kids wigwam

[kiwibella]

has anyone made a play tent - really wigwam style? I am thinking about giving it a go for my dd but looking for tips or advice.

I use the whirly washing line and peg blankets around and on tOp. Doesn't work on windy days mind. It would be easy with garden canes and string tho surely?

Can do with garden canes, cut them down to size if need be. Mum had an old blanket that was perfect and didn't hurt if left outside for a night or two in the holidays. MiL made a cover with a pattern she found on the internet, not sure where though. My grandparents used to do a teepee in the veg plot for the runner beans and leave a few canes out so us kiddies could play inside. I love tents and can't wait until DD is big enough and I can get me a wendy house. She's 5 months old at the mo tho

thanks both. We have canes in that shape for the beans in the vege patch but there is NO way dh would let dd in there to play!! I'll have to think some more about how to make a cover for the canes.

My Mum made one for DD. The poles are plastic coated garden canes. The bottom is red waterproof material and the main part is a heavy duty canvas. It's actually the remains of an old canvas wardrobe. :) It's fab! if only it was big enough to camp in.
I'll hunt for some pictures and put them on my profile.

do you mean a teepee?. I only know the difference because I googled when I made one. Picture should be on my profile. Let me know if you want a general gist of how to do it.

bumper, that's exactly what I want. I don't know about the difference in names but I have seen them locally advertised as wigwams... and for £100!!

Ooh love the kitchen and mei tai Bumper. I fancy having a go at making a mei tai is it easy?
And yes you're right they are actually teepee's :o
Pictures of DD's are on my profile now.

Sorry, there was meant to be a in there, I was just teasing!

Anyway, basic gist is 6 bamboo canes (you'll need to sand the ends as they can be pretty nasty when they splinter), some fabric (I'd recommend something quite thick, mine is an upholstery fabric, was only £5/m, or you can get canvass pretty cheap on ebay). Make 6 (I think, depends on no. of canes I suppose, don't think it matters, you can do 3+) triangles, lop of a little of the tops of them and sew together to make a hexagon, the front is only half sewn. Use elastic loops inside the cover to hold the canes, and use string to tie up the top (it can stay tied up). Is that clear enough?

yes, perfect. I should have realised it would be hexagonal shape (with six canes). It seems so obvious now!
Off for a looksee at yours too bilblio... thanks

yours looks great too!! Especially love the colour contrast

Fairly easy Biblio, if you know how to use a machine (which I just barely do - the teepee was my first project!) and if you just concentrate and don't go barrelling in like I tend to do!

This website has lots of link to tutorials, I sort of looked at a lot and made my own up, and used a friend's Baby Hawk as a guide too. PM me if you want more advice, or start another thread (or do a search, there are a few previous threads) so we don't completely hijack kiwibella's! There is also a DIY section on the NaturalMamas website too.

Great teepee BTW, mine doesn't have anything as complicated as a floor!

Kiwi, I originally got my pattern from This book. If you can afford it I'd really recommend it, as it has ideas for different types of play tents, it's lovely. I'd offer to lend you mine but it is actually a library book (which seems to have taken up permanent residence here )

Doesn't have to be 6 canes though, you could do it with as little as 3, you'd just have wider panels, and only 3 of them.

For the record a wigwam is circular like this

Actually thinking about it on my honeymoon I stayed in a tipi... just to confuse matters more . :o

The splintering issue is why we opted for plastic bamboo canes. They're a bit more expensive but stronger and won't split.

Most projects by my Mum end up being complicated. Mum is great at sewing and Dad was an engineer. :o

Thanks for the mei tei advice, I'll go hunting for patterns now.

I am not endorsing this woman in any shape or form, but... see here

www.facebook.com/DadsworkshopFleetwood have a look this page, they sell kids fabric tents:)