I’ve received many great compliments on the play tent in my daughter’s play room, so I thought I would share the pattern that I used and a few pros and cons.
This past December, I finally got in full play room mode. With all of our daughter’s neat things that she got for Christmas, I knew that she needed a special place for her abundance of fun stuff. But I wanted it to be a “common” area- an area that we could transform over the years as she grew older, and an area that could be a fun place for her, her cousins, and her friends.
Luckily, we had such a room upstairs between the two bedrooms. So I worked on transforming the previous “sitting room” into a playful kids’ room. One of the items that I knew I wanted her to have was a play tent or teepee. I wanted something big enough for a few kids and something that would almost be the room centerpiece. While at a sale at Hancock’s Fabrics, I found this pattern on sale for 99 cents! (It wasn’t discontinued, just on a 1 day sale at Hancock’s). It is Butterick Pattern B4251. It looked easy enough to make, so I picked it up.
A month later, and the play tent was finished. Obviously, it was not a quick project. But it turned out great. Here’s a few things I learned from sewing this project that I would like to pass on to anyone else contemplating something similar:
Pros:
- It was super fun to watch this pattern come together. The pattern has two different options for the design- one for a two-tone design, and one for a one-color design.
- You can design it to match your playroom color/scheme.
- It is extremely sturdy. The teepee uses PVC pipe as the braces to hold it up. While sewing, you are making the casings for the pipe to fit in as you piece the material together. This creates a heavy, stable tent that is highly difficult to be toppled over. It is not flimsy like many of the store bought play tents.
- The size of the tent is huge! Butterick states that it is 82 inches high and 72 inches in diameter. My husband, daughter, and I can all fit in this tent without being too squished. Believe me, if there is ever a disaster near our house we are grabbing this teepee and heading for the hills.
- The pattern also comes with a template to make a matching play mat. I have not made this yet, but it looks easier to stitch together than the tent and would be a very cute matching set.
Cons:
- I would not classify this as a “beginner” sewing pattern. I would say that I’m an “intermediate” seamtress, and I had to get the seam ripper out a few times myself. Not that a beginner couldn’t do the project, it would just take some, patience, and maybe learning a few new skills.
- I’m a Simplicity pattern girl, so using a Butterick pattern was new to me. One would think “a pattern is a pattern”, but not really when it comes to the instructions. There were a few things, such as the instructions on making the casings for the teepee poles, that were a tad confusing (thus the seam ripper), but they came together once I was actually doing the step. But, like I stated, I typically use Simplicity patterns so it may have been that I am just used to their pattern instruction wording.
- This was not a “cheap” project. If you want a play tent for under $20, don’t do this one (unless you have 13 yards of fabric around the house). The cost of about 13 yards of fabric for the tent itself and several PVC pipes for the poles adds up quickly. By shopping things on sale, we kept the cost around the $40 mark, but it could easily add to alot more if using designer fabric.
Since I have made the teepee/tent, if you have any questions about the construction or the materials, please feel free to leave a comment and I will try to help you out!
According to the Butterick website, here are the specs for the tent:
TEPEE AND MAT: Package includes patterns and instructions to make Tepee A, B: overall, 80″ H × 72″ diameter; inside vertical clearance 55″. B: contrast lower front sections. Measurements are approximate and may vary with individual technique.
NOTIONS: Tepee A, B: Six 1″ Diameter PVC Pipes, Each 84″ Long, Drill with 3/8″ Drill Bit, Twelve 22mm Wooden Beads with Large Holes in Two Colors, Spray Paint, 2 yds. of 1″ Ribbon to Match Pipes, 3 yds. of 1″ Ribbon for Front Ties, 11/4 yds. of 3/8″ Ribbon for Tepee Casing and Fusible Interfacing Remnant, 11/2″ × 11/2″. Also for B: 3/8 yd. of 21/2″ Beaded Fringe and 1/2 yd. of 1/2″ Flexible Braid.
| Fabric widths given in inches. | |
| ONE SIZE | |
| TEPEE A | |
| 45″* | 113/8 |
| 45″** | 101/2 |
| 54″* | 103/4 |
| 60″* | 93/8 |
| 60″** | 8 |
| TEPEE B | |
| 45″* | 10 |
| 45″** | 95/8 |
| 54″, 60″* | 93/8 |
| 60″** | 77/8 |
| CONTRAST B (Lower Front) | |
| 45″, 54″, 60″*/** | 13/8 |
| MAT C | |
| 45″*/** | 21/8 |
| 54″, 60″*/** | 13/4 |
Since I changed from WordPress to Blogspot, the comments from there did not transfer over. But I wanted you to be able to see them because a few of the comments highlighted some valid concerns about the tent pattern. That looks promising! 
