Whether the royalty in your family is just beginning life or fully adult, a canopy bed provides an elegant sanctuary from regal duties. A half-crown canopy holds draperies that frame the head of a bed. Building a half-crown canopy requires basic carpentry skills, but you can create a distinctive and stylish canopy with only a peasant's purse. Using plywood and craft-store decorative wood finishings saves time and money.
Making the Mounting Board
Using a stud finder, locate and mark the two adjoining studs that will serve as anchors for the crown structure. Mark the center of each stud lightly on the wall 1 foot down from the ceiling. This will determine the horizontal length of your canopy crown. Studs are commonly spaced 16 inches from center to center, with 14 1/2 inches between stud pairs.
Cut a piece of one-by-four lumber to the length of the distance between two studs plus 3 inches. This is the crown mounting board.
Position the mounting board against the wall, with its top edge flush against the ceiling. Drill holes to anchor it through the wall, into the studs, with three evenly spaced screws on each side.
Cutting out the Crown
Determine the horizontal width of your crown by adding about 2 and 6 inches to the width of the mounting board (based on a 17 1/2-inch mounting board, your crown can be about 20 to 24 inches wide). This limits the weight of the crown to ensure a secure installation.
Draw a straight line the width of the crown (24 inches) on kraft paper. Using the midpoint of the line as the center, trace a circle with a radius of 12 inches. Cut the circle in half. This creates the classic demi-lune, or half-moon, shape of the crown.
Line up the straight edge of each half moon with the edge of a 24-inch side of the plywood and trace the half moons on the wood. Cut them out with the saw.
From the remaining plywood cut a straight strip 24 inches long and 8 inches wide. This is the crown backing strip.
From the one-by-two board, cut five pieces, each 7 inches long. Later you will attach the demi-lunes, each 1/2 inch thick, to the 8-inch backing strip to create an open sandwich that's 7 inches deep, into which you will slide the one-by-two pillars.
Assembling the Crown
Attach prefabricated wood decor to the centers of the 7-inch pillar pieces with wood glue, and set them aside to dry.
Apply glue in a thin line to the straight edge of one of the demi-lunes, then fit it against the face of the backing strip, flush with edge of the strip. Clamp the pieces together them and let the glue dry thoroughly. Repeat on the bottom edge with the other demi-lune.
Place the dry glued crown on a folded towel or other padding on its round edges so you can drill holes and drive screws -- evenly spaced across both edges of the backing -- to secure the demi-lunes.
Coat each end of a pillar strip with wood glue, and gently slide it between the demi-lunes at the center of the outer curve. Repeat with the remaining strips, turning each so that the decorated side faces outward, and placing the backmost strips as close as possible to the backing strip. This will leave maximum room for the drill and screwdriver you will need to use to secure the crown to the mounting board.
Tap finishing nails into the top and bottom of the demi-lunes and into the ends of the pillar pieces.
Apply a final coat of paint or stain to the completed crown before attaching it to the mounting board with 1 1/2-inch screws.
Things You Will Need
- Measuring tape
- Electronic stud finder
- Protractor or compass
- Kraft paper and pencil or carpenter's chalk
- One-by-four board, 24 inches long
- Piece of 1/2-inch plywood, 24 inches long and 36 inches wide
- Jigsaw or coping saw
- Wood glue
- 1 1/2-inch wood screws
- One-by-two board, at least 36 inches long
- 1-inch finishing nails
- Tack or small hammer
- Prefabricated wood finishings, like fleur de lis, hearts, flowers
- Stain or paint and applicator
- For even greater security, screw the mounting strip into two ceiling joists, then attach the top demi-lune to the mount.
- The measurements given are to illustrate how to calculate the crown size. Change measurements to fit your exact spatial requirements. Widely spaced studs or joists will require a wider crown, while a slanted ceiling may demand a much smaller one.
- Pull canopy fabrics gently between the two demi-lune pieces, to avoid snagging fabric or loosening the canopy fittings. Keep fabrics out of the reach of children or pets who might pull hard on them, loosening the crown structure.