How To Make A Teepee Tent? A Simple Sew-Free Method

How To Make A Teepee Tent
A Teepee Tent

Are you looking for an effortless way to make a Teepee Tent? If so, there is no need to go through several articles. You can make your own DIY Teepee tent by following the simple methods mentioned in this article. Keep reading and learn how to make a Teepee tent for your children, pet, or outdoor picnics. 

To make a Teepee tent, first, you have to make a pole frame to provide a structure to your tent. Making the frame is easy; you only need to tie all the poles with a rope. After making the frame, cover it with canvas cloth. To secure the cloth, attach it to the poles

Isn’t it too simple? However, you might not have a clear idea by reading the above 2-3 lines. To know about the methods elaborately, continue reading the article. If you are planning to going outdoor then you need the Best Teepee Tent for Camping.

Six Simple Steps To Make A Teepee Tent

Making a Teepee tent is not a great deal of work. Following a DIY method, you can easily make this tent with some simple ingredients.

Remember, you can make a Teepee tent of any size. You can make small ten for your toddler or pet or a tent for a few people to fit in. No matter what tent size you want to build, just remember to gather poles and canvas by keeping the Teepee size in your mind.

For example, if you want a small size Teepee, four poles, and a 6×9’ canvas is enough. However, if you want to make a larger Teepee tent, increase the number of poles and canvas size. To make a spacious tent, use 15×30 feet of canvas cloth.

Below here, I have explained the process of making a small-size Teepee that is suitable for your toddlers and pets. Before you dig into the methods, gather the following materials-

  • Thick Dowels 
  • Screws 
  • Long rope
  • Small rope
  • Poles 
  • Canvas or thick fabric 

Once you collect the materials, follow the below steps-

1. Choose The Tent Fabric Material

tent material
Tent material

Choosing what material you will use to make your teepee tent is essential. Before selecting the material, you must keep in mind whether the material is strong enough to use for outdoor fun. So, if you want your teepee tent suitable for indoors and outdoors, use canvas or any strong good quality fabric to cover the tent. 

It is best to choose canvas for a teepee tent because it is heavy. So, it stays over the tent and folds within the poles without much effort. However, if you could not manage a canvas, any strong thick fabric would do the job. 

Now, if you want to make a teepee with enough space for a comfortable get-in, it is best to take a canvas of 15×30 feet.

2. Prepare The Tent Poles

Prepare The Tent Poles
Tent Poles

Once you choose the fabric, it is now time to prepare the poles. Preparing the poles is one of the most crucial steps in making a teepee tent. The poles must be strong enough to hold the structure of the teepee tent. 

Now, to make the teepee tent as per my method, you will require four poles. After you buy the poles from the market, follow the below-mentioned steps to prepare the poles to make them suitable for creating a teepee tent-

  • Smoothen the rough patches of the poles with sandpaper.
    [Note: You might need a pocket knife to smoothen the poles if they have too many rough patches.]
  • To make the pole long-lasting, coat the pole with turpentine and linseed oil.

That’s all you need to do to prepare the pole. Remember, if you do not prepare the poles, then it will be hard to tuck in the canvas with the pole. Also, it is essential to smoothen out the pole for safety purposes.

3. Get A Rope

The rope is another material for making your DIY teepee tent. But what type of rope to choose? It is a crucial question because not all ropes are suitable for making a teepee tent. You will need such kind of rope with a firm grip on the poles that will not get slipped. Now, a perfect rope for making a teepee tent is the Manila rope.

4. Tie The Rope With The Poles

It is a crucial step that you must follow, and while doing this step, you must be careful. The safety of your tent depends on this step. Remember, tying the pole altogether is easy if you follow the process carefully. 

To tie the poles together with a rope, follow the below-mentioned steps-

Step 1 

Take a large rope and take a lighter or candle to burn both ends of the rope. Next, drill a pole at 5 inches to make a hole in it. Put the rope through the pole’s hole and secure the end by tying the knot. 

Step 2 

Next, you have to drill another pole and mark the pole as pole#2. Before drilling the second pole, it is best to make a fake teepee with all four poles to measure the hole distance. Set the poles in such a way that the front part of the teepee is wider and the back part is narrower. 

After you set it, measure the distance and drill a hole in the second pole. 

Step 3 

Take the other end of the rope and put it through pole number 2. Now, wrap the rope around Pole#1 and Pole#2 to make sure the poles are steady. 

Step4 

For Pole number 3, find the distance where it would be best to drill it. Then, like in step#3, tie Pole#3 with the rope and attach it to the other two poles. 

Step 5

Now, you are left with pole number 4. Repeat Step#4 to tie Pole#4 and then use the remaining part of the rope to wrap over and under many times.

5. Put the Canvas Over the Poles Structure

Follow the below steps to put the canvas or any fabric that you chose to put over the pole structure you made-

  • Open the cloth or canvas and put it in a horizontal position. 
  • Next, find the center of the canvas. 
  • Drap the canvas from the back side of the Teepee and cover the top part of the Teepee. 
  • To secure the canvas, attach it to the pole with a screw by drilling the pole. 
  • Next, drape the canvas around the poles’ sides and dig the excess cloth under to ensure the canvas is tight.

6. Stake The Canvas

There is no need to stake your canvas or the tent fabric to the base if you keep the Teepee indoors. However, if you take your Teepee tent outdoors, staking it to the floor will protect it from strong winds.

To stake the Teepee Tent to the floor or ground, follow the below steps-

  • Cut a hole on each side of the canvas. 
  • Dig metal stakes on the floor or ground. 
  • Then, connect the hole and the metal stake with a small rope. 

Here you go! Now, you have a nice DIY tepee tent suitable for indoors and outdoors.

Let's watch the video and learn How To Make A Teepee Tent?

FAQ

What shape is a Teepee? 

Teepee tents are cone-shaped tents. It stands with the help of a pole frame structure. The tip of the poles gives a cone-shaped structure to the tent. This type of tent was popular among the Red Indians. 

Are Teepees strong? 

Teepee tents are strong but not unbreakable. They can resist harsh weather conditions like strong winds and stormy weather. However, Teepee tents cannot fight against heavy snowfall due to excess load.  

What is the base of the Teepee? 

Poles are the main base of the teepee. Without poles, it is not possible to make a Teepee tent. To make a Teepee, first, you have to give a frame to the tent with the help of the poles.

Final Words

That is all about how to make a Teepee tent. The method mentioned in this article is one of the easiest and hassle-free ways to make a Teepee tent. Moreover, it is a sew-free method; you only need a few elements to make a Teepee-shaped tent. 

Remember, the size of the Teepee depends on how many people you want to fit in there. Once you determine the size, gather the poles and canvas of your desired size to build your own DIY Teepee. I hope, after reading this article, you will be able to make your own Teepee tent. Happy camping!

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