Learn how to make a bed canopy using old sheets. This simple bed sheet canopy tutorial is affordable, quick and perfect for adding a little magic!

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When I was six years old I had a friend with the most joyful thing in the world.

Her name was Anna and she lived in a beautiful tudor house with a heavy front door.

Her room was filled with all manner of exciting toys – Barbies, Sylvanian families, stuffed toys and an enormous blue dolls house with a red front door.

But all of that paled in comparison to the delight that hung around her bed.

A cosy bedroom with a single bed featuring a star-patterned quilt, a large checked pillow, and a gingham canopy. Next to the bed is a wooden bedside table with a lamp and a small painting on the wall above.

You see, when I was little I thought that any bed surrounded by fabric was automatically a princess bed. Like those beautiful wooden four-poster beds from my fairytale books, a bed with a canopy is a bed fit for royalty.

Of course, my friend wasn’t a princess, and the canopy was just a cleverly arranged piece of floral fabric. But to a six year old, that’s magic.

Here I am today, 30 years on, and while I’ve never had my own princess canopy bed, I just had to find a way to make a canopy happen for my own children. To recreate a little of that magic from my own childhood.

Here’s how I made a bed canopy for my little four year old, using old bed sheets.

This is the Simplest Way to Make a Bed Canopy – Trust Me!

I’ve spent many an evening knee deep in a complicated DIY project, so I can tell you that the way to enjoy making your own stuff is to find the most straightforward method.

So yes, you could buy some wooden dowels, a ceiling hook, copper elbows and curtain rods and make it a whole process. Or you could buy one curtain holdback and have your canopy made while your little one naps.

That’s right, this DIY bed canopy is absolutely do-able in a couple of hours. You can find step-by-step instructions below, but in a nutshell the process involves hanging a curtain holdback centred on the bed, then created a long piece of fabric that drapes on the holdback and down over the sides of the bed.

And not only is it easy, it’s affordable too – and here’s why.

A cosy bedroom corner with a wooden bed, checked red-and-white pillow and curtains, pale yellow canopy, dark wood bedside table, and a lamp with a blue patterned shade, against blue and striped wallpapered walls.

Why Bed Sheets Make the Perfect Canopy

The bed canopy method I’m showing you today only needs a large rectangle of fabric, and duvet covers or flat sheets happen to be exactly the right size!

Assuming you’re doing this for a single bed like me, you’ll need one or two pieces of fabric, each at least 140cm wide and 200cm long. More width is better (especially if your own bed is wider than a standard single), but finding wide fabric can be tricky, so bed sheets are perfect for this project.

If you can’t source bed sheets then you can use normal fabric – just make sure it’s not too narrow.

These fabric requirements also assume that you’ve hung your curtain holdback approximately 1m above your bed. If you want your canopy to be taller, then you’ll need more fabric.

To work out how much you’ll need, I’d suggest hanging your holdback and then measuring from the top of the holdback to one side of the headboard. Add around 1m of drop and you’ll have the length you need.

For my project, I chose to line my canopy because I wanted two different fabrics. You don’t need to do this if you’re happy with the wrong side of your fabric showing on the inside – some fabrics are the same on both sides. In this case, you’d just need to hem the long raw edges.

A wooden bed with a red and white chequered pillow and canopy, set against a wall with striped wallpaper and blue panelling, next to a wooden bedside table.

Can I Make This Bed Canopy Without Sewing?

Yes! Since the bed canopy is purely decorative, you can follow the same steps but make all your seams with fabric glue or iron-on hem tape. It won’t be quite as strong, but as long as no-one pulls too hard on it, you should be fine.

How to Make a Bed Canopy from Old Sheets

Supplies

You will need:

Curtain holdback
Drill and screws, or command hooks
Two pieces of fabric at least 140cm wide by 200cm
Fabric scissors or rotary cutter

You will also need all the sewing essentials – you can shop my favourites here.

SHOP THE PROJECT

Recommended Supplies for your DIY Bed Canopy

Shop similar products to those I used

YELLOW FABRIC

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A round wooden curtain tieback secures patterned cream-coloured curtains next to a white-framed window, adding a cosy touch that can inspire ideas on how to make a bed canopy. The tieback’s natural wood grain finish suits any style.

CURTAIN HOLDBACK

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A close-up view of a bed with a red and white checked sheet and matching pillowcase on a wooden bed frame, offering cosy inspiration for how to make a bed canopy in your own bedroom.

RED CHECKERED FABRIC

SHOP HERE →

Step 1: Fix Your Curtain Holdback to the Wall

Start by hanging your curtain holdback according to the instructions. It should be around 1m above the bed. You could choose to hang it higher, but bear in mind that you’ll require a longer length of fabric.

A wooden wall hook holds a red and white chequered cloth, with a background of blue and white vertical striped wallpaper featuring thin brown lines.

Step 2: Cut Your Fabric

Note: It helps if the fabric you’re using for the lining (inside) of the canopy is slightly narrower (by around 10-20cm) than the outer fabric.

Take one of your pieces of fabric and cut it in half lengthways. The quickest way to do this is to fold the piece of fabric in half lengthways, make a small snip in the middle and then tear down from the snip all the way to the bottom.

Repeat for the second piece of fabric.

Step 3: Join Your Pieces

Take your two pieces of one fabric and put them right sides together along one of the short edges. Sew together so you have one long piece that’s around 4m long. Repeat for the two pieces of your other fabric.

A woman sits at a sewing machine, guiding a piece of yellow fabric under the needle. She is focused on her work and surrounded by sewing materials in a cosy, well-lit room.

Step 4: Hem Your Pieces

Take the short raw edge at the end of each of your joined pieces of fabric and fold it up 1cm and then 2cm. Press in place and sew.

A person uses a Janome sewing machine to sew patterned fabric, with their hands guiding the material under the needle. The workspace includes a cutting mat and sewing tools in the background.

Step 5: Join Your Pieces

Lay out the two fabrics, one on top of the other, with the centre seam aligned and right sides together. Pin and sew down each of the very long side seams. You should now have a very long tube.

A person sewing yellow fabric with a Janome sewing machine. The workspace is well-lit, and the person's hands are guiding the fabric through the machine.

Step 6: Hang Your Canopy

Turn the tube right side out and give everything a good press.

Pop your canopy fabric over the curtain holdback, with the centre seam on top of the holdback so it can’t be seen. Drape the canopy over the sides of the bed.

Want to Sew More Lovely Things for Your Kids?

My Alphabet Banner sewing pattern is the perfect little decor project for your little one’s nursery!

A wooden bed with a checkered pillow and a fabric banner spelling OLIVER across the headboard. A painting is mounted on the wall above the bed.

Sew a Personalised Banner
(No New Fabric Required!)

A clear, beginner-friendly pattern that teaches you how to transform your fabric scraps into a cheerful keepsake.

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You might also like my scrap-busting post on how to make a bow garland – they make a lovely little decoration for a girl’s room!

Or you could try making a ruffled pillow cover for the bed using the same fabric as your canopy – perfection if you ask me!

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – you could hang your curtain holdback with strong command strips. Just make sure no little people try hanging on it!

Yes. You’ll need two pieces of fabric at least 120cm wide and 4m long. Follow the same method above but skip step 2.