Canopy, approximately 2002
Well, we’re way past due for a Way Back Craft!
So, you want a Harry Potter bedroom? The very first thing I think of when I think of Harry’s dormitory, is the four poster bed with house-colored hangings. Wouldn’t that be fabulous?
It definitely would be.
Unfortunately, not all of us have the means or the space for a four poster bed.
This is the problem I encountered when designing a Harry Potter room for my daughter. Her room has a ceiling fan and the room is just too small for a four poster bed. The Gryffindor canopy was on her Must Have list when the room decoration was being planned. I have the great fortune to have two very DIY parents and the first thing that popped in my head was mounting something lightweight on to the wall.
How about a faux canopy that gives the feeling of those hangings without the actual expense or space requirements of a real four poster?
Then I started thinking price. Cheap would be good. Very good. PVC. PERFECT!
A fun aside on this project – when I was buying the fabric, the woman at the cutting table at the fabric store asked if I was making a dress. When I told her I was making a Gryffindor canopy for a Harry Potter bedroom, she stared with her mouth open. It was the first of many stunned looks directed at my fandom crafting!
Supplies
- 3 lengths of 1 to 1 1/2” PVC pipe cut into 18” (45.7 cm) pieces (use a hacksaw or have it done at your DIY store)
Note: PVC under 1” is not recommended because it’s too flexible. Make sure the threaded plug & metal flange will work with the pipe you chose. They’re easy to test at the DIY store.
- 3 threaded plugs
- 3 metal floor flanges
- 3 flat PVC caps
- 3 decorative wood rosette with a flat back
- Epoxy, Liquid Nails or other cement-like glue
- Primer spray paint
- Gold spray paint (Use silver for Slytherin, bronze or silver for Ravenclaw and black for Hufflepuff)
- Pencil
- Measuring tape
- Screwdriver
- Drill (optional)
- Screws with anchors
- 5 1/2 yards (5 meters) of red satiny fabric (Use green for Slytherin, blue for Ravenclaw or yellow for Huffelpuff)
- matching thread
- sewing machine (optional)
Instructions
- Prewash fabric then hem on both ends, set aside.
- Following manufacturer’s directions, use epoxy to glue the threaded plugs to one end of each of the PVC pipes. On opposite ends of pipes, use epoxy to attach the PVC caps. Epoxy the wooden rosette onto the cap. Allow epoxy to dry. Screw pipe into metal flange. Stand up on it’s end in a well covered, well ventilated area.
- Paint with primer. Allow to dry according to manufacturer’s directions. Paint gold. Allow to dry overnight.
- Find the center of your bed, mark a light line on the wall. Depending on the width of your bed and where you want the fabric to reach on the sides, you will need to attach the flanges lower or higher. If you have someone helping you, it’s a good idea to hold the center pipe in place with the fabric, centered, on the pipe. You can then determine how high the center pipe should be and where to place your two side pipes. They can be low or high, depending on your preference. Use measuring tape to assure the three pipes will be symmetrical.
- Attach the metal flanges to the wall using screws and anchors, using the drill for pilot holes if necessary.
- Screw pipes into each flange. Arrange canopy fabric.
Makes a great window treatment, too!
Also for your Harry Potter room: HP Bookcase Mural
p.s. I made the afghan, too. 😉
As always, if you make any pattern or craft from sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the Friends of sewhooked flickr group.
Happy crafting
also available on The Leaky Cauldron- Crafts
Sewhooked 
