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Using Fabric to Create A Bed Canopy or Drape

There are a few very simple things you can do to dress up your bedroom without even having to sew. To make my bed drape/canopy, I found this cool black fabric on clearance for $1 per yard. What a find! It's shiny and netlike, I think for some kind of breezy exercise wear. I don't know, I just know that it was perfect for my bedroom and I bought 10 yards of it.

The simplest thing you can do is to buy or make sconces and drape the fabric through them. This is pretty and requires no effort. The sconces shown here I got at Walmart, but you can get them at any craft store. They are pre-made plaster and you just have to paint them to match your decor.

For my drape, as shown in the picture, I used the sconces to create a rounded edge and pulled the fabric up to the ceiling creating a canopy effect. Quite simply, I used clear thumb tacks in a number of places to create the look I wanted. I cut off approx. 3 yards of the fabric to cover my wall behind the drape. You don't have to do this, but I thought it gave the room a really dramatic effect. In my picture, you will notice some space near the top wear the wall is showing. That is because I have twinkle lights strung around my room and I didn't want to cover them. It's not very noticeable, but the drape could run all the way up to the ceiling if you like.

Alternatively, you can just do a simple drape from sconce to sconce over your bed as on the left. Or go straight up the wall, as on the right, to the ceiling, come out about three feet, and let the front drop down almost a foot. For that one, though, you will want to make sure you've hemmed the fabric as it will be apparent in the canopy.

For $10, I was able to really dress my room up in Gothic. Keep an eye out for bargains. This can cost quite a bit of money, but if you're patient, you can find deals like I did. Just remember, black is not a big summer color, so nearing the end of winter, you'll start to see the mark downs.

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