Make Your Own Canopy Tent - DIY

About a month ago, I wrote this post about things to do with your (my) one-year-old.  There were three ideas plus a fourth that I was thinking of doing.  So, I finally competed the fourth one - a canopy for Zoey.  I really wanted her to have a fun space to hide out, play in, and found the cutest canopy at the Land of Nod. But it would have been over $200 to buy and I spent about $40 to make one.  $40 and some time was worth it for me, I mean, what if she didn't really like it or play in it after spending $200!?  
If I (well me with a little help from my Mom on the sewing part) can do it, so can you - I promise. 

It took me about 3 days to complete (not working 24/7 obviously, mostly just in the evenings after Zoey went to bed).

Here is what you will need:

• 3 or 4 curtain panels (I got two sets of 2 panels from Target)
• 1 roll of white ribbon (or any to match your curtains)
• Pins
• Needle
• White thread (again, any color that will match your curtains)
• Hula Hoop (I got mine at Walmart, any size is fine, you can always make it smaller - I'll tell you how below)
• Hook (heavy duty on that you can hang from the ceiling - I got the one you can screw in because it was all drywall/no stud)

Instructions:

• Wash and iron the curtains so they smell good, they are clean and flat
• Cut the hula hoop in one spot to open it up (mine came apart really easily where they had assembled it)
• Fold over the top (the side with the holes for the curtain rod) on the inside of the curtain and measure that at 18 inches

• Pin it all the way across

• Hand stitch those or use your sewing machine to bind those together

I don't have a sewing machine so I hand stitched while watch some bad reality TV one night - after sticking myself with the needle several times I was over it.  

I'm lucky I didn't get blood all over the white curtains.  After doing three curtain panels I decided to test it out to see if I really needed to do another panel or if three were fine.  Turns out, three was plenty for the size of hoop I used.  Four would have too bulky.  Thank goodness!

• Feed the hula hoop through the space made for the curtain rod and hang the extra 18 inch flap on the inside of the hoop/circle
• Make sure the fabric is right side out - mine was not at first and I had to turn it all around (which wasn't that big of a deal)
• Cut your ribbon into three equal parts and feed those through each of the three panels

• Tie them at the top in a bow (don't worry about the measurements of this, you can always adjust once you hang it up)

• Attach the hook to the ceiling making sure that you have enough room from the wall to hang it
• Fix the ties so it hangs equally (I liked my canopy to just barely brush the floor)
• I also grabbed one piece of hot pink ribbon and tied it in a really tight bow and the top of the canopy fabric to hold it together/closed

• Throw in a big fluffy pillow or a little chair (I tried both and Zoey liked it either way) and you have  what my sister calls, a little reading nook for your toddler:

Zoey LOVED going in and out, playing peek-a-boo and later she just chilled and read her books in there.



(with a big pillow)



(with her chair)

My next DIY is going to be jazzing up the canopy.  I started making a felt garland last night to trim the top with, and I have a couple other ideas too.  I'll put the garland DIY up when I'm done and show you the finished product.

About a month ago, I wrote this post about things to do with your (my) one-year-old.  There were three ideas plus a fourth that I was thinking of doing.  So, I finally competed the fourth one - a canopy for Zoey.  I really wanted her to have a fun space to hide out, play in, and found the cutest canopy at the Land of Nod. But it would have been over $200 to buy and I spent about $40 to make one.  $40 and some time was worth it for me, I mean, what if she didn't really like it or play in it after spending $200!?  
If I (well me with a little help from my Mom on the sewing part) can do it, so can you - I promise. 

It took me about 3 days to complete (not working 24/7 obviously, mostly just in the evenings after Zoey went to bed).

Here is what you will need:

• 3 or 4 curtain panels (I got two sets of 2 panels from Target)
• 1 roll of white ribbon (or any to match your curtains)
• Pins
• Needle
• White thread (again, any color that will match your curtains)
• Hula Hoop (I got mine at Walmart, any size is fine, you can always make it smaller - I'll tell you how below)
• Hook (heavy duty on that you can hang from the ceiling - I got the one you can screw in because it was all drywall/no stud)

Instructions:

• Wash and iron the curtains so they smell good, they are clean and flat
• Cut the hula hoop in one spot to open it up (mine came apart really easily where they had assembled it)
• Fold over the top (the side with the holes for the curtain rod) on the inside of the curtain and measure that at 18 inches

• Pin it all the way across

• Hand stitch those or use your sewing machine to bind those together

I don't have a sewing machine so I hand stitched while watch some bad reality TV one night - after sticking myself with the needle several times I was over it.  

I'm lucky I didn't get blood all over the white curtains.  After doing three curtain panels I decided to test it out to see if I really needed to do another panel or if three were fine.  Turns out, three was plenty for the size of hoop I used.  Four would have too bulky.  Thank goodness!

• Feed the hula hoop through the space made for the curtain rod and hang the extra 18 inch flap on the inside of the hoop/circle
• Make sure the fabric is right side out - mine was not at first and I had to turn it all around (which wasn't that big of a deal)
• Cut your ribbon into three equal parts and feed those through each of the three panels

• Tie them at the top in a bow (don't worry about the measurements of this, you can always adjust once you hang it up)

• Attach the hook to the ceiling making sure that you have enough room from the wall to hang it
• Fix the ties so it hangs equally (I liked my canopy to just barely brush the floor)
• I also grabbed one piece of hot pink ribbon and tied it in a really tight bow and the top of the canopy fabric to hold it together/closed

• Throw in a big fluffy pillow or a little chair (I tried both and Zoey liked it either way) and you have  what my sister calls, a little reading nook for your toddler:

Zoey LOVED going in and out, playing peek-a-boo and later she just chilled and read her books in there.



(with a big pillow)



(with her chair)

My next DIY is going to be jazzing up the canopy.  I started making a felt garland last night to trim the top with, and I have a couple other ideas too.  I'll put the garland DIY up when I'm done and show you the finished product.