Reality Daydream

The Dream is Free, The Hustle Sold Separately

Old Papasan turned Canopy / Reading Nook

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I definitely think there’s a connection between a creative personalities and hoarding tendencies. I mean, obviously there are different levels of hoarding, and some are downright unhealthy. I’m not collecting empty pizza boxes, and broken hula hoops. all I’m trying to say is that… I SAVE STUFF for one of two reasons:

  • It’s sentimental
  • I’m going to use it someday. For SOMETHING

Take an old Papasan Chair, slice it in half, and mount it on the wall with a mosquito net draped over! PERFECT girly canopy or reading nook!

*this post contains affiliate links*

And I’m here to tell you that I always end up using things that I save. It just may take a few years for me to find the perfect use for it!

Take this Papasan frame for example.

Turn a papasan frame into a canopy reading nook for kids!

I’ve had it since college. And I threw the cushion away a long time ago because my cat peed on it. So for years, I’ve had that frame… just lying around. I’ve rescued it from Nick’s ‘burn pile’ on many occasion. ‘WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO USE IT FOR? IT’S JUST TAKING UP ROOM’ he would say.

But the man-child has grown to trust my creative process.

And recently I thought of the perfect use for it. It would become a canopy ‘reading nook’ in the girls’ new room! STAY WITH ME!

To start! Chop it in half!! I used my RYOBI Reciprocating Saw and it cut through like butter. But you could use a jigsaw, circular saw, or… if you’re desperate… a branch-cutting shear. It doesn’t have to be pretty.

DIY papasan canopy

Then I primed and painted white, and recruited Nick to help me hang it using small L-brackets (that I also primed/painted white). We just held it up where we wanted it, made a mark on one edge, and drew a straight line with a pencil using a long level. Then screwed the brackets into the wall (on the two edges and the top/center beam) and into the bamboo using our RYOBI Impact Driver… and that thing is SOLID. Won’t need to worry about it falling!

Cut a papasan chair frame in half and install it on the wall for a children's canopy!

I had one of those sheer mosquito-net things (also from my college days… HOARDER!) and I sliced an opening in the center of the back and laid it over my ‘Papasan canopy’. I just tucked the edges behind some of the wood slats of the Papasan. (you can see we left some space above the canopy… we did that so it would feel more cozy for the tiny humans. There has been talk of putting a long floating shelf above it across that wall. No decisions have been made)

How to use a papasan frame (cut in half) to make a canopy for a kids room!

My sister let me have her Papason to use the cushion on the floor of our canopy, and ironically…. her cushion came with the frame… which brings my hoarding papason chair problem full circle.

I also made some pillows using fabric from some shirts that haven’t fit me for years (HOARDER!) and followed Mandi’s pocket pillow tutorial.

 

And I strung some flower lights that I bought at a thrift store a long time ago… I KNEW I would find a use for them eventually (HOARDER!). Aren’t they the perfect colors though?

 

Canopy made from a papasan chair

I was planning to stop here, but it seemed like it needed SOMETHING on top of the papason frame. I didn’t mind that the frame showed through the tulle, it just felt like it was missing something. I thought about making a bunch of large scale flowers out of coffee filters or some kind of similar madness, but then I remembered THIS. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

Making a Children's Canopy

I used some RIT dye and dyed that thing pink, and laid it over the ‘dome’ of the papasan canopy. I feel like it looks like flower petals. And it makes me less bitter about all the time I wasted making that ruffle-y comforter that flopped.

Children's canopy using a papasan chair frame

Sorry, no tutorial on the ruffle-y thing. I just can’t go there. I CAN’T. But here are some instructions that are similar.

But I will tell you that this looks WAY more ‘floofy’ and over-the-top than something that I would normally design. But it came from things that we already had on hand… and I just went with it. And I love how it turned out. I mean, it IS for toddler girls. Me-thinks they’ll like it.

Make a children's reading nook 'canopy' using a papasan chair (cut in half) installed on the wall with the cushion below!

Here’s my best attempt at getting the other side of the room in the pic… so you can ‘orient yourself’

Little girl's room

And here it is at night!

Little girl's room at night

I know you may have a papasan chair lying around. Or perhaps you’ll find one at a garage sale or somesuch. They’re accessible is all I’m trying to say, so don’t disregard this tutorial just because you don’t have one!

Turn an old papasan chair in to a Canopy Reading Nook for the littles!

And HOW SUPER CUTE would this be over a little girl’s bed? Somebody please do that asap, and send me pictures. You can have the other half of my papasan frame. 🙂

UPDATE… a few years have passed, and we moved this canopy to actually BE ABOVE THEIR BED! It’s so darling. Come and see!

Sawdust & Embryos

 

And if you’re not familiar with this room transformation, come check out the other projects we’ve done so far!

Stenciled Herringbone Accent Wall {Sawdust and Embryos} DIY Roman Shades {Sawdust and Embryos}
DIY Tufted Fainting Couch Toddler Bed TUTORIAL (Sawdust and Embryos) DIY Vintage-esque Starburst Mirror Tutorial (Sawdust & Embryos)
End Table Tulle Chandeliers {Sawdust and Embryos}  *this post contains affiliate links

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Comments

  1. 67

    love it. it would be the perfect solution for a child that like to make a cave in their room all the time with all the sheets in the house now i could set up a space permanatly and they can just go in there for their ‘cave’ time. i would just use a pretty sheet instead of the mosquito net. thanks for the idea.

