Four Poster Bed Canopy Fitting Guide
A four poster bed canopy — also called canopy bed curtains, four poster bed curtains, bed drapes or a bed canopy net — is a fabric canopy with a ceiling and four full-length drapes that fits over the top rails of a four poster or canopy bed frame. Once a way to keep warm and private, today it is mostly about the look: it softens the frame, makes the bed the centrepiece of the room and creates a cosy, enclosed place to sleep.
Most four poster and canopy beds sold in Australia and New Zealand come as a bare frame. To dress one, measure the outside of the top rails and choose a bed canopy whose ceiling is at least that size. Our box bed canopies come in natural cotton, sheer polyester or pure silk, and tie, pin or drape straight onto the rails — or you can suspend them from the ceiling if your bed has no posts. Each one also works as a mosquito net when properly sized, hung and sealed.
Before and after: one four poster bed, three looks
A bare four poster bed.
Tied
Tied to the top rails, drapes gathered at each post.
Pinned
Pinned taut to the top rails for a flat canopy top.
Draped
Placed straight over the rails, drapes gathered at the corners.
Step 1 · Measure your four poster bed frame
Bed sizes vary between makers, so measure the frame itself, not the mattress. You need three measurements, in centimetres:
- Length: outside edge to outside edge of the long top rails, head to foot.
- Width: outside edge to outside edge of the short top rails, side to side.
- Height: floor to the top of the rails.
Measure the top rails, because that is where the canopy attaches.
Step 2 · Compare with our bed canopy sizes
Choose the canopy whose ceiling length and width are as close as possible to your rail measurements, without being smaller. If you plan to tie the canopy on, it can be up to about 2.5 cm smaller than the rails — tying gives a little more flexibility than pinning.
| Bed canopy size | Ceiling L × W | Australian mattress (for reference) |
|---|---|---|
| Single (also King Single) | 210 × 110 cm (83″ × 43″) | 92 × 187 cm |
| Double | 210 × 150 cm (83″ × 59″) | 138 × 187 cm |
| Queen | 220 × 170 cm (86″ × 67″) | 153 × 203 cm |
| King | 230 × 200 cm (91″ × 79″) | 183 × 203 cm |
| Super King | 230 × 250 cm (91″ × 98.5″) | 203 × 203 cm |
All sizes are 220 cm (86″) high.
Shop by size: Single · Double · Queen · King · Super King
Shopping from New Zealand? NZ bed names differ from Australian ones. A NZ King (about 165 cm wide) usually suits our King canopy, and a NZ Super King (about 183 cm wide) matches an Australian King. Measure your frame's top rails and choose from the chart.
Step 3 · Choose your look
- Tailored: choose the size closest to your top rail measurements and tie, pin taut or drape straight over for a clean style with a flat canopy top.
- Billowing: choose a few centimetres larger, or go up a size, and tie it on. The extra fabric gathers softly into the corners for a fuller, romantic drape, and the canopy ceiling falls in soft billows.
A larger canopy is never wasted — it is a style choice. A canopy smaller than your bed rails will not fit.
Not sure? Contact us with your measurements and a photo of your bed.
Shop by fabric: Natural 100% cotton · Sheer polyester · Pure silk
Step 4 · Check the height
All our bed canopies are 220 cm high.
On a frame lower than 220 cm the extra length falls onto the floor; you can also gather the drapes with the external ties or your own decorative tiebacks. On a frame taller than 220 cm the drapes finish above the floor. If you also want the canopy working as a mosquito net, the drapes need to reach the floor or tuck in around the mattress.
Step 5 · Tie, pin, drape or suspend
Tying
Lay the canopy on the bed, tie the ceiling ties around the top rails, gather any extra fabric into the corners, and tie each corner to its post with the external ties or your own tiebacks. Looks great on timber and metal frames, and on rattan and Bali-style beds.
Pinning
Mark the midpoint of each top rail, and of each side of the canopy ceiling, with a pen. Pin the canopy midpoints to the rail midpoints, then pin outwards towards the corners, stretching the ceiling taut and gathering any excess fabric into the corners. Best on timber rails and for the tailored look. Drawing pins (thumbtacks) or upholstery pins pushed through the reinforced hems into the top face of the rails, where they can't be seen, do minimal damage to either the canopy or the bed frame. Pinning isn't possible on metal frames.
Draping
Drape the box-shaped canopy over the top rails, gather the drapes into each corner and tie them around the corner posts.
Suspend from the ceiling
No poster bed, or a frame that doesn't suit? Hang the canopy from the ceiling with four hooks, one above each corner. Without a frame, add two more hooks, one at the midpoint of each long side, to keep the ceiling level. For a crisp, square canopy, hang it on a frame:
- Hidden curtain-rod frame: our canopies have a fabric sleeve sewn into the ceiling; the curtain-rod frame slides through it and joins at each corner with an elbow.
- Bamboo or timber frame: bamboo gives a wonderful tropical look; for a more formal look, use solid timber dowel.
Adjust the height with cord until the ceiling is level and the drapes finish where you want. Our 4-point hanging kit has the hooks and cord, and our metal frame suits box canopies.
