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How To Make A Canopy Bed With Fairy Lights

Update: Holy cow, you guys are full of so many fun ideas today! I’m having trouble keeping up with comments since they’re rolling in so furiously, but please know I’m reading them all and loving all the suggestions!

Happy Friday! We’ve been all over the place this week, painting the walls/trim/ceiling in the bathroom & closet, diving into some basket craftiness, de-wallpapering our biggest room yet (the 21′ long kitchen), and now we have a little Clara-room update along with some photoshop percolating as we plot our next move in there. But first, here’s the tiny (and twinkly) addition:

Fairy 2 Full Shot Straight

Things just got a little brighter in here…

Clara Reading

Ever since we hung her canopy, we’ve thought about adding lights to it. Both for the magic of it (Clara loves them) and also for the function of it being a well-lit place for bedtime stories. We feared traditional Christmas lights would be too heavy and make the fabric sag in weird ways (plus, they could look a little messy when they were off) so after some hunting online, we came across what are often dubbed “Fairy Lights.”

Fairy 4 Cord

They’re basically small LEDs (check out this picture for scale – they’re tiny) that are strung on a thin wire. The particular set that we bought was 33 feet long and sold for $14 on Amazon. They’re not longer available but here’s an affiliate link for something similar.

Fairy 3 LED Closeup

The wire itself is extremely light and pretty moldable, so it was easy to weave it back and forth across the 18″ corbels that the fabric rests on. And by some luck of the draw, 33 feet was just about the perfect length to go back and forth four times on each side of the peak to the side brackets and secure them at each turn with white tape, so they’re not something Clara easily unwind and swing around like a lasso – but they will easily release under her weight, so she couldn’t strangle on them.

Fairy Fabric Pulled Back

The next step was just draping the canopy back over them. The LEDs are so small that they tuck into the folds and are barely visible when they’re off. And when they’re on, well, you can see how they twinkle below. And since they’re LEDs, they’re completely cool to the touch – so we don’t have any fear of them being against fabric. I also love that they’re small resin-ish glowing dots instead of larger glass bulbs that could shatter.

Fairy Lights Strung Up

I wish the part that plugs in weren’t big and black, but we were able to plug it in behind the bed and wrap the cord around the bed in a way that it’s able to be hidden behind the canopy most of the time, but easily accessed when it’s time to connect the cords to the power adapter. See how you can see it on the left, but it’s tucked away and invisible on the right? Thank you John, hand model of the ages.

Fairy Cord Hidden

Clara LOVES them. Partly because they’re called “Fairy Lights” but mostly because she feels very special having her own set of secret lights above the bed. We intended just to put them on for story time at night or other special play times, but they actually put off a fair amount of light, so we’ve found ourselves putting them on just about any time we’re in the room and the sun isn’t fully out.

Clara Pointing

We’ve had them up there for a week or two (didn’t want to sing their praises too soon only to have them burn out or something weird) and so far they have been awesome for our gentle girl. She hasn’t touched them once, but loves gazing up at them. Meanwhile, my best friend’s four year old daughter is nothing short of an acrobat, so we laughed about how she’d probably scale the canopy and hang from the fabric like she was Pink in concert.

Fairy 2 Full Shot Straight

But even with the addition of the lights, the canopy is still definitely missing something above it. There’s still so much white on white on white that we’ve been brainstorming which way we want to go. We’ve debated painting just that peaked area under the canopy for a while and then adding something else in there (like a hanging paper lantern or mobile or even a cute little animal head or something). So here are a few ideas, thanks to our good friend Photoshop.

Before Pic

Idea #1: A gray tone on the walls to add drama and a little dreaminess to the canopy, inspired by this wallpaper by Osborne And Little.

Gray Stars

Idea #2: Maybe I could freehand some sort of imperfect painterly-ish mural, inspired by this awesome fabric covered lamp shade?

Mural1

Idea #3: Another hand painted mural possibility could be something like this cluster of colorful raindrops in a variety of colors (inspired by this amazing but sadly sold out print).

Mural2

Idea #4: Then I saw this picture of a pretty blue-green wall with little birds on it and thought that could be fun.

Blue Birds

Idea #5: Since Clara’s quite the animal lover, we thought maybe a friendly giraffe or zebra (like this one from Dwell Studio) peering down at her while she sleeps could be fun with a blue-gray wall.

Animal Head

Idea #6: These little teardrops in a few different colors had my mind spinning with possibilities too.

