The last month before the baby is born is a happy time. The expectant mother has time to prepare for the birth of her child and arrange a comfortable, beautiful and safe crib for him. A touching and stylish accessory for a baby crib, the canopy, has become very popular lately.
The history of the appearance of a canopy over the bed is connected with the desire of people to protect their sleep from any external irritants
The first canopies appeared in the ancient east; they came to Europe by the 12th century, becoming an indispensable element of the medieval bedroom, protecting against drafts and indiscreet glances.
Why do you need a canopy?
The trend in modern design of a cozy space for a baby is a children's bed with a canopy; its main role in a children's room is interior decoration. Beautiful fabric decor will put a bright accent on the crib and make it the central element of the room. Visually, a canopy reduces the size of the room, so it is not advisable to use it in the interior of a small bedroom.
A canopy on a baby's crib is a manifestation of the instinct of a mother seeking to protect her child from the sorrows of the world around her.
We should not forget that a cover for a crib also has practical benefits:
- will protect the child from direct sunlight or a burning night light;
- muffles external sounds;
- will cover the crib with an open window or balcony from air movement and drafts;
- will add a feeling of comfort and security;
- will protect in summer from annoying insects and poplar fluff.
In addition to its functional purpose, a canopy can act as a stylish decoration for the interior of a room.
It is not always possible to allocate a separate room for the baby, and he shares it with an older brother or sister, in which case a canopy for a crib can be very useful. With this accessory you can protect the personal space of each child and smooth out the inconvenience of different sleep and wakefulness modes.
Canopies can cover the entire space of the bed or just the headboard
The canopy makes the crib space more comfortable and protected
In the evening, when putting your baby to bed, close the canopy. Your baby will eventually get used to associating this with sleep, and this technique will help you put your baby to sleep during the day.
The main disadvantage of a canopy is that dust can collect in the folds of the fabric, which can become a problem for allergy sufferers. If this is a concern, choose a fastening design that allows the fabric to be easily removed for frequent washing.
A canopy shaped like a bed allows you to hang fabric on one or several sides at once.
A canopy made of light airy fabric will allow the child to see everything that is happening in the room.
Kinds
Protective canopies for newborn cribs are divided according to several principles.
By type of fastening:
- over the entire crib - the product is called a tent, and is used to protect newborns. You can pull it over the sleeping bed or in the center.
- above the headboard - this option is suitable for beds of children over three years old. This approach allows the child to more easily contact the outside world.
- “royal” - this option covers the entire perimeter of the crib.
By speciation:
- Classic - used for furniture with a high back and having special supports for which the material must be secured. The optimal solution is if the bed is in the center of the children's room or under the wall.
- Dome-shaped is a difficult model to make.
- Semicircular - this type of frame is mounted when the bed needs to be placed in a corner.
By lenght:
- to the floor - protects the baby from drafts, but you need to be careful not to get tangled under the wheels of the crib.
- to the edge or middle is the optimal length. To prevent the canvas from dangling, it should be hooked to the side slats.
- short - perfectly breathable and protects from bright light.
The style of the canopies is determined by the location and design of the crib:
- Protective material with stands is a model that attracts the attention of teenage girls. The canvas is mounted on crossbars and racks crossed under the ceiling at right angles.
- Mini canopy - decorates a children's room. As a rule, these are ordinary curtains at the headboard, located on the wall.
- A canopy made on the ledges of the wall - they will cover the head of the bed.
- The protective canopy-sail is an attractive model that completely covers the wall. It is used for rooms of non-standard dimensions.
Choosing a canopy color palette for a nursery interior
The interior of rooms for small children is traditionally designed in light pastel colors. These can be traditional blue and pink shades for lovers of the classics, classic white or the entire palette of the most delicate shades of beige, pistachio, creamy gold or lilac tones. Canopies should not be overloaded with patterns - plain fabrics look better.
Newborn cradle with light white canopy
Undoubtedly, the design and color of the canopy should look harmonious in the interior of the room and be combined with curtains, walls, style and color of furniture and bed linen. If you want to use bright colors, be very careful not to overload the nursery interior with them - such colors, like colorful designs, can excite the fragile psyche of a small child and create unnecessary strain on the eyes.
Patterns on the canopy can echo the patterns on furniture or other textiles in the room
Don't like plain fabrics? Use your imagination. Decorate the canopy with beautiful embroidery or fun appliqué. In the rooms of school-age children, beads, buttons, sequins or seed beads can be used to decorate the canopy. Beautiful tassels, fringe or frills can also decorate the canopy above the crib.
