Decorate A Wedding Ceiling With Draping

Draping the ceiling in white or in your wedding colors adds an elegant touch to your venue.

Fabric draping can transform a drab or unimpressive ceiling into an ethereal canopy for a wedding. While some decorating companies will drape fabric over your venue's ceiling for a hefty price tag, you can create this effect yourself for a fraction of the cost. However, before attempting to drape a ceiling yourself, you must examine the ceiling and confer with the owners of the venue about what decorations are allowed for the wedding, as some venues have strict policies.

Instructions

Preparation

1. Study the venue to determine how you wish to hang the draping. One traditional method is to anchor one end of each drape at a corner of the room and bring the other ends together at a single central point, such as a chandelier. Another possibility is to hang a drape every few feet along the ceiling of the venue, anchoring it at the walls and the center of the ceiling. Visualize each possibility to determine which would look best in your venue.

2. Examine the structure of the ceiling. If the ceiling has beams or panels, you can tie the fabric to the ceiling with fishing line. Otherwise, you will need to use hooks, tacks or adhesive strips, depending on what the owners will allow.

3. Measure the ceiling to determine how much fabric you will need. If you are anchoring all of the drapes at a central point, measure from the corners and sides of the room to that point, then add those measurements together. If you are placing drapes in intervals across the ceiling, measure the distance from one side of the room to the other, then multiply this measurement by the number of drapes you will have.

4. Multiply your total measurement by twenty percent to account for the slack in the fabric from draping.

Draping

5. Sew or tie fishing line or ribbon to each end of each piece of fabric.

6. Tie the ribbon or fishing line directly to the ceiling beams, ceiling braces, chandelier, or similar surfaces if your venue's ceiling has them.

7. Attach hooks, hangers, embroidery loops, adhesive strips or other anchors to the wall and ceiling if there are no beams or other braces. Tie the ribbon or fishing line into a loop and hang it from the hooks. Alternatively, nail or tack the fabric directly to the wall, omitting the fishing line or ribbon entirely.

8. Place white Christmas lights in the fabric if you wish. The lights will shine through the fabric, creating a shimmery glow.

Tags: fishing line, your venue, adhesive strips, ceiling beams, central point