Teardrops

Idea #7: Then I thought about a colorful fabric hung along that back wall, perhaps something with the same large-scale boldness of this pink and red wall coverings that Jenny shared here.

Redfabric

 Idea #8: And then there was the possibility of even darker charcoal paint on the walls and some asymmetrical handmade banners in a few colors like these (which were actually a super cool photo background for this party). Update: since this one looks chalkboard-ish there have been a lot of suggestions to do that so Clara can doodle away, but we worry that chalk dust over her bed might not be the best call (there are chalk markers but they’re not as charming, so we’ll have to see where we end up).

Dark Banners

What do you guys think? Any favorites? Or combos? I think we’re leaning towards the gray background tone in Idea #1 or the dark charcoal color in Idea #8, but we’re not sure if we’ll stencil stars or something else – and we might just combine it with something 3D (like a little felt circle bunting or a hanging paper lantern or something). We’d love for Clara to weigh in on things too, and then I’m hoping to work on it this weekend (along with stenciling the bathroom floor and helping John finish that sunroom tile). What are you guys up to this weekend?

Update: Clara weighed in on these photoshopped pics as well as some more that we made based on people’s suggestions and then we made one last photoshopped picture for her, since she wanted to combine a few ideas (we even video-taped her reaction, which was pretty funny). Can’t wait to get it done and share what she liked best!

Comments

  1. Cat says

    Love option 1 and 8. How about getting used colorful hardcover children’s books or some of her fav books she has read and hanging them above bed for some splashes of color for 8. There are so many wonderful illustrators to entice her to read their books and my girls at her age loved series books Henry and mudge, Arthur, etc. Or hang paperbacks with clips for the next readings? Then each glance can take her back to the joy she felt upon first reading them or the anticipation of picking one for that night’s read

    Reply

  2. Bethany says

    I think anything with the grey backdrop. I scrolled through the choices quickly and those were the two that stood out, especially with the surrounding elements of the room.

    I saw a few ideas posted with chalkboard paint. This is just my experience speaking, but anytime you add art to an area of your home that you don’t really feel like scrubbing down everyday….well there it is. Just imagine when #2 is a bit older and he or she and Clara are discussing all of the design possibilities for improving those sheets….or “oooh, the throw pillows!”.

    Reply

  3. Kathy F says

    How about some fabric-felt under the canopy – then some felt or fabric shapes or letters with velcro backing that Clara can decorate her space with (and practice her spelling) – love your blog!

    Reply

  4. erika says

    Can’t wait to see how it turns out! I noticed that a few ppl suggested that you paint the whole wall as an accent but you were worried that the closet door would stick out. Have you thought about whether the white closet door might be balanced out by the white bed/canopy if the whole wall were darker? I love the idea of painting the whole wall and think it would actually make the canopy pop even more, since it would be set apart from the wall color both on the top and the bottom. Excited to see what you end up picking!

    Reply

  6. Jenny says

    Love your ideas. I would do the birds of number 4 with a dark grey like 1 or 8. So many fun options you have come up with!

    Reply

  8. Ariana says

    I love them all and the fairy lights are precious!! In my house in italy we did the underneath of a thick archway into our room a navy blue and gold version of #1 and it turned out MAGICAL. I think if it were me and I was gonna go as far as painting under the canopy maybe I would beef up the canopy a little first?? I know initially this was a simple DIY project to make Clara smile, but now that you are gonna make this a real design plan feel maybe I would do a more substantial canopy like this:

    http://img4.myhomeideas.com/i/2009/08/54375-spot-color-r-x.jpg

    Still simple but a little more “permanent” looking. Either way keep me posted, I love watching you guys arrive at a final product!! And Clara is so lucky to have such fun and creative parents!

    Reply

  9. Anastasia says

    Idea #3 for sure ust paint it on or paint it on some fabric, it totally suits Clara’s room and your style, my fave!

    Reply

  10. Anne Weber-Falk says

    What about a nice oval or round bulletin board? Then she can change it as her mood fits with different photos, cards, art projects and the like.

    Reply

  12. Stacey says

    How about a giant monogram of Clara’s initials?
    I bought them for my “big” girls from etsy, painted them, added coordinating ribbon to hang them, and my girls love it!!
    Whatever you decide to go with will be adorable!

