11 DIY Play Tents and Forts for Kids

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Updated 12/31/20

A blue and yellow tent — Pretty Life Girls

Your kids won't want to leave these DIY play tents that are just for the kids, no adults allowed. A tent can become a magical world where your child is in charge of it all and can make-believe all day long.

Making your own DIY play tent or fort is a great way to save money. You can buy one at the store for over $100 and it won't be as good of quality as one you can make yourself. They're mostly easy projects, too. Some require sewing while others require more woodworking, but they are all fun projects that a beginner can easily tackle.

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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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Collapsible Play Tent for Kids

A Crafty Mix

What a fun play tent! This one uses PVC pipes as support and bandanas sewn together to form the outside of the tent. This 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 Tent Tutorial

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 tent that the kids are going to love.

Hula Hoop Tent Tutorial from A Beautiful Mess

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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 from Pretty Life Girls. You'll use dowels and moulding to make an A-frame and then 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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Kids Play Tent Tutorial

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 unique and smart: sheets 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 for Kids

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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How to Make a Play Tent

The TipToe Fairy

Whether it's inside or out, this DIY play tent is all about 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 the hemming portion of the sewing.

How to Make a Play Tent from The TipToe Fairy

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DIY Canvas Tent

The Merrythought

Here's a play 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. It's an easy project as well as a cheap one. 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 moulding and dowels are used to make the structure of the tent.

DIY Kids Tent from Pink Oatmeal