Creating cozy spots throughout the home during the Fall and Winter is a great way for kids to pass their days indoors. Our girls love to set up make-shift tents with blankets and play pretend hide-out. I once bought them a tend that took up a lot of room and did not hold up very well. So I have decided to create one so they could play.
I have fallen in love with the look of Indian Teepees (I have seen it spelled Tepee, too). But they are so pricey and I just could not stomach paying almost $100 for a Teepee. The lowest of seen is $65 which I almost bought but gave it a second thought. I searched around on Youtube to find ideas of how to make them and they seemed fairly easy. So I gave it a try and it really are an easy project. And since it was made for our two little princesses (almost 5 and 3) I used colors that will match their girly room.
To make a similar tent you will need:
- 5 pieces of wood (I chose about 6ft each)
- 3 pieces of curtains (I had some 50×84 inches at home)
- 1 Power drill
- A spool of rope
- 1 Piece of pretty ribbon or rope (about 3 ft)
- A pair of scissors
- A safety pin
- A sharpie
- A ruler or measuring tape
- A small pointed item
The wood was all I needed to buy. I had the folks at Home Depot size and cut them for me.
Note: I chose them long enough so our almost 5 year old would fit plus I wanted to leave enough space down for tying the curtain.
I also bought some ply wood (3ft each) to use as a base for the teepee but I did not use it. I wanted to see if the tent would hold up before applying the base.
Hubby drilled a whole in each one. The hole should be big enough to thread the size of the rope.
To drill the holes, measure them with the ruler or tape measure 1 ft down from one end. Mark the spot with a sharpie. Then drill the holes.
Once the holes are drilled, we threaded a piece of rope through them. Hubby used a thin drill to push the rope through the holes (not sure of the size of the bit). But the holes and rope will make the tent stable.
Remember you only need one piece of rope to go through all the holes to hold them together.
Loosely tie them around with the rope like this.
Spread out each piece of wood according to how wide you want the tent to be. Then use a good amount of rope to tighten the top. It is best to set it up in the space where you wan to keep it.
Note: To make a base as mentioned above, drill holes on both the ply and on the bottom of each teepee leg. Thread rope through them to hold in place. Using a rope will make it easier if you decide to move it later, like trough a doorway. Just loosen the rope to disassemble.
Take the safety pin and attach it to one end of the ribbon.
Use it to push the ribbon through the curtains.
Pull them together around the teepee, over the rope. And tie a pretty bow.
Spread out the curtains around the tent. The teepee and is done!
Add a comfi rug or blanket.
Some soft throw pillows.
Books and a stuffed animal.
And there it is – all cute for two little princesses (and one little baby prince who thinks it is funny to try yanking the curtains down)!
This tent is portable and can easily be moved around if you loosen the ropes. Be sure to tighten them tightly during set up or the kids could easily knock it down.
What do you think? Does it seem easy enough to make? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments below.
I had been thinking about getting the grands a teepee for Christmas, but they are really expensive and I was wondering how well they would hold up. Making one yourself is a great idea and I’m impressed with how easy it is to make. You and your husband did an amazing job and I know your little princesses (and your little prince) are enjoying this!
Thank you Alli – they are quite expensive and I did not feel like spending that kind of money. I did not think about the holding up part but that is something to consider.
This turned out so elegant! I’ve seen a lot of tee-pees, but I’ve never seen one so PRETTY, Zan!
Thank you so much for your sweet compliment Kristen!
This turned out so cute! One of my friends just bought her boys a teepee and spent $65 or so and she wishes it were bigger. This is a great alternative!
I know – they do cost around that price. You said they are small, hmm well that bums it!
This is such a cool project. I’m sure your kids love playing in your DIY teepee. I won’t be able ot make one fo these because I’m not a handywoman, but I love that you created this.
Ha ha…well, I am not sure that I would call myself handy…If it took longer I most likely would have been frustrated.
What fun!! My grandkids would love this!
How cute is this teepee idea! It looks fairly easy to make and I love how you can customize the colors if you make it yourself, not to mention the fact that it’s much cheaper too! Thanks for the great tutorial!
Thank you Joscelyn! I like that you can customize it however you want, too. Plus I am all about saving money!
That’s really pretty. I had this idea to make one for my son as we are in the process of making him a toddler room and preparing the nursery for the new one due in September, but after some research I ended up just with a baby mattress on the floor with a nice cover and lots of cushions and looks like a sofa as t looked a bit intimidating drilling holes and all that. But I really want one of these teepees and they are really expensive at shops so might give it another go for the nursery. Can put some lights in and colour to make it more like a sensory for the new baby
Congratulations with the new baby soon to come! This one was super easy to make and lights will be a great addition. Teepees are so much fun for little kids:)