    Reply

  15. WSquared says

    …instead of something pattered, how about some colorful word art? Something from a favorite book? I think they have these peel-and-stick quotes online. I know Clara can’t yet read, but there’s already a lot that’s very “big girl” about her room, and she’ll grow into it and be inspired. :)

    Also, I’m wondering if there needs to be something hanging from that middle support for the canopy. I’d thought of a lantern of sorts– like a Moroccan lantern (maybe you might even be able to paint it in a color that either matches or complements the blue pompoms). If I remember, the pouf is also in her room, right?

    Reply

  16. Theresa says

    Random question here- do you think it would look weird to do lights and fabric like this (no color) with a high-back toddler bed? You know, the type that convert from a crib. My daughter saw the pictures and went crazy saying “WOW A CASTLE A CASTLE! WOW, MY CASTLE!” She’s two and I just think she would go crazy if she had that in her room.

    Reply

  17. Libby Boyle says

    I really love the stars with the fairy lights and the grey is very calming for bed time and reading, I think. What a cute bed set up!

    I recently transformed my Great-nieces bedrooms while they were away on holidays. They already had fairy light but I added timers so when the fairy lights time out, it’s sleep time. If you have time, you might like to see what I did.

    http://llibbyslifestyle.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/how-tee-pee-grew-into-surprise-new.html

    Reply

  18. Lisa E says

    I like the first and last as well. I think the last is my fav, however I think the others will compete too much with the rug and curtains although all are cute ideas.

    Reply

  19. Kathy Hartzell says

    I think the chalkboard is too much of a cliché for you guys. The raindrops or wallpaper seem more girls and fun. You could have little morning glory or sweet pea vines painted in there climbing up to the fairy lights!

    But please don’t go putting an animal head in there….those are taken from the concept of the trophy, the big game shot down for the skins and head as trophy!! As “whimsical” as the faux ones are, they represent killing the animal….hardly the right image for your sweetie’s sweet dreams!!!

    Reply

  20. Shadlyn Wolfe says

    I love #4, personally, but I’m not sure it blends into the room as well as some of the others.

    Also, if Clara is really enchanted with her “fairy lights” then you might play that up, too – hide a fairy figure in the canopy, peeking out, or a friendly little dragon. When I was a kid, I had a sugarplum fairy Christmas ornament that I kept in my room year round as decoration because it just looked so cool, with her wings and her white tutu.

    Reply

  22. yobo says

    i think all three of you should do thumb prints in a bunch of different colors on a pretty slate background (similar to the color in clara’s curtains).

    thumbs or hands.
    or potato stamps. those are cool too. :D

    –yobo

    Reply

  23. Andrea says

    I LOVE the birds!! Such a fun idea! Something that she can grow into and won’t go “out of fashion” as well. So cute!

    Reply

  24. Kimberly says

    What about inverting the ideas? Colorful wall and white space under the canopy for Clara to use as a creative space? Can you Photoshop that and show us what it would look like (it looks awesome in my head)?! Either way, I know it’s going to be amazing!!!

    Reply

  25. Lisa says

    Im sorry this is off the subject (I like the first & last) but why don’t your captions show up on your IG anymore?

    Reply

  26. Destiny says

    I don’t have time to read through the comments, before I “vote”, so I don’t know which way the other commenters are leaning, but my vote is a strong number 1, as if it matters even a teeny, tiny, bit!

    Reply

  27. Bec says

    Sorry, I’m just not feeling the filled in canopy. Something just looks off to me. But as you often say 100 people…

    Loving the fairy lights! Have you considered making the canopy deeper to cover the entire bed? That, with the lights would be exceptionally cool.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Bec! We experimented with a few depths and when it poked out more it was less sturdy and sort of felt like two long spears piercing the room (the daybed is almost 3′ deep so that would be really long poles). We have thought about making them a little deeper down the line though, so who knows where we’ll end up!

      xo
      s

  28. Katarina says

    #8 is my fav but with a slightly lighter shade of grey
    #1 is my next fav. Might be fun to do the stars in glow in the dark paint… And maybe make them half the size they are now….
    Love this project! Great work on the lights and the canopy!
    Definitely don’t like the animal.. Actually anything 3d seems like it might be a bit too crowded….

    Reply

  29. Helene says

    I LOVE THOSE RAINDROPS!!!!! But you know what would be reaaally cool? (And timeconsuming..) Putting those raindrops around the canopy, so the canopy almost works as a shield (umbrella) against the rain!
    Makes the bed even more “safe”

    Good luck! :)

    Hugs from the homecountry of the “what does the fox say” song.

