How to Make Bed Canopies for Children

Make your child a bed canopy to spark her imagination.

A canopy can transform your child's bed into a magical world of secrets and play. You can use one piece of fabric to make a canopy, or you can use several lengths of fabric, making a canopy of many colors to hang over the bed. Canopies are popular for girls of all ages, and can be made to complement any bedroom decor. Bed canopies also can be designed for boys' rooms, but they usually are geared more toward younger boys.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric
• Scissors
• Fabric glue or needle
• A hula hoop, embroidery hoop or other ring-shaped object
• Fishing wire
• One small eyelet screw

Instructions

1. Measure the height of the ceiling in the room where you wish to hang the bed canopy. Round the length up if necessary, because it is better to have a canopy that is too long, rather than too short. The fabric of the canopy should reach from the ceiling above the bed to the floor around the bed.

2. Choose the fabric for your bed canopy. Thin, sheer fabric or tulle works best for a girl's room. Use a darker, non-sheer fabric if the bed canopy will hang in a boy's room.

3. Choose your hoop. You can use a hula hoop, embroidery hoop or any other lightweight ring-shaped object. Larger hoops will create canopies that cover larger areas.

4. Cut the fabric lengthwise into enough 6-inch strips to cover the hoop you are using. Wrap the fabric around the hoop, making sure the original hoop is not visible. Secure the end of the fabric by sewing or using fabric glue. Continue until the hoop is completely covered in the fabric. You might need to cover with more than one layer if you are using a very thin fabric.

5. Cut the rest of the fabric into strips varying from1 to 2 feet wide if you are using a hula hoop. Cut smaller strips, 8 inches to 1 foot wide, for smaller hoops. Cut the strips lengthwise, so the pieces of fabric will be long enough to hang from the hoop to the floor. Three or four wide pieces of fabric will make a simpler, more classy canopy. Several narrower pieces of fabric will make a busier bed canopy. You can also use one solid piece of fabric.

6. Wrap the end of a fabric strip around the top of the hoop, and secure it by sewing or using fabric glue. Continue around the hoop until the entire hoop is covered in long strips of fabric. If you are using one solid piece of fabric, start by attaching one end and continuing around the hoop. Occasionally gather the pieces of fabric at the top, so the fabric is wider at the bottom than at the top. When you get to the end, do not connect the two ends of fabric; they will form the opening of the canopy.

7. Cut your fishing wire into 1-foot pieces. A larger hoop will use six pieces of fishing wire. A smaller hoop should require three or four pieces of fishing wire.

8. Attach the pieces of fishing wire to the hoop, spacing them equal distances apart. Tie each piece to the hoop, in between pieces of fabric. If you used one solid piece of fabric or a few larger pieces of fabric, use a needle to thread the fishing wire though the fabric and around the hoop.

9. Tie the loose ends of fishing wire together, once the other ends have all been attached to the hoop. Make sure the knot is in the center of the hoop, so the canopy will hang straight.

10. Screw the eyelet screw into the ceiling in the spot where you want the canopy to hang. The canopy can hang above the center of the bed, or above the head of the bed. Install the screw on a ceiling beam if possible, to help the ceiling hold the weight of the canopy.

11. Hang the canopy from the eyelet screw. If your eyelet screw has an open end, slide the fishing wire into the open end, and hang the canopy from the knot. If your eyelet screw does not have an open end, use an extra piece of fishing line to tie the knot to the eyelet screw.

12. Fluff out the canopy, making sure the fabric is distributed equally around the bed.

Tips & Warnings

• For a more colorful bed canopy, use more than one color of fabric.

• Attach jewels to the fabric to brighten it up.

• The fabric on the canopy can be pushed to one side of the bed or behind the headboard if you do not want your child to sleep under it.

References

• Bed Canopy: Kids Bed Canopy