For toddlers, Disney offers a canopy toddler bed.  The bed is specially designed for the needs of young girls aged three to seven years old.  The white wire frame sits low to the ground to ensure safety in the event of a fall, and the sides closest to the head also have pretty pink or purple plastic safety guides for additional protection.  The headboard has whimsical design featuring Princesses Belle, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty; the built in canopy features Snow White, Belle, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella on a pink or purple satin structured canopy.  Coming from atop the canopy are four white sheer curtains with built in ties.  In addition to offering a fun feel for your toddler, the Disney toddler bed is competitively priced starting around $80.00, and available through many mass merchandisers or children’s specialty stores.

For older girls, Disney also offers full structured canopies that can be attached to an existing frame.  The pink canopy features all princesses, white and pink sheer embellished curtains, and is available for a full or twin bed.  The set comes with the canopy top, pillow cases, curtains, tiebacks, comforter, and matching throw pillows.  The consumer will need to obtain the canopy frame separately.  An additional feature to complete the Disney princess motif is the matching furniture, including dresser, costume rack, and wardrobe.  Home Depot also offers paints specially designed to match the Disney Princess line.  As this is a larger, lavish example of the Disney Princess Canopy, prices are higher, and generally start at $450.

However, other canopy options are available without purchasing the entire ensemble.  Free hanging canopies can be purchased at many retailers in purple and pink with a satin top featuring one or more princess.  These attractive items are hung from the ceiling, and are approximately 23” in diameter, with 101” in length.  Prices vary by individual design, but are usually quite affordable around $20-$50 apiece.  As the canopy is still part of the Princess line, any coordinating pieces found for the toddler or twin sized bed will still match.

A final example of the Disney Princess Canopy is a deluxe play tent.  Perfect for slumber parties, make believe, or family camping trips, this pop-up tend has Disney Princess graphics, Mylar mirror, inflatable sleeping/seating area, and hanging curtains with ties for embellishment and privacy.   The play tent can accommodate more than one person at a time and measures 60” x 60” x 69”.   The mattress area is easily inflatable with included pump.  Reasonably priced around $90, this item can be a perfect way to incorporate a sense of the Princess line without committing to redesigning an entire room

Regardless of the style you select, it should be noted that some Princess Canopy items can be challenging to locate.  Due to the popularity of the line, items frequently sell out, and storewide sales may not apply.

A girls princess bed can take many forms.  The most popular takes an existing bed frame and incorporates a canopy.  The canopy will be in a white, pink, or purple sheer material.  Usually this means securing mosquito netting and adding Disney or appropriately bejeweled adornments.  Common canopy elements are tassels, sequins, satin valences, and velvet tiebacks.  Canopies can be located or made easily, and prices are low, starting at $20.

Another option is transforming bunk beds or loft beds into a personal castle!  Specialty bed makers, such as at sweetdreambed.com will custom build a castle around the bed.  This usually entails attaching a slide to the top bunk, turrets at the head and foot of the bed, and a grand staircase on one or both sides.  Some specialty options for the bed include transforming the stairs into storage components by placing lids and openings in each stair, and doors or windows at the bottom.  High end beds will be hand painted, usually in a floral scheme, and have the child’s name in a prominent location.  As with any custom furniture item, prices are higher than mass produced options, and start around $2,000.  Before deciding to go with this choice, check the height of the bed versus the clearance of your room.  The turret and flag are visually striking, but add a good deal of height to the bed.

To find a girls princess bed that is ready to be assembled and used with greater ease in most homes, other merchants offer bed frames with princess style elements incorporated into the structure of the piece.  For example, the Princess Rose Daybed offered at ababy.com is available in six colors and is covered in garlands of roses and tulle tiebacks.  At the center of the backboard, a beautiful crown is placed to reinforce the princess theme.  Other makers also utilize the crown design in the headboard to transform a simple metal headboard and footboard into a princess design.  At justkidsbed.com specialty beds can be found that use a round mattress to turn the entire bed into your little girl’s crown!  Instead of using a crown, other traditional beds focus on making the headboard and footboard into a carriage from the Cinderella tradition.  Although more common in cribs and toddler beds, plastic or metal carriages can encompass the girls bed with dramatic steps leading to the top.  Prices for these specialty bed frames will vary, and depend greatly on the manufacturing needs.  Metal or plastic bed frames can be found starting around $150, whereas hand painted wooden frames may be upwards of $10,000.

