Ceiling Drapes Aglow

Have you ever heard of ceiling drapes? I asked my husband what to title this post. He was stumped at first, but when he thought about what he would google to find a project like this it was ceiling drapes. I laughed at first, then he actually typed it in Google. Sure enough it is a real thing. Ceiling draping is commonly used for weddings and events to create a glamorous or romantic feeling. Sometimes they are lit and sometimes not. Draping fabric on ceilings or elsewhere always makes a dramatic statement.

We changed out two light fixtures this weekend without touching an electrical wire. The secret to making over these unattractive lights in our foyer was ceiling drapes. With just 6 yards of fabric and three adjustable shower curtain rods, we turned the existing lights into something magical. The fabric had an added benefit of making the foyer more welcoming. At 15-feet long and with 9-ft ceilings, the foyer felt long and narrow.  Not the inviting feel we were after.

I set up shop to iron the 6 yards of fabric right in the foyer.  I used the shower curtain rods to help keep the freshly ironed fabric off the floor.

I sewed three rod pockets in the cream linen fabric, large enough to accommodate the shower curtain rods. I placed one pocket in the center of the fabric. The other two pockets were sewn about 10″ from each end of the fabric. I used fusible hem tape to quickly hem the ends of the fabric. On this linen fabric the selvages have no printing and a nice fine fringe, so I left them raw.

With lots of help from hubby, we hung one shower curtain rod centered in-between the two light fixtures with the fabric hanging from it with the aide of the middle pole pocket. We inserted a pole in one end pocket and hung the rod up on the other side of the light. We repeated for the other light fixture. The great thing about the adjustable shower curtain rods is they install only with tension and don’t leave any permanent marks on the wall.

This project started as a simple, relatively inexpensive way to deal with two light fixtures we hated. Now that it is up, I think it might be a more permanent solution. If we decide to keep it around, we want to replace the semi-flushmount lights with inexpensive flush mounts. This will allow us to pull the fabric up a little bit closer to the ceiling. We also want it to be a bit brighter, so we will look for flush mounts that take three bulbs.

For now, we are simply going to enjoy the magical evening glow in the foyer. It comes just in time for the holidays. The glow will definitely be inviting and welcoming for guests or carolers.

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