Make a Canopy for a Bunk Bed

Here is a very easy and simple way to make a beautiful canopy for any bunk bed. It will be a delightful addition to any bedroom, and will give a very chic look for not a lot of time or money.
The principle will be to attach the material to the ceiling over the top bunk. In this way, it can be adjusted to hang as an accent piece or to literally roof off the entire bunk the way a canopy would.

Things You'll Need

• Yards of fabric Plastic shower rings Drywall swag hooks with mounts, choose a color that goes good with your material Sewing machine that makes button holes. Stud finder 6 foot ladder Ruler Tape measure 36 inch level Drill with 3/8-inch bit

Instructions

1. Hem all four sides of the material. You can do this by hand, but it will be much faster with a sewing machine. This will not only keep the material from fraying, it will also add a bit of professionalism to the entire project.

2. Mark the length of the overhang on the canopy all around the interior of the piece of cloth. Decide how long you want the canopy to hang over the top bunk. It can be completely enclosed much like a tent, or just used as an accent that hangs maybe 4 inches or so. At that exact point, measure in 4 inches (or whatever hanging measurement you choose) and draw a giant rectangle in the material, keeping 4 inches away from every edge.

3. Sew in buttonholes. You can do this by hand by cutting a slit and then placing loop stitches around the edges, or you can use a sewing machine. The buttonholes will be placed every 12 inches along the rectangle line you drew on the inside of the fabric. Each buttonhole should have a mate just on the other side of the hole. This will be where your plastic rings will attach to hold up the fabric.

4. Insert the plastic shower rings into the buttonholes. Do not snap them shut tightly at this time.

5. Mark the ceiling where the hooks will go. Using your 36-inch level, set it against the corner of the bunk bed and push it straight up until it touches the ceiling. Make sure it is level, and this will be the first place to screw in your hook. Do this for each corner of the canopy. It should match up with each corner of the bed. Then, mark each hook on each side of the rectangle. These marks should be 12 inches apart just like the buttonholes.

6. Screw the hooks into the ceiling where the four corners of the canopy will be. Using your 3/8-inch drill bit, drill a hole into the drywall. Insert the drywall hanger into the hole, and then screw on the swag hook. Do this for every mark on the ceiling.

7. Mount the canopy. Hook the shower rings over the swag hooks and then snap the rings shut. Once finished, you'll have a custom made canopy that will look beautiful over any bunk bed.

Tips & Warnings

• You can easily vary this design to your own tastes by setting the hooks outward a few inches to make the canopy larger than the bed, or bringing the central hooks in slightly, which will allow the canopy to hang majestically over the actual bed itself. Either way, it's a very unique and lovely way to have a canopy over a bunk bed.

• You may wish to wear safety goggles since drilling into the ceiling can result in serious plaster dust getting in your eyes.