No girls princess bed would be complete without princess accessories though!  Pink, purple, or light green bedding is most common, and can usually be found with crowns, roses, vines, or glass slippers as part of the design.  Matching furniture can be purchased at the same time as the bed to ensure the chair, dresser, desk, or vanity all have the same look as the bed.  Many rugs, wastebaskets, curtains, art pieces, and toys can also reflect the princess theme.   By fully committing to a princess theme, your little girl will look back upon her childhood as “once upon a time.”

Originally the canopy for the bed was less decorative and more utilitarian.  In tropical environments encompassing the sleeping area in netting allowed for a barrier against mosquito’s and other pests.  Whereas in medieval Europe, homes roofing was far from waterproof, and adding an extra layer of fabric above the bed provided additional protection from the elements.

Modern canopies may not even require the traditional four poster bed structure.  It is becoming increasingly popular to wrap a decorative fabric around a metal or wooden loop to attach to the ceiling above the bed.  The transitional canopy forms an attractive arch where it is attached to the ceiling, and is usually made of mesh materials.  While the majority of these canopies are marketed towards young girls, adults can find a romantic white lace canopy to drape tastefully across a king sized bed.  These canopies may have sequins placed within the veil-like material, or a satin valance along the top to add extra shine.  Hoop canopies are relatively inexpensive, and start around $5 each.  Major retail stores, online outlets, and specialty stores all offer a wide array of colors and designs for anyone’s tastes.

Another way to bring the canopy appeal to a bedroom is to make your own custom canopy.  By securing curtain rods to the ceiling over each end of the bed, you have the perfect area to hang attractive drapes to create a canopy bed effect.  If curtain rods are not available, a metal hook can be hung on the ceiling above the center of the bed and each of the four corners.

Canopies for beds can be made out of almost any material imaginable, but those that can be machine washed will provide the owner with the easiest care options.  Traditional materials include velvet, silk, tapestry, chintz, and mosquito netting.  When making your own canopy, it is common to match the canopy with the curtains and bedding.  For ease of use, the canopy should go exactly to the bottom of the bed.  This way it will not accidentally become caught up in a vacuum or cause a slip.  However, allowing canopies to dramatically flow onto the floor about 4 inches longer than the bed creates a luxurious, movie star look.

Other uses for a canopy are to hide reading lights in the valance area along the top.  Wires can be run along the posters and beams of the bed and hidden by the fabric surrounding them.  This allows a reader a way to keep the flow of a room simple, but still have an accessible light source for nighttime reading.  It is important to ask the retailer if the fabric choices used in the bed canopy are heat resistant, and to choose cool burning fixtures.

The canopy used for any bed will create the overall feel of the room.  Heavier fabrics will make a more dramatic statement, whereas lightweight, sheer fabrics create a look of sunshine and happiness.  When paired properly with matching bedding and curtains, canopies for beds are a great way to make a room uniquely yours.

A traditional canopy bed will have four posters with attached beams between them.  The fabric canopy will be secured to this framework, and can be either left free flowing to encompass the space, or tied back to frame the bed area.  Some girls’ beds will place a valance across the ornamental top of the bed in an arch shape.  This canopy will reduce any tripping hazards from flowing curtains, but still give the sense of mystery desired in a canopy bed.  For youth, most valance canopies are white or yellow in color.  A traditional canopy bed will require a certain amount of clearance in the room as they tend to be quite tall.  The fabric may also be hard to drape across the top of beds larger than a twin, and it may be difficult to clean.  The canopy frame is usually in metal for girls, but it is possible to find hardwood beds as well.  Wooden frames are a more expensive option, and the bed frame starts at $500, with additional charges for the canopy starting around $40.  Metal frames can be found at discount dealers, such as Big Lots, starting around $100.

