PVC pipe (yes the kind you buy in the plumbing dept at Lowes or Home Depot) is super cheap to use for curtain rods! When you're shopping for it keep in mind that when you see it is 1 1/2" pipe, they are referring to the "inside" measurement. Which means a 1 1/2" pvc pipe is actually almost 2" on the outside. So take your tape measure with you if size matters.
If your draperies will cover the whole rod, you don't need to do anything but clean it with a little vinegar to get the oil off of it. But if part of it will show, you should lightly sand it, wipe it down, and then spray paint it. Try some of that new Fusion paint just for plastic. *Other options would be to spray it with glue and cover it with fabric. I suppose a Contact Paper type treatment would work too, but that might be a little tricky to get on smoothly without a bunch of wrinkles. And you could always decoupage it.
I sprayed mine with BBQ Black spray paint which is a flat black. Then I sponged it with just a touch of metallic craft paint in gold, silver and copper. I used the large PVC pipe and then went to the fencing department and got round fence post finials to use for the finials, sanded them down and painted them to match. This size rod would have cost me a bunch of money if I made it from wood.
