually place the materials needed on the touchmat.  (see below photo from this project using Sprout)

Before I started using Sprout, if I was creating a DIY board, I would have to take pictures of the items, upload them to the computer, edit them, and then after all of that, insert the images into a board.  Now I place my items on the touchmat, scan them in, and voila, everything I need is there in seconds – in crisp 3D.  

Not only has the Sprout changed the way I demonstrate projects, it has also changed how I create my design boards.  (for the better!)  It has been so gratifying to put color schemes and fabrics together using the samples I have, and place them into a design board in seconds.  Truly, the best part of Sprout for me has been the time I save.  

You can see in the above photo the fabrics I scanned in (a future pillow scheme).  Now I can place this image into a design board I am creating for a living room.  (this client LOVES blue and white – and I LOVE the ability to write my own text – see “blue and white” : ) )

This board is a work in progress, and I can tweak it as necessary with the touch of a finger.

Not only has Sprout made me more efficient, I feel like I can present my clients with a better idea of the end product they will receive in their room(s).  I can better show them how these elements will all go together.  And of course, I really appreciate being able to switch from creating to answering emails at any moment.  The Sprout has been a great addition to my personal and professional life.

*Thank you to Sprout by HP for sponsoring this post.  All ideas, thoughts, and opinions are solely mine.*