Bunk Bed Book Caddy

When the boys go to bed, they allowed a half an hour or so to read books before we turn out the lights. They each start with a church book or magazine, and then can read whatever they'd like after that. They look forward to their "reading time" every night. I thought that they might like to each have a space to keep their nightly books. We keep the bookcase down stairs, so something that could easily hang on their beds to keep it simple when it's time to go to sleep.

I measured the width of their bunk beds and then folded the fabric (fleece, in this case) in half. I wanted my caddy to be 13" high, so I cut a piece 14" tall (to allow for seam allowances) and 37" wide (the width of the bed). Unfolded measurements (28"x37").

I sewed up the sides, kept the bottom folded so that I didn't have to sew it, then created a casing around the top. I left the ends open and slid in a 3/8" wooden dowel on each side. One in the front, and another in the back. This was for stability. I didn't want the fabric to sag in the front.  Then I sewed button holes through both thicknesses of fabric (front and back) so that I could hang the fabric without putting too much wear and tear on the fabric with the weight of the books.

Finally, I added a monogram and hung the caddy!

I filled each with a couple of books that I wanted them to browse, and let them fill the rest of the space with their favorites.

They turned out perfect and the boys love them!

I used fleece because that is what I had on hand. A sturdy cotton, canvas, or denim would work well. Probably better. Fleece is stretchy and could sag over time even though I have the stretch going width-wise, not length-wise. But these work perfectly for us.