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Such a beautiful pattern. I think I’ll be getting one for the kids. Perfect for their rooms or in the garden. More about teepee tents here: http://www.teepeetents.org
I am ready to sew this but do you need to do the markings on the other half of the #1 pieces?
Angie
Angie, I am paranoid so I do the markings on both sides. It seems like I always mess up when I try to take shortcuts. lol If you can plan it out so that you are matching a marked side with an unmarked side, then you should be ok. But if you are unsure then I would mark both.
Melanie
This is incredible! You are so so talented!!
Wow, that looks awesome! My mom got the same pattern {I think} and is considering making one for little crafter…how big is yours? Looking at the measurements on what she has, I’m afraid we won’t have a good place to put it! Great job on yours…I want to play in it myself!! Thanks for sharing at Shine On Fridays!
Oh my! I’ve just bought 5 metres of fabric for this as I couldn’t find anywhere on the pack how much to buy. Is 13yrds correct for one tent? Thank you 🙂
Leilalou- If you are doing Teepee A where the entire thing is 1 color, then you will need 11 3/8 yards. If you are doing Teepee B, where there is a contrast color in the front, then you will need 10 yds of the main color and 1 3/8 yards of the contrast color. Sounds like you have enough fabric for Teepee A already :). Hope this helps.
Thanks Melanie, I’ll see how i get on with it…I’m sure I’ll be checking back in as this is the first pattern I’ve ever attempted to follow 🙂
Be sure to read the end of the post above. A few of us, including myself, had problems with the upper casing. The pattern didn’t seem to allow enough room for it, but you don’t realize until you get to the last step.
I’ve just started putting my panels together and sewing the casings for the poles. And after reading this blog I’m worried I am going to have the same problem with the ribbon. Can you tell me what to look for now before I get it all done to know whether or not I will need to fix it. I’ve followed the instructions (not that there are many) in combination with looking at the pictures they provide.
When you are sewing the casings, be sure to leave room at the top to make a casing around the tent once all the panels are sewn together.
Oh, I think I get it now. Hmm they really should make it more clear. Thank you, I would have pulled my hair out trying to figure out what went wrong.
You are welcome. I would love to see a picture of how yours turns out!
Hi fellow teepee makers, this pattern is pretty simple however the final step of putting the drawstrings in and making it stand up without getting the droopy drawers effect was quite frustrating ! One definitely needs to use the beads or something with the string in the top of the poles, the drawstring in the upper hem of the tent part is tricky and seems to be ineffective in making the tent stay up. We have drilled another hole in each pole to attach the top of the tent so that the top of each casing is affixed to the pole, anchoring it so that it does not slide down. When it slides down the poles they are unable to fully expand making for a skinny teepee. Four days of patience almost blown over the part that seemed least problematic. We were fortunate enough to gather bamboo for the poles making it esthetically pleasing and inspirational – sort of like a tribe that lives near the water, on an island as we do 😉
Thanks much to the great advice on teepee making! I too am using McCalls 4251 and am just about done with the 3rd teepee. I cut all 3 in one evening then made the first 2 each in an evening. Had I not run myself out of red thread, the last one would have been done tonight! Having the wrong sides together for the first seam would have messed me had I not read everything on this blog. I didn’t have any problems with that or the upper casing; Had I not heard what your experiences were, I might not have been so careful in re-reading the instructions. Thanks so very much.
You are very welcome! Wow! I can’t believe you’ve made THREE! I was burnt out after one 🙂
Everything is easier when you do it three times 🙂 All the sewing is done, yippy! If only I could find the last dozen sets of drill bits I bought… The tee pees do stand without the top but would be far better with the beads.
