Hide An Exposed Pipe Eyesore With This Clever DIY That Even Your Cat Will Love

An exposed pipe can ruin even the most beautiful interior design makeovers. Painted walls, brand new floor, and fancy cabinets don't stand a chance when they're placed near one of those eyesores. These exposed pipes are particularly common in bathrooms and basement apartments and in old buildings. While they sometimes have that old school charm, not everyone likes the look of them. If that's your case, why not wrap them in some rope to conceal them? Not only will it look great, but it will also act as a scratcher that your cats will love.

The idea for this hack is to tightly wrap rope around exposed pipes to cover them up and help them fade into the background. If you're dealing with, let's say, a nine-foot-long pipe and have some average-size rope, you'll need a little over 100 feet of rope to cover the entire thing. You can also choose some standard brown rope to give the DIY an organic look, which can lend a natural look to your bohemian decor. The best thing about this DIY is that it holds in place on its own. While some super glue can help secure the end of the rope to itself, you won't need to use it across the entire wrap, which makes this upgrade extremely renter-friendly. Sure, as a homeowner, you have some other options to conceal pipes, like boxing them into a wall or covering them with cabinets. But as a renter, there aren't many solutions like this one. And even if you're planning major bathroom design changes in the future, you can use this affordable and low-lift DIY in the meantime to avoid looking at exposed pipes any longer.

To do this DIY, the first step is deciding which type of rope to use. Fiberglass and silica rope are safe choices for radiator and steam pipes, which get fairly hot. These ropes can resist the heat. However, it's best to only execute this DIY on pipes that will not get hot. For any standard pipe that does not get hot, jute or Manila rope work well. You can also opt for a synthetic material, like nylon and polyester. If you're going to use this project to make a DIY cat scratcher, opt for natural materials. You can also pair this DIY with other cool DIY projects, like a DIY rope wall. 

Once you've got your rope secured, this DIY is fairly simple. Start from the top, and place a few inches of rope down vertically along the pipe. Then, start wrapping the rest of the rope around the pipe and the end of the rope. This will secure the top in place without you having to use any adhesive. Then, arm yourself with some patience, and wrap the rope around the pipe until the entire thing is covered. When you reach the bottom, fit the rope inside one of the wrap-arounds and pull on it firmly. Cut the rope a few inches down from the last loop, and add a dot of super glue to attach it to the rope-covered pipe. If you have a particularly scratch-happy cat, consider wrapping the pipe twice to prevent any gaps from forming.