If you want a look in your bedroom that is dreamy and romantic, it's hard to beat ceiling drapes. There are many ways to create an intimate space using soft, flowing fabric, whether your aim is to turn your bed into a beautiful focal point, or create a special reading space in a child's room. Ceiling drapes work with a range of decorating styles. For a modern or contemporary look, choose crisp fabric in a solid shade or large pattern. For an exotic look, choose drapes in a variety of fabrics and colors. Sheer fabrics in particular will help you create an ethereal ambiance in your room. To add even more interest to your look, don't stop with fabric drapes. Hang a series of paper or other lightweight pendant lights or lanterns among the draping fabrics for an unforgettable look. You can hang string lights above sheer fabric to create the look of a starry sky above your bed. You'll want to make sure you have enough head clearance for getting in and out of your bed. There are also many ways to hang your ceiling drapes.

You can fasten fabric to the ceiling over a portion of your bed on the headboard end, allowing the fabric to drape down the wall behind the headboard. You could also hang curtain rods from the ceiling along the perimeter of your bed and hang your fabric from them to create a full, enclosing canopy. Another favorite look is to cover the room's entire ceiling in a draping fabric that bunches in the center and is attached to the upper walls around the perimeter of the room. White or creamy fabric looks great installed in this fashion, but a cheery bright or pastel would work as well. Hang a chandelier from the bunched center of the fabric for an elegant touch. If you want to soften the look of your bedroom but you don't want to enclose the entire bed (or your budget leaves you with only a small amount of money for fabric), consider hanging a cornice-style drape above the head of your bed. To get this look, suspend a small hoop-shaped rod from the ceiling and use it to support the drapes;

another option is to attach a semicircular rod to the top of the wall at the ceiling. You can also purchase a cornice or build one yourself. Your fabric will drape along either side and to the back of the bed; use two or three drapes to create a rich look, using colors that complement your bed linens. Tie the drapes back from the bed if you like. See Also: 6 Ways to Perk Up a Ceiling Bedroom Ceiling Design Ideas Ceiling Mirrors for Bedrooms Tray Ceilings in Bedrooms Sloped Ceilings in Bedrooms Turn a Coverlet Into a Duvet Cover Candice's Design Tips: Design a Hollywood Home Tranquil and Luxurious Bedroom Designer Tips for an Ideal Bedroom LayoutFrom the Archives: Greatest Hits 10 Ways To Get the Canopy Look Without Buying a New Bed Maybe you love the look of a canopy bed, but can't afford to buy new furniture. (Hey, beds are expensive). Or maybe you really like your current bed, but want to give it a bit of a romantic makeover. Here's an Apartment Therapy guide to DIYing your way to canopy bliss.

An easy way to get the canopy bed look is to hang curtains from an L-shaped drapery rod that's been mounted to the ceiling. How To Wash Ikea Bath MatIn this case, the curtains can't be drawn around the bed, but you definitely get that romantic look. Victorian Patio Furniture WhiteI love how, in this example from the HGTV Dream Home, the ceiling above the bed (and the wall behind the headboard) have been painted to contrast with the rest of the room. Lighting Gas Fireplace First TimeIt creates a sort of optical illusion where the ceiling above the bed becomes the canopy. Here are a few more variations on this look. The bed on the left (by Mark Sikes) has a full canopy frame hung from the ceiling. If you really crave the look of a full tester and curtains, this is a great way to get it without buying a canopy bed.

The example on the right (from Domino Design Book via Swoonworthy) is similar to the one above, but in this case, the curtain rods that the drapes are hung from extends the full length of the bed, which allows you to draw the drapes closed if you want to get really cozy. There's also the option of hanging curtains only over the head of the bed. I'm partial to the setup on the left (from Traditional Home) because it only requires mounting a u-shaped rod on the wall above the bed. The arrangement on the right is a little more complicated, but with a big dramatic payoff. (From Traditional Home via This Is Glamorous.) From Better Homes and Gardens: drape a piece of fabric over two swing-arm curtain rods, mounted on either side of the bed, for a super-easy canopy. You can mount a single hoop or curtain rod to the ceiling in the middle of your bed and drape fabric from it over the ends of your bed. This works best if the long side of your bed faces a wall, and if the headboard and footboard are roughly the same height.

(Left: , right: House & Garden via The Inspired Room) The Antique Drapery Rod Co. has diagrams showing all kinds of different canopy arrangements, and the hardware you'll need to create them. From Country Living, a clever idea for bedrooms with sloping ceilings. And finally, from Domino (via Elements of Style), a completely modern take on a canopy — a large piece of boldly-patterned Marimekko fabric suspended over the bed. (If you look closely, you can see the fabric is hung from ropes threaded through grommets at the corners. I'm guessing the ropes are tied to hooks in the corners of the ceiling.) I love how the fabric adds a pop of color in an otherwise minimal room. And now that you're full of ideas...time to get crafting. Re-edited from a post originally published 3.29.12 - CMThe bedroom is, without any doubt, the ideal place for curtains. It’s why there are so many variations to choose from in terms of design. Canopy beds make great use of these elements in their own distinctive way but bed curtains can also be added separately to create a more intimate and comfortable ambiance.

Use breezy curtains to delimitate the bed from the rest of the room. It will feel more intimate and private, even though the curtains are see-through.And if you plan to use the curtains for privacy, then they should be opaque. There are numerous ways in which you can hang them, including this very casual, DIY option. The bed curtains in this case also match the blinds.The curtains can also be just for show. They don’t have to be mobile or to wrap around the bed. A Four-corner approach seems like a great option.You can recreate the look of a canopy bed with curtains that are attached to the ceiling. The designs are completely different but they also present a few similarities.A large bedroom could use a bit of drama and you can achieve that with long, lush curtains. They can be fixed and tied with ribbons.These extra long and heavy curtains also have a dramatic impact on the décor, especially given their design which features black on the interior and grey on the exterior. The color duo was also used throughout the room in similar hues.

If the bedroom is not particularly spacious yet to still want the bed to be surrounded by curtains, you can display a large mirror on one of the walls to create the impression of space and dimension.Turn a small nook into a cozy sleeping area and hide it behind a curtain. The slanted ceiling makes it even cozier in this particular case.Curtains can also be used to divide the bedroom in two separate areas. One can be a work area with a desk or it can contain a vanity. The other portion of the room can be the actual sleeping area with the bed and nightstands, perhaps the dresser as well.To make the division even clearer, columns can be part of the room’s design. The black trim on the curtains highlights the clean lines of the décor.Sheer curtains are ideal if you want the room to have a feminine look and a graceful design. Their color should the same one used on the walls or ceiling.Bed curtains don’t necessarily refer to those reminiscent of canopy beds. This curtain, for example, is used to hide the dressing area/ closet and is a lot better than a rigid wall.