I love the shrink wrap easy to apply and has a very professional look at a reasonable price.  The only thing you need to get is a heat gun which is priced in Canada $30.00 but I got one that had a few more features than the average (though some people claim that they use a hairdryer...I have not tried this method)  The tubes are cheap and I can do 4 rods (my rods are a little longer than average) for about $3.00CAN.  You can get a variety of sizes and it takes about 2-3 minutes to cover a rod and you are done.  

If you want a few more reasons why you would want to buy a heat gun.....to make eyes for puppets with using it to soften plastic to lye over molds to make eyes......or you can use it to soften plastic to make hand molds for mouth plates.  As well take any paint off the wall if you need to. LOL

I did get one that has different settings for different applications I do like this feature because I can do more with it in less time....that is why mine was a little more expensive than the simple heat gun.  

I will try to get pictures up with arm rods covered on it to show you how they look later today or tomorrow.

Daryl H

Re covered hangers, as I said I know they are a bit amateur so I don't intend to keep going that way but I know what you mean about some being too heavy gauge, I didn't know that some split. I guess I've been a bit lucky. More reason to  move on to better methods sooner! That nonslip matting is an interesting idea, it's easy to get too...

For those Aussies: I just discovered Dick Smith's sells heat shrink tubing.
http://dicksmith.com.au/product/W4203/heatshrink-tubing-kit-pack-350pcs