DIY No Sew Teepee for Under $30

Designing a nursery on a budget can be a challenging but fun project to tackle. One of my goals when I started planning my daughters room was to create cohesive but separate spaces throughout her room. I wanted it to be a space where she could play for hours without getting bored and where her imagination could flourish.

What better way to do that than with a teepee? A teepee is the perfect place for a child to be creative and play make believe. It is a magical space for cuddling up with a book or playing pretend. It takes you out of the bedroom and into a whole new world.

I browsed Pinterest and got some ideas for my teepee and then basically just went at it from scratch. The whole thing was surprisingly easy to build. Minus the time I took shopping for supplies the whole process took about six hours. For some reason I cannot start a project and leave it in the middle, so I ended moving my daughter out of her bedroom for the night so I could finish it all in one evening.

Materials you will need:

• Five Boards (2″x1″x8′) – $4.85 total at Home Depot
• Three Spools of Tulle (6″x100′) – $4.70ea + $2.25 shipping (Total $16.35)
• I bought them HERE and was really impressed with this seller. The items were in perfect condition when they arrived and they shipped much faster than I expected. I bought coral, yellow and white.
• Two Spools of Ribbon – $3.94 total at Walmart
• Twine (or yarn) – $2.00 at Walmart
• A Glue Gun – I already had one but they are under $2.67 at Walmart
• Total Cost = $29.81

Step 1: The Frame

1. To start out I sawed about 1ft off the top of each of the boards. I already own a small Skilsaw, but if you don’t have one they will cut the boards for free at Home Depot when you buy them. You don’t have to do this, 8ft just felt too tall for the spaces I was working with.
2. The next step was the most difficult part of the whole process, assembling the frame. After that everything was downhill. Grab the twine and start with only two of the five boards. Tie the boards together, about 1.5ft from the top. Have the 2in side of each board pressed flat against that of the other and place the bottom of each board on the floor the width apart that you want the inside floor of the teepee to be. I had the ends about 4ft apart, make sure you have the width correct because after you begin wrapping the twine it is difficult to adjust.
3. Tie the twine around one board near the intersection of the boards and then just start wrapping! Wrap in every direction multiple times until the boards feel securely attached to each other.
4. Next you are going to want to attach one more board. Place the 1in flat of the board directly in the center, where the first two boards intersect. This will be the back of your teepee. Again make sure the width between the ends of the three boards looks right for your space. Once you have it in place start wrapping the twine until the third board is secure.
5. The last two boards are going to create the entrance to the teepee. Place them in the two gaps between the two side boards and the center back board. These were the most difficult boards to fit in, but they will complete your teepee shape so make sure you get them just right before you start wrapping. You may have to play around a bit to get these to fit nicely.

Wrap as much twine as you can, go under, around, and every other direction to make sure the top is secure from every angle. Remember that you want this to be toddler proof, so you can’t tie it too securely. Once it feels strong tie off the end.

Step 2: The Covering

1. To the covering you will want to wrap tulle around each board of wood. This way any rough edges of wood are not exposed, minimizing the risk of slivers, plus it looks super cute! Tie the tulle in a knot around the top of the board and spiral it around to the bottom. Hold it in place with a dab of glue from the hot glue gun at the bottom of each board.
2. Next you will cut about forty 6ft lengths of tulle, ten for each of the four panels (this length may vary depending on where you tied your boards together). Cut equal amounts of each color. Once you have your lengths divide them into four piles for each of the four panels of the teepee wall.
3. Next cut two 2ft lengths of ribbon, wrap one of them around the top of the teepee where the boards intersect, as if you were going to tie it with the ends hanging evenly. Mark on the inside of the ribbon where the two ends would intersect. Mark again in the middle of the ribbon and then divide each of those two sections in half again. Each of these four sections will cover one panel of your teepee.
4. Next you are going to bunch up the ends of each length of tulle and sandwich them, with a little hot glue, between the two ribbons. Make sure to distribute them equally among the four groups across the ribbon, so that afterwards you can tie the ribbon around the teepee and the lengths will hang evenly among the four panels. It will kind of look like you are making an extra long tutu!
5. Once the glue has dried tie the ‘tutu’ around the top of the teepee and divide the lengths so they are hanging in the proper panel. Now ignore them for a few minutes.
6. Take the extra thick ribbon. Wrap one end of the ribbon around the end of the of the board on the right side of the entrance. Attach the end of the ribbon to itself with a little bit of glue so that you create a pocket for the the foot of the board.
7. Next carefully wrap the ribbon around the base of the teepee measuring as you go so you create the right length to surround the bottom of the teepee. Once you get around to the other side create another pocket for the other entrance board by folding the ribbon back over itself. Bring the ribbon back around the inside of the teepee this time. Each time you reach a board, put a dab of glue on the ribbon each side of the board to attach the inside and outside ribbon, this way you create a pocket for every board end.
8. Lastly you are going to pull the tulle between the two ribbons for each panel, spread the tulle out evenly and then glue the two ribbons together with the tulle inside. Once that is complete cut the extra tulle away to create a clean edge at the bottom of the ribbon.

Step 3: Accessorize

I tied extra ribbons and tulle around the top of the teepee and let it all dangle, then glued a lace flower to the center. I also glued a little piece of ribbon around the top of each board.

The finishing touches included a pink silk handmade blanket, given to me by a patient at the clinic I used to work at, and a faux fur rug from Walmart. I also put a mini ottoman inside that I made myself for under $20! I will make a tutorial for that soon.

This has probably been one of my most loved DIY projects. My sweet little Zoey loves to cuddle on the rug and play with her “babies” in this cozy space. It is also where we read books together, I have spent many hours on this comfy rug with her cuddled on my lap while we read a book!