Make this DIY Play Tent: It’s Super Easy + Cute

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Are you ready for one of the easiest DIY projects ever?! Seriously though, this DIY play tent is probably the quickest and easiest project that I’ve taken on in awhile and I can tell you that my hubby was thrilled that all I needed him to do was drill a couple of holes that took about 3 mins total. You can get as creative as you want with this or keep it super simple if you’re not into arts and crafts. This would make a really great gift for the holidays too, in case you’re needing budget-friendly suggestions!  I ended up setting ours up in our living room so that we could all play in it easily but it would also be great for setting up in a bedroom or even outside now that the weather has cooled down. Add some pillows, books, toys or stuffed animals and you can set the kids up for a fun afternoon of playtime. 

diy-tent-nphxmomsMaterials Needed:

  • Fabric of some sort. I went for a linen/canvas feel so that I could add paint but you could also grab any kind of print that looks good to you and skip the painting part. Tip: You can also use an old, flat bed sheet and not spend any money on fabric at all! You just need to make sure that your measurements end up being 44″ wide x 84″ (ish) tall.
  • 3/4″ rod- found ours at Home Depot for under $3 in the wood moulding section.
  • 4- 1″x2″x 4′ pine boards for the legs, I bought 2 8′ long boards and had them cut right in the wood department to length. About $12 total and you can go for cheaper if you’d like, just watch for splinters if you get rougher wood!
  • 3/4″ spade drill bit. Made all the holes in the legs in under 5 mins.
  • Thread or fabric tape to hem. I don’t have a sewing machine so I went with the fabric tape and it was so quick and easy!
  • Elastic to attach the fabric to the frame so that it’s easy to remove.
  • Any extras that you’d like. I picked up these Martha Stewart foam painters at JoAnn’s and Martha Stewart Acrylic paint in Rose Gold at JoAnn’s. I also picked up a skein of yarn to make tassels to drape across the front to dress it up a bit.

DIY Play Tent North Phoenix Moms Blog

Step 1. Measure 6″ down at center and drill a hole in each leg with the spade drill bit. Slide the 3/4″ rod in and you already have the frame done! If it’s a snug fit that’s even better so everything stays in place.

NPhxMom's DIY Play Tent

Step 2. Hem your fabric to you desired length and then make loops using elastic at each corner to attach to the frame. I used fabric tape to hem and also to attach the elastic – so, so easy!

NPhxMom's DIY Play Tent

Step 3. Now for the fun creative stuff! Paint, draw or do whatever you want. If you’re daring you can even get your kids in on it! I’m not going to lie, I’m kind of a control freak with my crafts so I did this all myself while the babes played. Tip- make sure you put a plastic sheet or something under your fabric if you’re going to paint, I did mine on our outdoor table that’s white and now it’s also polka dotted because the paint bled through the fabric! Now I have another project to repaint our table… It never ends!

NPhxMom's DIY Play Tent

Step 4. (Optional) Here’s where I decided to make a tassel garland. There are a million and one tutorials on Pinterest but here’s the gist of it. If you want large tassel pick something that’s a bigger rectangle, I went with a medium sized cutting board. You can also use cardboard or something else but I liked using something more solid. Then you wrap the yarn around it many times till you reach your desired thickness, slowly pull it off and take another piece of yarn to wrap about and inch or so down. Then cut the bottom to disconnect and even out. String alone some more yarn to make the garland and done!

NPhxMom's DIY Play Tent

And here’s the finished product getting played with immediately after I set it up. Get creative and have fun!

NPhxMom's DIY Play Tent

NPhxMom's DIY Play Tent

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Ashley
Ashley is just a sunshine loving girl who married a handsome cowboy. They’ve been married since 2011 and have a wild little girl, Harper Grey, and another girl due to arrive in April 2016. Her husband was born and raised in AZ, and though she is originally from a small town in Ohio, she has lived here for more than 18 years. She’s a hairstylist, though has embraced more of the stay-at-home-mama life these days. She has a passion for DIY projects, photography, going on adventures, style, and capturing all the little moments in between. She runs the Sunshine & Lullabies blog, where she gets to fully embrace her love for writing and photography.

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