A No Sew Project: Canopy Bed Crown!

Hey all! I am finally getting around to posting my "no sew canopy" project! My sewing machine has been acting up lately and I didn't want to put the project on hold any longer, so I decided to try a "no sew" version of the princess canopy. My only hesitation to make this a 'no sew' project is that hem tapes don't hold up well in the wash. If you use a sewing machine, however, the swags can be removed and washed on the delicate cycle in your washer. 

I wanted to share the story behind how we ended up selecting the blue floral pattern for my daughter's room. It all started when I was shopping at a local discount store located in the greater Cleveland area. The store, Gabriels, carries name-brand merchandise at low prices. It is similar to TJMaxx stores, but not as nice. On this particular day, I was lucky to find a Ralph Lauren's Faye Floral Queen size comforter (shown here) for only $10! Can you believe it? I immediately decided I was going to design my daughter's room around the comforter. She and I both love shabby-chic decor and the floral print was perfect! I later found matching sheets on eBay and a canopy was born. lol  

Let's make a bed crown!

Items needed:
1 or 2 Resin or Wood Shelves (see photo below)
1 Queen Flat Sheet
Hem Tape or Iron On Adhesive Tape
Velcro (Sticky Back) or Adhesive Spray

First, I took two identical resin shelves (similar shown below), and hot glued one (upside down), on top of the other. Since the top shelf does not bear any weight, hot glue works fine. Allow the shelves plenty of drying time (preferably 2-3 hours) before moving on to the next step. 

Paint the shelves. I opted against priming and applied two coats of white craft paint allowing the paint to dry in between coats. Allow the final coat to dry several hours or overnight.

Now, for the tricky part. Take the flat sheet (I used a Ralph Lauren Faye Floral queen flat sheet I purchased on eBay for $11), and fold it lengthwise. After folding, take your scissors and cut down the center of the fold. Use hem tape or iron-on adhesive tape and make a 1" hem along the unfinished, cut edges of the two pieces of fabric. Take the top of each piece of fabric and fold it back and forth to create accordion-style pleats. Press the pleats with an iron using a temperature that is safe for the fabric. Don't be concerned if the top doesn't look perfect. It is tucked on the underside of the shelf and will not be visible. 

After pressing the accordion pleats, go back and place a small 1/2" x 2" piece of hem tape inside each pleat at the top (lengthwise) and press again. Update: After I had my sewing machine fixed, I went back and reinforced the pleats and Velcro with stitching. (see below).  

Adhere Velcro patches with a sticky back to the top of the fabric panels and the inside of the shelves. Tuck it in on the underside of the shelf. I also used double sided tape for extra support. The other end of the panels were left puddled on the floor for an effortless, elegant look. 

One of these days I'm hoping to find time to embellish my daughter's canopy with strands of pearls like the bed crown shown below! Let your creativity flow. 

UPDATE! Some of you have written to let me know you have been unable to find two of the same shelves. Remember, you can use one shelf and end up with a similar look to the crown canopy shown below. 

Still can't find the shelves? Check flea markets, eBay and etsy. Search "ornate shelves" or "resin shelves" as searching "bed crown" will probably yield more expensive items.

Please pay attention to dimensions and whether or not you can conceal and hang the sheets under the inside of the shelf. Current finds as of 9/10/20: 

Etsy - $27     or     Etsy - $32

Etsy - $25

If the directions are unclear or confusing, please feel free to e-mail me with any questions. I'm happy to help. It really is quite easy and it will make your little one feel like a real princess! 

xoxo,

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