How-To: Canopy for a Girl's Bed

Do you know a little "aspiring princess" who needs a special place to dream? Follow my easy directions with photos to create a low-cost tulle canopy that easily transitions from a baby's crib to any size bed! This canopy can be personalized according to the nursery and/or room theme and makes a great one-of-a-kind shower gift!

Materials:
7 yards Tulle (I used Shimmery White.)
2 spools of 1/4" satin ribbon (or 1 spool of 1/4" and 1 spool of 1/8" for bows)
1 - 8" metal ring
1 - 3" metal ring
Needle and thread (Quilting thread preferred)
Tacky Glue
Glue Gun and glue sticks
6 decorative buttons (optional)
Fray Check

Directions:

Note: Before you begin, tie a piece of yarn or ribbon through the center and around the spool of ribbon. This step will keep the ribbon from unwrapping and twisting while you work on the canopy. 




While holding the spool of 1/4" satin ribbon in your hand, apply Tacky Glue and a dot of hot glue to the end of the ribbon, and tightly wrap it around the 8" ring. 

Continue to tightly wrap the ribbon around the ring, overlapping slightly, pausing about every 2 inches to apply an additional dot of Tacky Glue for security. Keep a clothespin handy in case you need to lay the ring down. When you have completely wrapped the ring, apply Tacky Glue and a dot of hot glue to the end of the ribbon and wrap tightly around the ring. Clip a clothespin onto the ring until it has completely dried.

Wrap the 3" ring using the above directions, and glue the ends securely.

Unfold tulle, and carefully insert it through the 3" ring. Fold the 7 yard length in half over the ring, and adjust the length so that the ends of the tulle are even. Adjust the tulle so that the edges are on the sides.

**Tulle tears easily, so work carefully!

Cut 2 pieces of ribbon 26" long. Use 1 piece of ribbon to wrap tightly around the tulle and tie a double knot. Tie ribbon in a bow. Turn the ring over and repeat with the other ribbon (wrap and tie), creating a bow on each side.

Cut a length of ribbon 24". Loop it around the ring and tie in an overhand knot.

Loop through the ring.

Tie the ribbon in an overhand knot.

Loop the ribbon through a hook to make it easy to work on the canopy and for hanging from the ceiling when completed. 

Nancy's Tip: I use a hook in my bay window or loop the ribbon over the top of my treadmill when working.

Measure down 9" from the 3" ring, and use safety pins or straight pins as markers on the edges of the tulle. Pins will be approximately 19" apart.

Put 6 pins, evenly spaced, through the ribbon as markers around the 8" ring. (I made a re-usable paper template for this.)



Starting with the pins on the edges, hand-gather the tulle and hand-sew with needle and thread. **Gather the pinned areas on the two edges, and sew the tulle together.

Insert the 8" ring into the tulle, matching pins on the ring to the corresponding hand-sewn areas. Sew the gathered tulle to the corresponding spot marked by a pin on the 8" ring. Continue hand-gathering and sewing to the ring at all 6 points, making sure the ring is level. Remove all pins. 

Note: the remaining tulle will softly hang over the ring.

Attaching the Ring

Cut 6 pieces of ribbon, 14" long. Tie ribbon into bows, and sew through the bow and the tulle at hand-gathered sewn areas while attaching to the ring. Use Tacky Glue to secure the center of each knot on the bows, and apply Fray Check to all cut edges of the ribbon to prevent fraying.

Completed Canopy

Buttons can be added to the bows, if desired.

For this canopy, I added multi-color flower buttons with
sparkly centers to match the baby quilt.

Ribbons and Sparkly-Centered Flowers

Lavender and Pink

Colorful butterfly buttons are perfect
with this lavender and pink canopy. 

This canopy can easily be personalized according to the theme and colors in a nursery or girl's room. 

To hang, just attach a screw hook to the ceiling, and drape it across the ends of the crib. When your princess begins to stand, you can move it out of her reach by attaching loops of ribbon on the wall around the tulle.

For other beds, hang the canopy above the head of the bed, and drape it over the sides. You may also attach the sides to the wall with ribbons, butterflies, etc.

The pink ribbon on this canopy coordinates
with the bedding lovingly made
for my granddaughter.

Sweet Dreams!