Pleasant Projects: Making Your Own Teepee Tent

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, and playtime moving indoors more and more as the weather cools down, this is a great time of year to make a teepee tent!  I made this one several years ago after seeing one my friend had made. It is still a favorite with our little ones. It is cozy spot for doing a puzzle or reading a book...even taking a nap! I love to pull it out on rainy days and during the Thanksgiving season when we are reading books about native Americans.We have even used it for special events at church.  In case you are wondering, it can also be easily folded and stored in a closet or under a bed when not in use....I love that!

This tent was made using these directions from Sew, Mama, Sew as a spring board. ( If you have been reading this blog for very long you know how bad I am about following directions exactly. Look closely at the back of the tent you will see a circular "peep-hole"...yup, my first attempt at cutting the hole for the poles was incorrect.  I was going to just patch it in some colorful fabric, but it  turns out that it is really fun to have a little toilet-paper-roll-sized "window" for spying! )  I was easily able to acquire bamboo poles and a painter's drop cloth at our local hardware super store. For a punch of color I  used hot glue to secure the blue rick rack and red craft paint for the stars and circles.  I had a star stencil in my craft box and simply dipped the bottom end of a Crayola marker in the paint for the circles that are seen along the bottom edge of the canvas. I found a red bandanna  in our dress-up box and used it to cover the rubber bands that are holding the bamboo poles together at the top. The possibilities for decorations are endless. I think it would be lots of fun to let your children decorate the canvas for themselves. I'd love to see what designs you come up with, so send me a photo if you make one!  Happy Crafting!!