*Thanks so much for all of the kind words and the love you shared after yesterday’s post. Reading your stories and memories was incredibly touching.
A few weeks ago Clara saw a canopy over a friend’s bed and instantly fell in love. She asked for “daddy and mommy to build a canopy with a hammer and some blankets” right then. We were all in—just not for the hammering blankets part.
We love that it was her idea and that it adds playful personality to her room. Hopefully it’ll encourage her to switch to the daybed soon (she’s still in her crib for now, but getting closer every day).
To test the shape and size we liked (something like this), we first held up spare fabric from my stash just to see how the silhouette would look and to figure out how many yards we’d need. We started planning this before we painted her room/closet/ceiling, but then realized it made sense to paint first, so painting moved to the front of the line.
Next, John played helper—super-man style—during the early stages of the project.
Right before we went to the fabric store I remembered we had old sheer curtains. Holding those up helped us decide whether white would look right. With pattern in the rug and curtains plus the art we plan to rehang, white with a colorful ticking or fringe seemed playful without being too circus-like, and would likely work as Clara’s tastes change over time.
The white sheers looked good but felt bland without trim and were a bit short on each side. Using them as a placeholder we measured how much more fabric we needed to drape fully over each side of the bed. The magic number: six yards.
We found six yards of washable cotton/poly blend at Hancock for $20.94 with a 50% off coupon scanned from my phone, and picked up six yards of turquoise pompom trim for the outer edge. Clara was the one who noticed and adored the pom-poms, so that sealed the deal. The trim was also on a 60% off markdown, which made it an even better find. The pom-poms add a playful touch that ties into the colors in the rug and curtains.
After washing the fabric to pre-shrink it, I hemmed all four sides. I double-hemmed—folding and sewing twice—so the inside looks finished without any loose threads showing when you lie under the canopy.
Hemming an 18′ x 4′ piece of fabric on all sides takes time, especially for a reluctant seamstress like me, but I got into a rhythm and powered through the long sides. I did about 88 feet of sewing in total—measuring the fabric’s perimeter twice—which was oddly satisfying.
Next came the pom-pom trim. I sewed it along the entire 18′ front edge to give the canopy personality and tie it to the room’s other colors.
The whole sewing process took me roughly four hours; a more experienced sewer could likely finish faster. I’m thrilled with the result—the pom-poms add a lot of fun and give Clara something delightful to stare at while she lies in bed.
To hang the canopy we reused decorative wooden brackets from our kitchen project. We bought one extra bracket, painted it to match, and extended each bracket with scrap wood to create 17″ slats so the fabric could billow outward a bit more than the brackets’ 9.5″ depth allowed.
We nailed the slats to the top of the brackets, making each a single piece, and mounted them on the wall with two screws and anchors apiece. The back of each bracket has two holes to slip onto screw heads, so they stay secure.
For safety and practicality, we placed the side brackets about 32 inches above the mattress top so the canopy won’t interfere with reading or snuggling. That height also keeps the fabric away from where someone might lean back or climb, and it aligns with the bed’s arms to avoid accidental encounters with the canopy.
Right now the fabric just rests on the brackets. I planned to secure it with velcro strips along the top, but Clara has been so gentle—gazing up and softly touching the pom-poms—that I’m taking the easy route and leaving it as is. If it gets pulled or causes trouble later, I’ll add velcro.
This slightly blurry photo captures how much Clara adores her canopy. She’s smitten.
We’re not finished with that wall yet. We’re considering adding chunky crown molding and either a mirror, art, or a 3D paper-mâché animal collection to break up the white triangle under the canopy. For now I’ve mocked up a Target mirror just to try out the look. We’ll decide on the final piece later.
In the meantime I’m happy the canopy is made from washable, kid-friendly fabric and that the project wasn’t too complicated. Best of all, it makes Clara so happy. This morning I overheard her tell Burger that he must wear “a crown and a wand to come into my room because it’s for royal sleepovers.” Burger isn’t quite convinced about the headwear yet.
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