Since we made a garden home for the hobbits last week, it seemed only fair to make a nice spot for the fairies and elves as well. Seeing as today is the first day of summer, naturally a tent was the order of the day.
With a few quick stitches and some string our fairies and elves can now choose between. . .
. . . a simple shelter. . .
. . . a circus tent. . .
. . . and a classic Tipi made for the bumble bees.
Which would you choose?
Fairy Tents and Shelters
Materials:
- Scrap Fabric
- Needle and Thread (or sewing machine)
- Sticks
- String
A quick and easy project, this activity can be a simple or complex as you'd like. Below you'll find a few pointers for the tents you see here, but these are just a jumping off point. Your tents can have multiple rooms. You could make tree tents in the branches. Perhaps even a hammock? The possibilities are endless!
Simple Shelter:
Cut a rectangle of fabric about 8" wide and 16" long. Hem the edges if you would like. Sew string ties to each of the four corners. Push two sticks into the ground about 8" apart at the height you would like for the center of your tent. Run a piece of string between the two. Drape the fabric over these posts (the string will hold up the center). Place twig stakes into the ground at the four corners and tie the strings to them to secure the shelter.
Classic Tipi:
Break sticks or twigs so that they are all about 10" long. About 3-5 should be perfect. Lean them towards each other to make the Tipi shape. Push them into the dirt a bit so they stay in place. Take a scrap piece of fabric and wrap it around the sticks (trim where needed). Secure the fabric with string and a few colorful streamers.
Circus Tent:
Cut a square of fabric at about 8" x 8" and another piece at 33" x 5". Fold over the edge of one of the long sides of the larger piece 1/4" and sew it down. Do the same to the two short sides of the same piece. Starting at the center of one of the 8" sides of the square piece, put the wrong sides of the fabric together and begin sewing the unhemmed edge of the long strip to the 8" square. When the top is attached to the sides, turn the tent right side out. Place four twigs in the ground a little bit in from where the corners of the tent should be (twigs should be about 1" taller than the wall height). Push them into the ground about an inch. Place a twig that is an inch taller than the corner supports in the center. Pull your tent form over the twigs and adorn with flags or streamers. If you would like streamers on the top of the tent you can cut a hole in the center of the top for the twig to come through and then tie streamers to the twig (while also securing the fabric.
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With the Kids:
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~ Sarah
*Last time in Crafts and Activities: Garden Hobbit House
