How to Make a Replacement Canopy Top
Canopies are a symbol of lavishness. Once canopies were a protection from drafts, but as modern heating units have been employed within the home, canopies now are synonymous with romance. Canopy beds with frames can be expensive and occupy more space than a standard bed. If your canopy frame has broken, or if it is too much of a hassle to install, you can make a replacement canopy top for your bed for a fraction of the cost and in a minimal amount of time.
Things You'll Need
- 12-inch wide metal ring or embroidery hoop
- Clear fishing line
- Cup hooks (screw in)
- 32 yards tulle or sheer netting
- Satin ribbon
- Embellishments (optional)
- Needle
- Thread
- Glue gun & glue sticks
- 2-inch wide satin ribbon (1+ yards)
- Scissors
Instructions
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1
Cut the tulle into 4 pieces, 8 yards each. Fold each piece of tulle in half. The folded end is the "top." Place the tulle on a flat surface.
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2
Gather each piece of tulle with a needle and thread at the top. Gather each piece to approximately 4 to 5 inches wide at the top. (The bottom will be ungathered. Do not gather both ends.) To gather, lock your first stitch around the edge of the tulle by completing a few stitches. Insert needle in and out of top edge of tulle, pulling the thread in and out until you reach the end of the tulle piece. Pull the thread, tightening the tulle until it is 4 to 5 inches wide, and then lock your stitch around the edge by forming several stitches.
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3
Glue each piece of gathered tulle around the top of the ring. Glue the tulle in 4 sections around the ring.
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4
Glue 2-inch wide satin ribbon around the outside of the gathered tulle covered ring to cover the gathered portions.
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5
Cut four pieces of 26-inch long clear fishing line. Loop them around the metal ring, with ends touching evenly, and tie in a knot against the metal ring (there will be 13 inches of line on each side of your loop). Position the pieces around the metal ring at each quarter of the ring so the ring hangs balanced. Tie the tops of each 26-inch line, with each one forming a loop. These are the hangers. If your ring feels heavier than a single strand of fishing line seems capable of supporting, double the 26-inch piece, and fold it in half so you are tying the loop with a double strand of fishing line.
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6
Screw 4 cup hooks, centered above the bed, into the ceiling.
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7
Glue satin roses or other decorations around tulle/ribbon-covered ring in equal intervals.
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8
Hang canopy top from loops on cup hooks. If you have purchased large cup hooks and your space between bed and canopy top seems shorter than the tulle you have hanging, you can hook the metal ring directly onto the hooks.
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9
Spread tulle over ends of the bed and tie with ribbon to each bed post if desired.
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Tips & Warnings
For a feminine look for a girl's room, glue satin roses in a scattered pattern all over the tulle in a color the same as the tulle or a contrasting color.
Use caution with a canopy around children and pets. Canopy netting could pose a choking hazard if children become tangled within the yardage. Use caution when using glue guns as some makes reach extreme temperatures leading to burns.
