We’ve started somewhat of a tradition when it comes to the girls’ birthday presents around here. Granted, Zoey has only celebrated two and Lizzy just celebrate her first, but we’re definitely sensing a bit of a theme. DIY. Go figure, right? We built a play kitchen for Zoey’s first birthday and a train table (similar to this) for her second birthday, so when it came time for Lizzy’s first birthday we only assumed that we’d be getting our hands dirty.
So, what did we make? A play tent! The girls LOVES hiding under blankets and makeshift forts in the living room, so we only assumed a real tent would make all her wildest, one-year-old dreams come true. If you follow us on Instagram then you may have already gotten a sense of her reaction. She hearts it.
And I’d be lying if I said I haven’t spent my fair share amount of time in it.
The design is pretty simple, being an a-frame, but we followed this tutorial for anyone else looking to build their own.
I lined the inside with a few throw pillows and faux sheepskins for a soft place to land and a basket to coral books. The girls have already spent countless hours cuddling up inside here.
We did run into one tiny problem when constructing the tent – the fabric didn’t seem to fit as snuggly as we’d imagined. So I lined the supports and the edges of the fabric with velcro.
Much better.
Lizzy’s room doesn’t quite have the space to accommodate the tent, so for now it’s in Zoey’s room. We plan to have them share a room in the near future, so we figure that’s best anyway.
And for anyone looking to recreate the look, there’s a quick source list below.
Tent Fabric. Yellow Pillow. Flamingo Pillow (new from Ikea, not online). Black & White Pillow. Basket. Faux Sheepskins.
Hi! I'm Jessie, a wife, mother of two girls, and an interior design fanatic. My husband Rick and I just purchased our second home, a 1950's ranch in dire need of some TLC, in our hometown of Cincinnati, OH. To find out more, click 
The tent is cute and cozy and I just love the flamingo pillow! Very creative and so qfun for the girls
Wow, this is SO beautiful! My little man would LOVE a tent like this! Add that to the honey-do list
LOVE it! It adds so much to the room! I would have loved something like when I was younger! So creative and thoughtful!
Love it! It may have just inspired me to create one for my niece’s first birthday coming up. Thanks for sharing!
Out of curiosity…… Why will the girls share a room? Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I shared a room with my younger sister too!
We’ve always loved the idea of having the girls share a room. They’re only 16 months apart, so we’re hoping that they’ll be really close and sharing a room could be a lot of fun for them. Plus, we’re hoping to make one bedroom an office or playroom (still up in the air) so that only leaves one other bedroom for future kiddos, even with them sharing a space. So, I guess lots of reasons, haha!
xo,
Jessie
This is lovely (and perfect timing)! My daughter, Ruby, is turning one in just over a month, and I’ve been toying with the idea of making her a play tent or teepee. She, too, seems like she loves “forts”! I love yours with that floral fabric, it’s perfect.
unrelated question…(though great play tent, by the way!)…can i ask why you would like your girls to share a room? i’m only asking because i have two boys, just over two years apart (youngest is 1.5), and i’m thinking i might like them to share, eventually, and i’m wondering about the pros and cons–i haven’t fully thought it through!
thanks! wilma
Seems like a popular question today! We’re just hoping that they’ll be best buds and really love sharing a space. And we won’t have an abundance of extra bedrooms, as we hope to turn one into an office or playroom. We’ll definitely share the details as we make the transition! I’m sure it’ll be a wild ride
xo,
Jessie
So cute! Love the fabric choice.
So cute! And the flamingo pillow is officially on my shopping list
This is adorable! I’m going to make one for my boy this weekend. I think he’ll love it! So much for waiting til birthdays for new toys!
I have a question about the fabric it says online there is purple in it but i don’t see it…is the darker blue a purple? I have light violet walls with some red furniture and was looking for something to tie them together.
By the way I love your blog, your style is perfect! I always look forward to your posts