I have forever admired canopy beds, but a traditional four-poster bed doesn’t accommodate ceiling fans very well. So armed with massive custom cut dowel rods, velvet curtains, leather straps, and some ceiling hooks I’m making my own!
Of course, after pricing out all my materials from Home Depot and the few back and forth trips, using a premade curtain rod designed to hang from the ceiling may have been the easier route – but that’s not what DIY is about it, is it?
DIY Canopy Bed Materials You’ll Need
- Ceiling hooks (get some that come with anchors) OR these flange curtain rod holders
- Curtain rod, dowels, or round moulding
- Stud finder
- Picture hanging nail & small hammer (I use to test for drywall or stud before drilling)
How to DIY Your Canopy Bed
Measure Twice, Cut Once!
Measure the length and width of your bed. The length is the most important measurement for this project. If you want the curtains to hang just outside the edges of your mattresss (you do) add an additional 2-3 inches to your total length.
These are standard mattress sizes:
• King mattress is 76″ x 80″
• Queen mattress is 60″ x 80″
• Full mattress is 54″ x 75″
• Twin mattress is 38″ x 75″
But keep in mind additional inches if you have a headboard, footboard, or platform that extends beyond the edges of your mattress.
At Home Depot, you can request they cut millwork items to size. I had them cut 2 90″ rods and 1 80″ rod. The two longer rods will hang along the sides of my mattress, and the shorter rod will hang above the headboard.
Consider Your Rod & Coupling Options
Because I am hanging heavy velvet drapes, I went with the 1.25″ full round moulding that I knew would not flex or bend under the weight of the curtains. And because it could be cut to size, I don’t need to worry about joining two shorter rods together.
If you go with a thinner dowel rod or in pre-cut sizes (typically 47″ long) you will need to also look at various coupling options to join your two shorter rods together. Copper couplings with a stop are what I used for my apartment-friendly curtain rod DIY, and you can get them in different diameter sizes.
If you want to create a continuous U-shaped curtain rod, you’ll also need to look at various elbow fittings; these can be PVC and painted (or covered by the curtain) or also copper.
Count Your Hooks, Mark your Placement.
The weight of your curtains and the length of your rod will determine if you need two or three points of contact. Shorter than 80″, you can probably just use two hooks, one on either end of the rod. Longer than 80″, I would add a third hook to secure the center of each rod.
So you will need either 4, 6, or 8 ceiling hooks for this project.
For the 80″ rod that is hanging over my headboard, I need only two hooks. I want each hook about 6″ from the end of the rod. So on the ceiling, I measured 34 inches from the center of my bed in both directions, parallel with my headboard.
For the 90″ rod, I would use 3 hooks if I wasn’t installing into a stud; one 6″ out from the headboard wall, one 45″ out, and the last 84″ away from the headboard wall.
Prepare Your Leather Straps
Cut one leather strip for each hook. They should be long enough to create a sling for your curtain rod to rest in, about 5 inches if you’re using the same size round moulding as I am for this project. Punch a hole in each end of the leather strap that you will use to secure the strap to the ceiling hook.
Install Your Ceiling Hooks
Now, the potentially messy bit. And the scary bit of every DIY project – drilling. Since this is a project for your bed, you want to make sure you’re protecting where you sleep during construction. Remove your pillows, and lay down a few towels, a drop cloth, or some towels that will be easy to wash to keep any ceiling or insulation dust from falling onto your sheets. (I had a few vinyl tablecloths from birthday parties that work just as well. I had been saving them to repurpose them for painting projects.)
These ceiling hooks came with the butterfly anchor for drywall installation or the pointed screw for drilling into a stud. Versatility is great!
Hang Your Canopy Curtains!
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Style Your Canopy Bed
Much like a new haircut might make you want to go shopping for some new clothes, a new bedroom setup like a canopy bed or custom headboard might make you want to update your bedding!
Check out these velvet curtains that come in a variety of colors and have the handy back tabs that make this particular DIY canopy curtains possible:
You’ve updated your canopy, what about your bedding?
I love my M.M Linen duvet cover! Here are some similar bed sets on Amazon:
There’s something undeniably charming about a canopy bed—it adds softness, height, and a little storybook romance to a room. The best part? You don’t need a custom furniture maker or a four-figure budget to make it happen. With a few simple materials, a dash of creativity, and the right curtains and bedding, this DIY canopy bed transforms an everyday bedroom into a space that feels thoughtful, cozy, and beautifully pulled together.
If you decide to try this project yourself, I’d love to hear how it turns out! The most delightful homes are always the ones we create with our own hands.
