How to Use Fabric on the Ceiling of a Bathroom for a Tent Effect

Draping fabric from your ceiling quickly transforms an ordinary bathroom into something off the beaten path. When hung correctly, the fabric can give the room a tent feel. Using brightly colored fabrics, you can create a circus feel; using neutral fabrics, such as khakis, you can create a safari feel. Whatever feelings you want to evoke with a fabric draped bathroom, creating your own is a project that you can complete in an afternoon.

Things You'll Need

• Plywood (1/2 inch by 12 inches square)
• Jigsaw
• Medium-grit sandpaper
• Wall paint
• Paintbrush
• Eye bolts (3/4 inch)
• Lipstick
• Eye hooks (3/4 inch)
• Measuring tape
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Staple gun
• Staples
• Dowel rods (1/2 inch)

Instructions

1. Cut a 12-inch circle out of 1/2-inch plywood using a jigsaw. Smooth the cut edges using medium-grit sandpaper. Paint the plywood using the same color paint as the ceiling of the bathroom. Paint both the bottom of the circle and the sides. Let the paint dry overnight.

2. Insert five 3/4-inch eye bolts into the top of the circle. Place the first four bolts at the 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock and 12 o'clock positions, each 3/4 inch in from the edge. Place the fifth bolt in the center of the circle.

3. Rub lipstick on the top of each of the eye bolts. Lift the circle up to the dead center of the bathroom ceiling. Press the eye bolts against the ceiling with firm pressure. Take the circle down. The lipstick on the eye bolts leaves a mark on the ceiling. Twist one 3/4-inch eye hook into each of the lipstick marks on the ceiling.

4. Measure from the center of the bathroom ceiling to the edge of the wall. Then measure from the corner of the ceiling to the top of the highest fixture, such as a sink, mirror or toilet back. Add the two measurements together.

5. Measure the length and width of the room. Add the length and width measurements together and multiply by two.

6. Cut pieces of fabric into 2-foot wide pieces. Make the length equivalent to the measurement you calculated in Step 4. You need one piece of fabric for every 2 feet in the measurement from Step 5. If the measurement is not even feet, add an additional strip to cover the difference. For example, if the width was 78 inches and the width was 51 inches, you would have a total of 258 inches or 21 1/2 feet. Therefore, you would cut 11 pieces of fabric (rounding up to 22 feet).

7. Fold all four edges of each piece of fabric over 1/4 inch. Pin the edges down using straight pins. Sew along the folded edges to secure the hems. Remove the straight pins.

8. Attach the pieces of fabric to the unpainted side of the plywood circle. Position the fabric pieces 1 inch in from the edge of the circle. Use a staple gun to staple through the fabric into the plywood to attach the fabric pieces. Space them evenly around the circle.

9. Twist one 3/4-inch eye bolt into the ceiling every 12 inches. Place the eye bolts along the line where the wall and ceiling meet.

10. Insert dowel rods measuring 1/2 inch by 24 inches into the eye bolts, stretching them from eye bolt to eye bolt. You need one dowel rod for every length of fabric. If necessary, cut a dowel rod smaller or longer to fit rooms that are larger or smaller than 24-inch increments.

11. Hang the plywood circle from the ceiling eye hooks. Stretch the fabric from the center circle over to the walls. Place the fabric over the dowel rods so it hangs next to the wall. Billow the fabric around the dowel rods slightly to cover the rods.

Tips & Warnings

• This projects is best installed in a bathroom without a shower or a tub. If you want to install it in one with a shower or tub, avoid covering the ventilation fan when hanging the fabric. Without the ventilation fan, your fabric will easily mildew.

• Take the fabric down on a regular basis to wash it. Fabric on the ceiling catches dirt, dust and allergens. Also, moisture in the bathroom can cause mildewing.