Canopy tent made of multi-colored fabrics in oriental style
Fabric selection
As a rule, synthetic fiber is not recommended for use because it accumulates static charges and sometimes provokes allergies. However, some types of fibers can be chosen for decorating your baby’s bedroom. Basically, products are made from the following types of fabrics:
- Thin chintz. It does not protect from bright light, but it is environmentally friendly and protects against drafts.
- Thick linen or cotton. They are not afraid of dust and sun rays.
- Organza. Creates an incredibly beautiful look, but accumulates a static charge. It requires simple fasteners.
- Velvet. Dense material, suitable for the cold season. It is able to retain the warmth of the room and protects the crib from drafts.
- Net. Provides good air circulation, which is especially important in summer. This canopy does not protect against bright rays, drafts and small dust particles.
For reliable protection against insects, you should use a mosquito net.
Canopy for a boy
School-age boys are already beginning to feel like men and prefer simpler and brutal interiors, into which the curtain over the bed does not fit well. An exception to this may be a situation where several children share one room. In such cases, a canopy by the bed is needed for practical reasons, fencing off the child’s personal space and allowing him to rest comfortably while the brother or sister is still doing homework or reading a book.
The canopy can be mounted on a wall, ceiling or on a special cornice
In a teenage boy’s room, simple, laconic canopies in cool, muted colors may be appropriate, which can organically complement even rooms designed in loft and hi-tech styles.
A hand-made canopy will look great in the interior of a boy’s room.
Canopy for a crib for a girl
Girls at any age like to feel like princesses, which means they will be happy to sleep under a romantic canopy both in preschool age and in conscious adolescence. Light folds of fabric above the bed will help create a fabulous atmosphere. For this, a small, beautiful decorative canopy is enough, because its main task is to complement and diversify the interior, to introduce an element of a fairy tale into it.
Canopy on a wire frame in a little girl's room
If your daughter sleeps on the sofa, this is not a reason to abandon this element of decor; rather, on the contrary, the sleeping place will become more comfortable and acquire individuality.
An example of a simple but very beautiful design of a children's sofa
Toys for the development of vision and hearing
Toys for viewing can be hung above the baby’s crib already in the first month of his life.
The baby can focus visual attention on large and bright objects from the age of 3-5 weeks. During this period, his first toys may be large, solid-colored balls or rings of bright colors. A child does not need toys with many parts. They are hung above the crib, periodically changing colors. The toy is hung over the child's chest. In order not to develop strabismus, the distance from the baby’s eyes to the object in question should be at least 50 cm. The diameter of the toy should be between 6 and 10 cm. There is no need to hang more than one object. Frequent changes of toys and an abundance of colors will interfere with the baby’s ability to concentrate. There should be moderation in everything.
To develop hearing and the ability to determine the direction of sound, a child needs rattles. For the same purpose, they purchase a musical carousel. It is important to make sure that it makes soft and not too loud sounds. The music should be calm, not oversaturated with tonalities. When the baby is put to bed, the carousel is removed from the crib: nothing should interfere with normal sleep. If a child sleeps in a stroller in the fresh air, you should not hang toys in it.
Photos of beautiful examples of canopy design for a children's bed
The choice of options for decorating a child’s bed with a canopy is huge: in addition to color and fabric, they differ in design, method of fastening and draping. A selection of photographs of the most successful and beautiful interiors of rooms for children will help you choose “your” canopy for a crib.
Delicate translucent veil over the little princess's bed
Canopy on a rigid frame, the upper part of which can be used as a shelf
The child can close one of the parts of this rectangular canopy himself
Evaluate decorative and practical solutions: their convenience, beauty and functionality. Feel the mood and atmosphere of the room depending on the style and arrangement of the canopy, and use the example photo as inspiration for your own design solution for a children's canopy bed for your child.
Canopy over a teenage girl's bed
Canopy in a boy's room in traditional colors
Frame with fastenings
This design is different in that the bracket is attached directly to the crib using the included mounting mechanisms. Before installing a frame of this type, you need to decide on the location of its attachment:
- at the head;
- on the back wall of the crib.
It is necessary to take into account that if you place the canopy at the head, it will only cover the crib up to half, while the side installation makes it possible to completely cover it with a canopy.
The frame is assembled in the same sequence as the previous version:
- After you connect two straight tubes, insert fasteners on top and bottom of the resulting rod through the technological holes.
- Attach this structure to the selected place on the crib, adjust in height and secure with clips, as shown in the figure. Attach the top part of the frame.
