Hanging Canopy Instructional

Thank goodness my children have friends. Without their influence (both positive and negative), things like a hanging canopy would be off my radar. My daughter's friend has this one. While it is very nice, I was determined to make one for her, that matched her room better, and for less money. We all have budgets and my household happens to be on a tighter one at the tail end of my husband's grad school stint.

Wanting to keep this project as frugal as possible, instinct turned me to Pinterest for design ideas. This tutorial proved fruitful, but also not without its own challenges. For instance, why sew two twin sheets together when you can use one king? Likewise, there are more steps AND materials, than are actually required to put together a rockin' canopy. With that in mind, gather the following materials:

hula hoop (preferably one NOT filled with water)
1 king size flat sheet (new or upcycled, your choice)
Embellishments, optional (here's what I used on the Coral Canopy)
Ribbon:

9 feet long
Not "Wired"
Between 7/8"-1.5" wide

Duct Tape
Thread
Pins
Scissors
Sewing Machine and/or hand sewing needle
Acrylic Ruler that measures 24" or a tape measure

Standard precaution/instruction: When sewing, please remember that it is not safe to stitch through pins. The sewing machine needle hitting a pin can cause the needle to break, and it may/will go flying. Save your eyes the potential danger and remove your pins just before your machine needle reaches them. In this tutorial, back-stitching is standard at the start and end of stitching.

Once you've gathered all your materials, it's time to start crafting. To begin, lay your king size sheet right side up. Fold the bottom hem (the opposite side of the thicker hem- when making a bed, the thicker hem is at the head of the bed and the bottom hem at the foot of the bed) over 24" all the way across. With right sides together, pin at the crease.

Once pinned, you are ready to sew across the seam, using a 1.25"-2" seam allowance. This dimension varies by hula hoop. It may be helpful to practice on scrap fabric to know what size is best for your hula hoop. If you practice, you will want to cut your hula hoop now (see Image 4). If you don't try it on scrap fabric, you can wait to cut your hula hoop.

Once you have sewn across, trim the excess thread and marvel in the pocket you've created!

Next, lay your king size sheet right side down. The pocket for the hula hoop should be visible. Lay your ribbon across the bottom hem. Pin your ribbon in place so you don't accidentally lose an end. Fold your bottom hem over the ribbon, adding an extra 1/2" and pin the edge of the hem to the fabric underneath. Sew the edge of the hem, removing pins as you go. **Be sure to not sew through the ribbon.

You're almost done! In the final steps, you want to cut the hula hoop. You will need sturdy scissors (please don't use your good fabric scissors for this job- kitchen pinking sheers might be best). If the hula hoop is filled with weights, beads, please empty into a nearby trash can, as these materials are unlikely to be recyclable or biodegradable.

Slip the hula hoop into the pocket. The fabric will gather slightly. Using duct tape, secure the ends of your hula hoop. Position the fabric around the hula hoop so that the duct tape is no longer visible. I like to position is opposite the "door" opening of the canopy.

Gather the ribbon at the top (remove pins from ends of ribbon). Tie and hang. Be sure to use a sturdy hook for hanging.

Embellish the outside if desired. I hand stitched my embellishments (see photo below) in place on the coral canopy, but chose to not add any to the lilac canopy.

Note: The hula hoop pocket is not visible from the exterior of the canopy. You will, however, see the thread of the seam from the outside.

Enjoy!