    Reply

  31. Jennifer says

    While I’m a fan of 1,4 & 8 as well as the idea above of painting the whole wall, but leaving the “inner” portion a different pattern or color… Have you considered using Clara’s annual fabric creation in some way?

    and with all of these ideas… what does Clara think?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We couldn’t wait to show Clara all of these photoshopped ideas to see what she thought (we mentioned that in the last paragraph that we were doing that this weekend) and then made some more photoshopped pics based on people’s suggestions. Clara had a lot of fun with it and told us exactly what she would like and then we mocked that up in Photoshop for her to see (we even video-taped her critique, which was pretty funny). Can’t wait to share what she liked best and get it done!

      xo,
      s

  32. Lisa says

    I know it’s Sunday and I’m days late on this, but I’m commenting anyway! I love that these are called fairy lights! So fun! And perfect for a little girls room! Did you guys stop doing the monthly recaps? I was thinking about how I hadn’t seen one in a while. Also I love option #1!

    Reply

  34. Santana says

    Love the larger colorful rain drops! Think it brings another dimension into the room. I agree with everyone else and love the first option as well, but with the different shades of blue throughout the room, don’t want it to look to drab and dark!

    Pretty sure I’ll love whatever you guys go with!!

    Reply

  35. Yvette says

    Although you have hidden the black plug and cord- surprised that you didn’t just hit that section with white spray paint before you hung the lights. A gal and her spray paint are a beautiful thing:)

    Reply

  36. Kristin says

    Maybe some sort of large felt piece and then you can cut out and attach to the wall. And then make little cute felt animals or objects for her to play with and rearrange on it? That way you don’t have the chalkboard dust to concern yourselves with. I teach little ones if you can’t tell..ha!

    Reply

  38. Kaylee says

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of raindrops and lots of them! That is so adorable. Also the birds are just lovely but the raindrops sent my head spinning with ideas for my own nursery! :)

    Reply

  41. Stacy says

    I think that something should be done “outside” of the canopy. With all of those awesome paint designs, it just looks so crowded under the canopy with the pillows.
    With that said, i like the gray paint because it goes well with the grey in the rug….I dunno, the room seems like it just needs a little je ne sais quoi to tie all of the colors together.
    I LOVE LOE LOVE the fairy lights! Such a great idea.

    Reply

  44. Liz says

    Hi,

    I live in Queensland, Australia and read your site every day. Your projects are amazing very inspiring.

    I don’t wish to put a dampener on your idea of fairy lights over Clara’a bed, however, be VERY careful leaving the lights on. Last Christmas a young Queensland man lost his wife and three young daughters through a house fire caused by leaving the Christmas lights on overnight.

    Perhaps the electrical system in your country is different from ours, but I just couldn’t help make you aware.

    On a lighter note, I love your site and all that’s on it, and look forward every morning to see what you’ve been up to. AND congratulations on your new “bump”.

    Sincerely,
    Liz Griffiths.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks for the warning Liz! We never leave them on when we’re not in the room or overnight, and these are the heatless LED kind so they can be right next to cloth without a fire threat (but just in case, we’d never leave them plugged in if we’re not actively in the room with her). I think we’ll get her a small night-light for during the night when she fully makes the bed transition since they’d actually be too bright over the canopy for her to get any sleep :)

      xo
      s

  47. Rita C. says

    I think I am in the minority, I like the animal head. I don’t think it’s any different then having a stuffed animal on a shelf nearby, as far as having bad dreams. Kids can pick the craziest things to not like in their room. My second kept saying there was a monster in his room for about a week, we tried EVERYTHING to make it go away! One night I was in there with him and realized when the night light was on and the fan off, the globe and chains for the fan made it look like a head with tentacles! Of course the fan didn’t come down. We had to explain it to him once and he was fine. Excited to see what you decide….ooohhh maybe the first with a head? ;)

    Reply

  48. Lauren (in PA) says

    I know I’m jumpimg in late to this game, but for my money….two thoughts.

    1. What does Clara like best?

    2. Paint some sort of color at least on that one wall.

    White walls don’t do it for me, though I understand your thought process. To me it screams of my house growing up in the 70’s. with no paint at all!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, we mentioned in the last paragraph that Clara would be the deciding vote, and actually posted an update when she picked. Working on it today actually!

      xo
      s

  49. Juliana says

    I think big painted trees on that whole wall would be so pretty! It would feel like a magically lit canopy in the middle of an enchanted forest :)

    Reply

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