My hint on this project is: PVC pips comes in 10 foot, so have Home Depot or Lowes cut them down a third. The pattern calls for 7 foot poles but 6’7″ pipes work just fine. With a 27 cent connector, you can get 3 poles for the cost of 2 by using the scrap. I also used 3/4 inch pipe instead of 1 inch. Doing it this way, I spent $26 for 3 sets of tee pees poles. Had I done it to pattern, it would have been around 60. I was simply too cheep to do that!
Just about to start this myself
http://teepeedreams.blogspot.co.uk/
Fingers crossed it goes well!
Hi! I was wondering if this teepee is something you can take down and put back up easily.
It “folds up” to go in a corner. But it is too tall to fit in a closet.
I made the tent in two days from Cotton duct so it was quite heavy to work with and of course I had that same problem with the top hem but was able to take a wide ribbon and make a false hem and was able to get the ribbon through for the draw string. I made the tent in California and sent it to Arizona to my granddaughter. My daughter and her husband are doing the poles and the beads so it will be interesting to see how it looks once they get it up and snap a picture. I hope the draw string works well to keep the tent in place without slipping after reading one of the reviews about having to drill another hole near the casing. More later.
Thanks for the feedback. Looking forward to hearing how it turned out.
Hello, so lovely to hear all your teepee tent experiences and tips.
I would so love to make one for my little son,he has already printed and painted some fabric as we tried making one without a pattern but it didn’t really work.
I can’t afford the price of the pattern and just wondered if anyone had one to kindly pass on please or if there was a link to a free pattern somewhere??
Sorry to ask but times are hard, and you never know?
Thank you so much and enjoy the sunshine.
Kind Regards,
Alexandra
Hi, Alexandra,
The pattern is huge, and I do not have one to offer for free. Here is a link to a free pattern on the web: http://thediymommy.com/sew-a-diy-teepee-play-tent/
Hi, I have just brought this pattern for my 3 year old granddaughters Christmas present, I have given myself several months to complete it! I am opting for a plain fabric and a contrasting fabric for the door (pattern B) I think!! I have not used a paper pattern before and came across this – this has actually been far more helpful than those paper instructions! I have a feeling that I may be back 🙂
It has been a long time since I did this pattern, but I do remember it being difficult to piece together. Good luck!
I bought the pattern last year- but I’m now finally ready to tackle it! I figured I had enough 60″ leftover fabric from decorating daughter’s nursery- but sadly it is a bit short. So I’m debating what to do…. I’ve thought about using an alternate fabric for the top foot or so of the panels…maybe lace to allow more light in..but it appears the top is where things get tricky.
I might have to sacrifice my design plan and use the MILES of thin checkered polyester fabric I inherited from my mother!! Or maybe I’ll wait another year and save up to buy the fabric I really want! Wish me luck!
Good luck! The results are worth the labor. 🙂
Hello ,,Am I nuts ,, on the first action of this teepee, they say stich 2 pieces on one side, wrong sides together??,,,I have been at it for the past 2 hours trying to understand why sew 2 pieces wrong sides together,, is this a mistake and should read ‘sew 2 pieces righ side together ‘ to then sew the tunnel for the tube ..help I am going crazy unsewing this !!
Thank you from Montreal
Ginette
Hi, It has been so long ago that I made mine, I do not recall. I will dig out the pattern today and see if I can tell.
I have looked high and low for the pattern, and I think that I may have given it away. It’s been so long, I can’t remember what I did! I just remember struggling and being relieved when I finished it.
I have made the tent for my granddaughter. I have lost the directions on how to do the beads on top by poles. Can you help me out?
I apologize, but I no longer have the pattern. And it has been so long since making it that I cannot remember. I’m sorry!
How far down the poles do you drill for the beads and tape?
Hi, I apologize but I do not remember. I also no longer have the teepee to measure it.
I am not having any luck finding the 22mm beads for a tee pee tent I am sewing. can you help me as to where I can buy them? About 25 years ago I made 4 tents for four grandchildren and I remember it being a fun project. This one is not./
Yes, this is definitely a tedious project. I searched Amazon and they had one bag of 100 22mm beads, but they were $22. I wonder if 20mm or 25mm would work?