Suspended from four ceiling points — suits beds without posts.
Bamboo or timber frame
Hidden curtain-rod frame
Ready to choose? See all our four poster bed canopies in every size and fabric.
Why our bed canopies cost more than a budget set
Search for canopy bed curtains and you'll find budget sets for a fraction of the price. Here's what the difference buys:
- Sized for real poster beds: five sizes from Single to Super King, all 220 cm high.
- Complete canopies: a ceiling and four full-length drapes, not loose panels.
- Better fabrics: natural 100% cotton in our exclusive run-proof weave, sheer polyester with a 25 mm microfibre hem, or pure mulberry silk.
- Finished properly: fully hemmed, with ceiling ties, a sewn sleeve, and internal and external ties included.
- A mosquito net too: a fine mesh of 360 holes per square inch in cotton or polyester keeps mosquitoes out when the canopy is properly sized, hung and sealed — on a four poster just as when it hangs from the ceiling.
- Built to last: the same canopies hang in boutique resorts across the Pacific, Asia and the world, washed and used season after season.
- Designed by us since 1995: DreaMagic is a family business, Australian owned and operated from Lillian Rock in the Northern Rivers of NSW, and not sold on Amazon or Temu. Fast delivery — dispatched from Sydney within 1 to 2 business days, with AusPost courier delivery to New Zealand.
Beds our canopies fit
Our box bed canopies are made for four poster and canopy bed frames, including popular beds from:
King Living · Temple & Webster · Harvey Norman · IKEA · Freedom · Early Settler · Fantastic Furniture · Amart · Adairs · Domayne · Snooze
…and every common four poster style:
- Slim metal canopy frames — black, white or gold
- Square-post timber four poster beds
- Bali-style and teak poster beds
- Rattan and cane poster beds
- Painted and whitewashed poster beds, including Hamptons style
- Brass and iron poster beds
- Antique and reproduction four posters
Remember to measure your bed's top rails and choose your size from the chart — bed sizes vary between makers and models.
Brand names are used only to describe compatibility.
Bed not listed? Send us your bed measurements and a photo through our Contact Us page and we'll recommend a size.
Frequently asked questions
What size bed canopy do I need for a four poster bed?
Measure the outside of your bed's top rails, length and width, and choose a bed canopy whose ceiling is at least that size. Our ceilings are 210 × 110 cm (Single), 210 × 150 cm (Double), 220 × 170 cm (Queen), 230 × 200 cm (King) and 230 × 250 cm (Super King), all 220 cm high. If you tie the canopy on, it can be about 2.5 cm smaller than the rails.
What size canopy bed curtains fit a queen four poster bed?
An Australian queen mattress is 153 × 203 cm, and most queen poster frames measure a little more than that outside the rails. Our Queen canopy (220 × 170 cm) fits frames up to 170 cm wide and 220 cm long. If your frame is wider, or you want a fuller, billowing drape, choose the King (230 × 200 cm).
Will a bed canopy fit a king four poster bed?
An Australian king mattress is 183 × 203 cm. Our King canopy (230 × 200 cm) fits king poster frames up to 200 cm wide, or about 202 cm when tied on. For wider frames, or a billowing look, choose the Super King (230 × 250 cm).
Is there a bed canopy size chart in centimetres?
Yes — the size chart on this page lists every canopy's ceiling length and width in centimetres, with inches alongside. Every size is 220 cm high.
Do your bed canopies fit New Zealand beds?
Yes. New Zealand bed names differ from Australian ones: a NZ King (about 165 cm wide) usually suits our King canopy, and a NZ Super King (about 183 cm wide) matches an Australian King. Measure your frame's top rails, choose from the chart, and we'll deliver to New Zealand.
Can I fit canopy bed curtains to a metal four poster bed?
Yes. Tie the canopy around the metal rails using its ceiling ties, then tie each corner to its post. Tying works on any rail shape and leaves no marks. Pinning isn't possible on metal frames.
Will a bed canopy fit a tall four poster bed?
Our canopies are 220 cm high. On a frame taller than that the drapes finish above the floor, which suits a decorative look. If you also want the canopy working as a mosquito net, the drapes need to reach the floor or tuck in around the mattress, so suspend the canopy from the ceiling at that height instead of tying it to the rails.
Will a bed canopy on a four poster still keep mosquitoes out?
Yes, when it is properly sized, hung and sealed. A canopy tied to a four poster works exactly as it does hung from the ceiling: the ceiling covers the top and the drapes fall around the mattress or the whole bed frame. Close the openings at night and make sure the drapes reach the floor or tuck in around the mattress.
Do four poster beds come with curtains?
Usually not. Most four poster and canopy beds sold in Australia are bare frames, so the canopy bed curtains are bought separately. Ours are made to fit those frames, in natural cotton, sheer polyester or pure silk.
Where can I buy canopy bed curtains in Australia?
DreaMagic has designed and made bed canopies and canopy bed curtains for four poster beds since 1995, from Lillian Rock in northern New South Wales. Our five sizes run from Single to Super King, dispatched from Sydney within 1 to 2 business days, with delivery to New Zealand.
Last reviewed: November 2026