A canopy bed is a luxurious choice for the dedicated sleeper. However, you may already have a perfectly good bed. Also, canopies for your bed can be expensive and hard to find in the right color for your decorating scheme. The solution is, of course, to make your own bed canopy for a fraction of the cost of a bed and ready-made canopy. Also, you can pick whatever color you want! This project is terrific for children's rooms. It also can be used for reading nooks and to create privacy in large rooms. The variety and availability of fabrics and the simplicity of curtain design ensure that this canopy is suitable for a wide variety of rooms and designs. What You Will Need:- Three or four curtain rods approximately a foot longer than the length of your bed. (three if you want the canopy to extend around three-quarters of the bed, four if you want the head of the bed to be canopied as well) It must be possible to hang them vertically (the rod should be firmly affixed to the hooks). Make sure that you allow for the room that any fancy endpieces on the curtain rods may require. Also, if you're getting heavier curtain panels, check that the rods are strong enough to hold them. - Mounting apparatus for same (usually comes with the rod)- Tools (usually a screwdriver)- Inexpensive curtain panels (you can often find these in home decor stores for less than $20). - Curtain rings- Heavy string, 4 pieces cut ling enough to reach the floor from the ceiling. - Tacks or puttyBed Canopy Construction:Tack or putty each string so it hangs beside each corner of the bed, at the distance that you want the curtain. This will enable you to see how the curtain is likely to hang without putting it up and finding out that it's not close enough or too close. Now, take your first curtain rod and mount it so that it is lined up against the string. Repeat this with the rest of the curtain rods. Be aware that if your curtain rings are not equipped with openings to mount them on established rods, you will have to mount the curtain on the rod before installing it. Otherwise, just pop on the curtain rings and curtain. Congratulations! You now have a bed canopy without having to buy a canopy bed.