A DIY ceiling canopy bed is an inexpensive way to bring an air of romance to your bedroom.
In the days before gas and electric heating, canopy beds were something of a necessity. While folds of draped fabric no longer may be needed to retain heat during cold winter nights, they still can be appreciated for their decorative and aesthetic value. A ceiling canopy bed adds an air of romance and femininity to a bedroom that cannot always be accomplished by paint color alone. If you like the look of a ceiling canopy bed, consider constructing one and see how it can transform your bedroom.
Instructions
1. Measure the length and width of your bed using a measuring tape to determine the exact center and make a small pencil mark on the ceiling directly above the center of the bed. This is where you will install your ceiling canopy.
2. Locate the ceiling stud nearest the pencil mark using a stud finder, and then screw the ceiling hook through the drywall into the ceiling. You may choose to pre-drill a hole for the hook to reduce the damage to the surrounding drywall. If no ceiling stud is near enough to the desired position of the hook, install a drywall anchor into the ceiling before screwing in the ceiling hook.
3. Remove the inner ring from a 10-inch wooden embroidery hoop and unscrew the outer ring. You will use the hoop to suspend the canopy fabric over the bed.
4. Drape a measuring tape loosely from the ceiling hook to the floor beside the bed. This is the measurement you will use to cut your canopy fabric. Add about 2 inches to the length to accommodate for hemming.
5. Cut at least two pieces of 48- or 54-inch wide fabric using the measurement you just took. If you simply want one length of fabric draped on either side of the bed, cut two pieces. To build a canopy that encloses the entire bed, cut at least four pieces and sew them together at the sides to create one long piece of fabric.
6. Hem the bottom and sides of the fabric using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. If you have chosen the 2-piece canopy look, hem both sides of both pieces of fabric.
7. Fold over 1 inch at the top of the piece(s) of fabric and press it flat using a warm iron. Sew across the length of the fabric, creating a sleeve between the hem and the fold.
8. Insert the open end of the embroidery hoop into the sleeve at the top of the fabric drape and gather the fabric, distributing it evenly until all of it fits on the embroidery hoop. Screw the embroidery hoop shut.
9. Tie three or four equal-length pieces of 1/4- or 1/2-inch ribbon to the embroidery hoop, spacing them evenly along the circumference of the hoop.
10. Attach the pieces of ribbon on opposite sides of the hoop in a tight knot and drape them over the ceiling hook above the bed. Arrange the fabric drape around the bed as you desire to complete the look of your ceiling canopy bed.
Tags: embroidery hoop, ceiling canopy, , canopy fabric, ceiling stud, fabric drape, fabric using