I have been hard at work trying to finish my kids' playroom up in our bonus room and have been adding the final few projects. One of the things they have been asking for is a cute child-sized play teepee, so I I teamed up with Fabric.com and set out to make one for them. It may just be one of my favorite things I have ever made.
This teepee is pretty simple to make, following the pattern linked below. I will share all of my tips and how-to's to hopefully make the process smooth for you. I will also share affiliate source links, etc. because this check is probably one of the cutest fabrics I have ever used. Even if you aren't making a teepee, it would be so pretty as pillows too!
Plan for an afternoon to make this one (or late at night if you are like me). It took me about 3 1/2 hours total and it wasn't difficult to make at all. The most time consuming part for me was cutting out the pieces, but that is just because I used a plaid print and wanted my lines to match up. It is a pretty easy pattern to follow, and the end product is very well made. I love that it has actual pockets for the poles (some teepees I have noticed just have the fabric laying over the rods and don't have pockets to hold it into place).
To make your teepee, you will need:
- This cute teepee pattern
- Medium to heavy weight fabric - 4 yards (see below for my notes- I used about 5 yards)
- Poles per pattern requirements
- nylon rope
My Notes
I wanted to use a medium weight fabric that was durable and washable, and this was perfection. It wasn't so heavy that my sewing machine couldn't handle it, but it is much stronger than a typical cotton. It is a printed cotton duck and I love it- the Premier Prints Anderson Check in French Grey. I highly recommend looking at all of the medium weight Premier Prints on Fabric.com for this project because I love how adorable and simple they all are and like I said, they ended up being the perfect weight (in my opinion) too. Everything shipped so quickly, so I was able to make my teepee in no time.
Just one quick important note: The pattern calls for 60" wide fabric, and the premier prints are 54" wide. I chanced it because I really wanted this adorable Grey check, and it actually ended up fitting perfectly! I would recommend ordering a little extra in case you need the wiggle room though. I ended up using a little extra- less than an additional yard- just so my plaid stripes lined up perfectly on all sides, so it was nice to have it.
Also, please note- the pattern didn't say to do this, but I washed, dried and pressed my fabric before I cut out my pattern pieces. I want my tent cover to be washable and didn't want it to shrink when I wash it later. Now, all I have to do is slip the cover off of the poles and throw it in the wash (I will hang dry from here on out) whenever it needs it.
The pattern calls for using PVC pipes for the poles, but I wanted mine to be wood. It costs a bit extra and doesn't show on the inside like I had originally thought, so those are things to take into consideration. I just picked mine up at the hardware store and had them cut the wood to size for me while I was there. I didn't end up having to make adjustments for the size of the pockets, but I would recommend double checking before sewing them.
So far it is a hit with my kids. They love it! All 3 of them sit inside and giggle and "hide." I love toys that can be easily stored away, pulled out and set up in seconds. I can't wait to show you what it looks like up in the playroom! It is ADORABLE.
We love being outside, and I love that the teepee transitions from indoors to outdoors.
This boy melts me. He collects sticks and rocks and he has my heart. I am always finding rocks in his bed, on his dresser, in his pockets- everywhere. I think it is so sweet. It makes me so thankful to have a boy (two actually) to make life such an adventure!
If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask! I know you will love this sweet teepee.
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