    Reply
  2. 68

    Most people don’t understand that type of hoarding. Sometimes we just can’t explain what it will be used for, but we know it will be perfect for something.

    Reply
  3. 70

    I am new here, I stumbled across your blog via pinterest, the papasan chair reading nook tutorial. I love it! I am a new fan, you are hilarious and awesome!

    Reply
  5. 72

    I bought an old papasan chair at a yard sale years ago for a steal, but it ended up just being too big for the space I had. It’s been in my attic all this time collecting dust. I love this idea, and may even try it over my full size bed.Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  6. 73

    You don’t by chance still have that other side do you?!?! I would love to make this for my daughters room but I’m not sure where to buy the papasan frame!!! I can pay!!! 🙂

    Reply
    • 74

      Darn it! Sorry, we held on to it for awhile, but eventually threw it away. I see Papasan chairs all the time on Craigslist and at garage sales. I bet if you keep your eye out for you, you’ll find one soon! If you do, be sure to send us pics when you’re done making your own canopy!!!

      Reply
  7. 75

    Wow.This is one of those projects where I have to pick my jaw off the floor and take a breath. You blew me away with the AMAZING-NESS of it all. Talk about magical and seriously too fun–thanks for sharing your creative genius. I HAVE to make one, or two, or even a full size one hanging . . . . I’m sure I won’t possibly find a great deal on a Papasan chair–their used-price will skyrocket from all the crazy hoarding moms (who hadn’t yet hoarded one after a cat accident), all trying to scavenge one for JUST THIS PROJECT. There won’t be a single one left around . . . .. unless I get to it first! 🙂 I am in love with this idea–wish my brain worked like yours!

    Reply
  8. 76

    I save stuff for this repurposing reason as well. Unfortunately, my hubby throws my treasures (crap to him) away at every chance. I was going to make one of these for our girls from a bent hula hoop, but it “disappeared”. 🙂

    Reply
  9. 78

    omg hilarious story. I also have one of these… in my basement… without a cushion… cuz the cat peed on it. I this this would be too adorable in my girls rooms!!! I will seriously hafta do this. let’s be honest, I’m not going to get a cushion for it anymore…

    Reply
    • 79

      Ummmmmm WE’RE TWINS! 🙂 You should totally make a canopy! Yesterday I was hanging some pictures in the girls’ room, and my back was hurting, so I curled up in their canopy and almost fell asleep. I’m pretty sure I need one for myself in my own bedroom… HAHA! 🙂

      Reply
  12. 82

    amaze-balls! that is the coolest thing! their rooms is so cool!!! i would like to read under that canopy, with a blanket, and then fall asleep on a lazy afternoon!!!

    Reply
  18. 88

    Once again, a masterpiece! Your ability to take something simple and make it something wonderful is inspiring. 🙂

    Reply
  19. 89

    This is so awesome! Especially love the pink-dyed ruffly topper! I totally get the “I might need it someday and it has sentimental value” reason for holding onto stuff. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  23. 93

    My family tells me I’m a hoarder all the time! But just yesterday as I was driving home from work, I remember some old Scrabble tile trays I had hoarded, ‘er saved, and knew they would be perfect as chalk trays for the chalkboard I’m painting on a wall for my granddaughters! Ha! Who’s a hoarder now family? I love this nook and I now need a papasan frame in the worst way.

    Reply
  25. 95

    I’m always blown away by your out-of-the-box creating! What an amazing little snuggle nook. 🙂 I also really love how you update things as you go along. I always feel like I need to wait to share until everything is 100% complete, which (guess what?) it never is. I want to get better this. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂

    Reply
  26. 96

    Love this! We built a 6 foot floating desk that looks like it’s suspended with chain-links in my son’s room. Sort of like a draw bridge I suppose, except ours doesn’t draw up….anywho, that was a project for our sons room and it turned out pretty darn cool and perfect for all his drawing, painting and lego needs. Now our daughter jelously wants something cool for her room, I think this will be perfect for her dormer area and give her something cool to brag about in her room! Now if I can convince my mother-in-law to give me that papasan chair sitting in her basement storage!!!

    Reply
  32. 103

    that is so wild & perfect!!! I was just organizing my (NEW! EXCITING! JUST FOR ME!) craft space and in my “fabric” draw there are about a dozen shirts that I love and either have puppy teething marks or don’t fit, but I saved them JUST IN CASE. you are not alone 🙂

    Reply
  33. 105

    Ok, I have to admit when I first started reading you post, I thought you are NEVER going to pull this off to the point that it will look good, but you proved me wrong again. Darn, if that isn’t the cutest little reading nook I’ve seen! The girls are just going to love to hang out in it; especially at night with the flower lights on. I guess hoarding isn’t such a bad thing after all!

    Reply
  34. 106

    You come by the hoarding tendencies naturally. Do I say “sorry” or “you’re welcome”? 🙂
    Love, Mom

    Reply

Trackbacks

  7. […] To have a pretty reading nook in her bedroom is the dream of every teen girl and now you can make it for them and that too at no cost at all. Using half cut Papasan with me curtains and the frilled fabric to cover the canopy roof. A cute and comfy round bed with the cushions would make a lovely finishing touch to this cute book corner where your girl would just love to read some of her favorite books.Here is the tutorial realitydaydream […]

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