Another option to create a faux girls canopy bed involves hanging a canopy secured to a metal hoop to the ceiling.  The curtains can be draped to the side of the bed to give a four poster look.  For girls’ canopies, it is common to have butterflies, fairies, princesses, ladybugs, beading, or sequins as the theme.  The canopy will usually be made of mosquito netting and may have small embellishments on the hoop or in the netting to add shine and sparkle.  The faux canopy will be hung directly on the ceiling via a wire and hook similar to what is used for planters.  As these transitional pieces are easy to install, and require no existing hardware, they provide an excellent opportunity to transform a room easily.  The free-standing canopy is rather inexpensive and starts around $15.

Any girls canopy bed must be properly accessorized to convey the feeling desired for the room.  Some popular lines specifically designed for young girls are made by Disney, Bratz, and Barbie.  Full lines will include the canopy, comforter set, wastebaskets, dressers, chairs, lamps, and even faceplate and outlet covers.  While complete sets are easy to use, if not arranged appropriately the theme may become a bit overpowering.  Also, the cost of completely decorating in one style may be prohibitive when compared to the length of time it can be used.  For example, having Winnie the Pooh as the entire bedroom is great for a young girl, but will most likely be outgrown by age 10 or before.  However, the value of having a fantasy room with romantic canopy is immeasurable, as is all the magic of childhood!  By selecting the right style for your little girl you will make treasured memories to be reflected upon for a lifetime.

Princess canopies are traditionally white, pink, or purple as the primary color, and utilize soft mosquito netting for the draping.  Free-standing canopies fit any size bed, but for full canopy frames the consumer needs to ensure measurements match their beds requirements.  The full canopy will be either entirely made of mosquito netting, or may have a satin valance across the top.

For some consumers the word “Princess” evokes an image consistent with Disney movies and cartoons.  However, many other canopies are considered princess by design without featuring trademarked characters.  Due to the fact licensing is not required it is possible to obtain a very similar item to one within the Disney line at a lesser price.

To add to the appeal of a princess canopy, highly embellished structure elements can be added to an existing bed frame at the top and sides.  For example, if tassels, decorative metal scrolling, or lights are placed above the bars supporting the fabric, it will add additional sparkle to shiny, girly fabrics.

It is also possible to add a canopy to a room without attaching to a bed!  For example, Rosenberry Rooms offers a full wall mural sticker that can be affixed in eight pieces.  The mural portrays a Disney-style canopy drawn back to hint at a secret room beyond.  The main part of the wall is a bright pink, and the entryway is portrayed in purple; this brightens a space and adds a sense of living in a motion picture to the bedroom.

For discriminating pet owners, specialty stores are offering princess themed canopy beds for dogs and cats!  The pet bed features a metal frame with full canopy attachment, and will typically use the size canopy needed for infant or toddler beds.  The pet bed may distinguish itself as being princess style with tassels, hanging beading, or a velvet pink or purple bedding area.  As these items are more novelty than necessity, prices can be higher than traditional pet beds and start at $60 for smaller models.

Although typically reserved for younger women, some wedding destination hotels are incorporating Princess Style canopies in honeymoon suites.  For tropical locations in addition to adding romance and mystery to the room, the mosquito netting can be helpful in warding off unwanted insect guests!

The princess canopy is often only the finishing piece to an overall princess theme.  Most commonly princess rooms will be decorated in pink and purple, with a few light blue and green accents.  Some complimentary items include tiara play sets, crown shaped throw pillows, white dresser or wardrobe, and brightly colored rugs.  It is also recommended to have the “magic mirror” every princess needs, as well as a wonderland forest of stuffed or plastic woodland creatures.  Matching curtains and appropriate paint scheme will help to tie the room together and transform a simple bedroom into a magical land where all girls get to be princess!