I’ve been meaning to write about these for a while, however after speaking to a friend of mine last night who informed me that she’d just dropped £200 on one for her son, I just had to cover it sooner! This is one of the easiest DIY projects I’ve turned my hand to in a while, so it’s entirely beyond me how anyone can charge that sort of money for one. Anybody can make one of these, and you can make it as simple or elaborate as you like, It should take about half an hour to complete.
You’ll Need:
4 1¾’x6′ poplar dowels
3/8″ sisal rope
6×9′ canvas drop cloth
3 screws & 3 washers
scissors
lighter
drill
Instructions:
- Cut a large length of rope & burn the end.
- Drill hole in first pole, 5 inches in.
- String rope through the hole and tie a knot where it meets the pole.
- Create a teepee with your poles to see how they need to lay to be stable.
- Using 4 poles, it’s best to have the front wider and the back of the teepee more narrow.
- Feed the rope through pole #2, then wrap it around a couple times in various directions to secure it.
- Add pole #3 and drill the hole, feed rope & wrap.
- Repeat for pole #4. Wrap the rope over & under, then around the teepee several times.
- Open your drop cloth horizontally and find the middle.
- Start draping it from the back of the teepee & secure at the top of your teepee, with one screw. Drill a hole through the pole first, add a washer to your screw & insert screw through both fabric & pole.
- Continue draping your fabric around the sides as it falls naturally, tucking excess at the floor under, trying to keep it tight & uniform where your poles meet. Adjust your poles slightly if needed, then use a screw on each side secure the fabric.
So there you have it, that’s the basics. If you want a more detailed version and you can either sew appliques onto the fabric beforehand or hot glue gun them on. The possibilities are endless really and you can make it super comfy by adding bunting, bean bags and cushions. It’s the perfect snuggly story corner!
