18 DIY Play Tents and Forts That'll Capture Kids' Hearts

Your kids will fall in love with these DIY play tents that are built just for the kids, no adults allowed. A tent can become a magical world that your child never wants to leave, where they're in charge and can play make-believe all day long.

Making your own DIY tent or fort is simple and affordable. Some DIY tents require sewing while others require more woodworking, but they are all fun projects that a beginner can easily tackle.

Check out these ideas for DIY play tents and forts that will make your kids room, playroom, or backyard more fun.

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No-Sew Playroom Tent

The Handmade Home

This dreamy DIY tent would be the perfect place to cozy up with a stack of books. This tutorial builds a huge tent that even the grown-ups will want to enjoy, no sewing required.

No-Sew Teepee from The Handmade Home
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Viking Play Tent

Adventure In a Box

Magical play awaits your kids with this DIY Viking play tent. Built mainly out of pine boards, this is a sturdy tent that will withstand even the roughest of play. Woodworking skills are required but it's a no-sew project so you won't need any sewing experience.

Viking Play Tent from Adventure In a Box
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Easy No-Sew Kids Tent

Remodelaholic

Here's another no-sew tent that the kids would love to have. This is an easy project that will take you less than an hour to make and uses items that you probably already have on hand.

Easy No-Sew Kids Tent from Remodelaholic
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Vintage Fabric A-Frame Tent

DIY A-Frame Tent from A Beautiful Mess

This light and airy DIY tent from A Beautiful Mess is covered with vintage crocheted fabric that gives it a charming handmade look. The project shows you how to build the tent supports and then how to wrap the fabric around those supports to form the tent. This is a beginner project that anyone can tackle.

DIY A-Frame Tent from A Beautiful Mess

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Collapsible Play Tent

A Crafty Mix

This fun DIY play tent is made using PVC pipes as support and bandanas sewn together to form the outside of the tent. The tent can easily be taken down when not in use; simply take the frame apart and roll the cover around the frame.

Collapsible Play Tent for Kids from A Crafty Mix
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Hula Hoop Canopy Tent

A Beautiful Mess

This DIY play tent starts with an unusual object—a hula hoop. You'll need quite a bit of fabric for this project and it does require sewing but the outcome is a cute and cozy canopy-shaped tent that the kids are going to love.

Hula Hoop Tent Tutorial from A Beautiful Mess
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Nursery Play Tent

The DIY Mommy

This is a smaller sized tent, perfect for a toddler. If you want something bigger, directions are included on how to do so. This project does require some sewing, but it's all straight-line sewing with nothing tricky involved.

Sew a DIY Teepee Play Tent from The DIY Mommy
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A-Frame Play Tent

Pretty Life Girls

If you can drill a hole in wood, then you make this DIY play tent that uses dowels and molding to make an A-frame and fabric to make the tent cover. There are also some tips here on how to paint your tent frame to match your fabric.

A-Frame Play Tent from Pretty Life Girls

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Bed Sheet Play Tent

2 Little Hooligans

If you don't mind some sewing, this adorable DIY play tent may be the project for you. It starts with a hula hoop top and then some fabric is sewn together to form a frame. The fabric choice here is bed sheets that are used for both the upper portion and the lower portion of the tent.

Kids Play Tent Tutorial from 2 Little Hooligans
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DIY Tent with a No-Sew Cover

Our Thrifty Ideas

Here's an A-frame DIY play tent that has a no-sew cover. Wood boards are dowels are used to build the frame and then a twin size sheet along with some hook and loop fasteners is used to make the cover. When you're finished, you'll have a cute as can be tent that the kids will love.

DIY Tent for Kids from Our Thrifty Ideas
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Fleece Play Tent

The TipToe Fairy

Whether inside or out, this DIY tent is made for having fun. PVC pipe is used for the frame of this tent and fleece fabric is used for the outside. Fleece fabric is a great choice because it allows you to eliminate hemming.

How to Make a Play Tent from The TipToe Fairy
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DIY Canvas Tent

The Merrythought

Here's a DIY tent that would be great for the kids but also gives the adults a great place to cuddle under and enjoy the great outdoors. Long branches are used as the frame for the tent and then the flaps of the tent cover are tied down to the ground to provide some extra support.

DIY Canvas Tent from The Merrythought

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No-Sew DIY Kids Play Tent

Orlando Mom Collective

This adorable tent is the perfect place to hide away and make magic happen. Easy and inexpensive, it takes less than an hour and uses materials that cost less than $30. There's no sewing involved and you don't need to use any power tools to build it.

No-Sew DIY Kids Play Tent from Orlando Mom Collective
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DIY Kids Tent

Pink Oatmeal

This DIY kids tent has an A-frame structure, which means that you can fold the tent up and store it flat when it's not being used. Wood molding and dowels are used to make the structure of the tent.

DIY Kids Tent from Pink Oatmeal
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No-Sew Play Tent

Project Nursery

This DIY play tent uses PVC pipes and a drop cloth as the basis for a cute tent that doesn't require any sewing. This completely collapsible tent costs about $60 to make and will take you an afternoon or two to complete it.

No-Sew Teepee from Project Nursery
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Lacy Play Tent

A Beautiful Mess

This pretty play tent is covered with lace but you could use any type of fabric to cover it, such as drop cloth or canvas. This DIY tent takes some time to complete but the finished result is worth it.

Make Your Own Play Teepee from A Beautiful Mess

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Rustic DIY Tent

The Merrythought

This rustic DIY tent uses long branches as support, although you could use poles from the hardware store in a pinch. The special touch to this DIY tent is the lacing near the top that adds a fun and unexpected detail that you and the kids will appreciate.

Teepee DIY from The Merrythought
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Decorative DIY Tent

A Joyful Riot

If you're looking for an easy and affordable kids project, you're going to want to check out this DIY play tent. Using PVC pipes and curtains, you'll be able to put together this play tent in no time at just a fraction of what a similar one costs at the store. Little details like spray paint and a mobile attached to the top of the tent really take this tent to the next level.

Little DIY Play Teepee from A Joyful Riot

18 DIY Play Tents and Forts That'll Capture Kids' Hearts

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