Some things just go well together, like a dresser and a mirror, a night stand and a lamp, or a bed and a canopy. When we think of a canopy we often think of frills for a little girl’s room. There’s something about a canopy, though, that welcomes the sleeper and surrounds that person with a cozy feeling unlike any other. Rarely, when we think of a canopy, do we think of a sofa. But if you love snoozing or resting on your couch, daybed or futon, a canopy adds a comfortable element which is also very pretty.
Making a hanging canopy for a sofa or daybed is so easy that you just wont believe it. The bed must be one that has it’s back against a wall. Take a quick trip to a local home improvement store and purchase a piece of small-diameter, PVC pipe. The plastic pipe is the perfect thing for making the holder for the curtains. Most home improvement stores will cut the pipe to the length you specify, at no charge, if you purchase the piece from them.
To decide how long you need the pipe to be measure one side of your daybed or couch. Add a couple of inches to that measurement. You’ll need just one pipe piece to make the canopy.
Thread a thick cord through the pipe and tie the end in a tight knot. Trim the ends closely. Screw a “c” hook into the ceiling, right in the center, over the couch. Hang the cord on the hook so that, if you are standing in front of the couch, the pipe goes from the wall behind the sofa, towards you. It’s up to you if you hang the pipe very high, to create a tall, peaked canopy, or if you hang it much lower to create a cozy nook.
Measure from one side of the couch, through the pipe arrangement, and down to the other side of the couch. Add at least two inches to this measurement; the amount you add will depend on if you want the curtain to just touch the floor or if you want it to puddle on the floor. To decide on the width for the fabric, measure one side of the sofa or daybed and double that measurement.
Hem both short ends and both long ends of the fabric. Then, take one end of the material, pass it through the twine and pipe arrangement, and pull it to the opposite side. That’s it. The draped fabric looks beautiful, surrounding the futon, sofa, or daybed, and will instantly create a huge statement from a piece of cloth. And, if you purchase a fabric that doesn’t necessarily need hemming, like tulle, you can create the entire canopy in very little time.