Window Treatment Rods

I am preparing to shoot a couple of small pine trees on my property (they steal the water from my larger trees), and I would use the larger branches as curtain rods in my house. What should I do to the stick before it hang? Does it need to be processed, stained, sealed, or anything like that? In addition, all councils to hang? THANKS!

Shellac is a very durable finish, but it will darken the wood and it is oil based so you need solvents to clean your brushes and other things. Polyurethane (water based kind) would do so, it is not as durable, but would seal the timber once it has been dried. It's not like the rods are doing enormous and tear, so that protection would be poly (and water cleaning).

Although I think it would take a little time for wood to dry and there could be infiltration SAP if it has not dried whole way. I am in Florida, so you do not pin too much here, but I remember sticky pine sticks in my grandparents yard in Jersey.

Let it dry before doing anything. Air dry for a week or two. Humidity and Bug's is gone. Bug's are in the branches. Shellac is a natural coating. 3 layers.