DIY No-Sew Teepee for Kids

Words: Crush

A favourite holiday activity for kids is building forts from blankets and sheets. Why not upgrade to a very nifty teepee? This no-sew teepee for kids is easy to make and can be a project that moms or dads can do with just a few items. Kid-tested and approved!

No-Sew Teepee for Kids

What you’ll need for your No-Sew Teepee for Kids

4 x 1.8 m x 32 mm diameter wooden poles
1 x 1.2m x 6 m laminated canvas drop cloth (we purchased ours from a local paint shop)*
rope or thick twine of your choice
4-6 screws (length should not exceed the diameter of the poles)
drill + drill bit to fit the thickness of your rope/twine.
scissors
sticky tape
a pencil
6 large bulldogs clips (optional but useful for draping)
electric screwdriver

optional
whitewash paint
fairy lights

Getting Started

Start by painting your wooden poles with whitewash paint. They should only need 1 layer if you want to achieve a distressed look.

No-Sew Teepee for Kids
No-Sew Teepee for Kids

Next, drill a whole about 22 cm from the top of the first pole. Take your twine or rope and seal the edge with a piece of sticky tape, this will make it easier to feed through the hole. Feed through the hole, but do not cut the rope yet.

No-Sew Teepee for Kids
No-Sew Teepee for Kids

Stack your poles roughly in a teepee format to see how they will stand. Mark where to drill your next holes, they should roughly line up, but this depends on how wide you want your teepee to stand.

No-Sew Teepee for Kids
No-Sew Teepee for Kids

Drill the rest of the holes and then thread the rope through the final three, tie the open end with a strong, secure knot and snip off the sticky-taped end. You may need an extra pair of hands to help hold the poles up at this point. Arrange the teepee legs at the angle you want them, then wrap your rope/twine around the top several times to secure, go up and under with the rope – in order to do this you will need to cut your rope with enough length to secure and tie.

No-Sew Teepee for Kids
No-Sew Teepee for Kids

Assembling your No-Sew Teepee

Next, spread out the legs of your teepee to the correct spacing. Take the canvas drop cloth and fold to the middle, cut down the middle widthways. Take the first fully edged piece of cloth and drape at the front of the teepee, where you would want the opening to be. Allow to drape right to the floor and use a bulldog clip to hold in place. Repeat the drape on the other side of the opening to form your doorway, clip to secure.

Pull the material tightly up and around the back of the teepee, crossing over to cover the back – there will be some overlap. Clip in place. The draping is really up to how you want it to look, the most important thing to remember is to pull it taut across the back poles so that it is neat and doesn’t bulge on the inside. The drop sheet is long enough to wrap around and cover the back from each side and should not need to be sewed.

Use an electric screwdriver to place screws strategically to hold the canvas in place, and then remove bulldog clips. Attached a string of battery powered fairy lights to the top or on the inside of the teepee.

Finishing Touches

Fill the inside of the teepee with soft blankets, throws and pillows and your child’s favourite books and toys.

*canvas drop cloths/sheets come in varying sizes, check the size of the one you buy and ensure that it will have enough width or length to drape your teepee.

No-Sew Teepee for Kids

Every teepee needs a fireplace! Check out our Flameless Indoor Fireplace

Check out our other DIY projects.

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