A blanket fort is easy to build and playing in it gives you lots of fun. You can use a bunk bed, kitchen table, chairs, folded over sofa, window sill, or other household items. Arrange the blankets to cover any open areas that let the light in, and bring in a lamp, torch or some other source not dangerous of light. Invite your friends and, late at night (but also during the day, if the blankets can sufficiently block the passage of light), tell scary stories. You can also organize a sleepover inside the fort. Close any gaps by stuffing cushioned pillows or rolled up blankets into them, making sure they stay in place. To make the experience even more enjoyable, remember to take an iPad, phone or tablet. Be careful and enjoy your fort!
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Traditional Fort
Step 1. Make sure you have everything you need before you begin
A blanket fort is usually set up using blankets, but consider it just a starting point; at home you can find a lot of other material to use.
- In addition to the blankets you can also try: pillows, sheets, baskets (for the entrance), towels, and even a play mat to put on top of the baskets.
- A fort made of blankets needs structural support. For this purpose, you can use chairs (those in the living room or dining room) or other furniture.
- Large pieces of cardboard and extra-large boxes (such as household appliance packing boxes or moving boxes) work very well as internal supports and dividers to create more rooms.
- Use safety pins (or clothespins, in the case of small children) to hold the sheets together and create a curtain door.
Step 2. Choose an area that is not in the way of your home
Do not build the fort in the middle of the hall or in the kitchen.
The classic workstations include the living room, the bedrooms, the space under the dining table or, better still, a furnished rumpus room
Step 3. Choose carefully the items to use for your fort, always ask permission if you are not sure if you can get something
Don't use anything that someone might need before you've finished playing with the fort. Your sister will not like not being able to have her own sheets when she's about to go to sleep, nor will your mother appreciate that she uses her chair when she has to sit at the computer to check emails.
Step 4. Design your fort
There are countless ways to build a fort, and a lot of the fun is adapting the materials available to your idea.
- Don't be put off by failures. Success comes through trial and error. If the blanket falls down, you need to make some changes to the structure.
- If you are part of a group, listen to your mates too.
Step 5. To keep sheets and blankets together and prevent them from slipping on the floor, try using safety pins, rubber bands, clothespins or paper clips (the bigger the better
). You could stick the flaps of the sheets in the drawers. Rubber bands are also a good way to tie blankets to chairs to keep them hanging where you like them.
Step 6. Spread sheets and blankets over the tops of the chairs
Do not arrange the blankets on the edges of the chairs, they will just fall off. If you need to secure the blankets, use pins or clothespins. If you are satisfied with the result, don't make any changes.
Step 7. At your convenience, you can create a door
It's nice to have a door to keep the rest of the world out of the fort! You will also need to get in and out without having to take something apart.
- Alternatively, leave an opening on one side of the fort for easier entry. If you don't have enough room for an opening, you should make some for a door.
- Leave an opening on the front and back of the pillbox for entry and exit.
- You can also choose not to have a door. It's a "blanket fort", so all you have to do is gently move the blankets to one side to get in or out.
Step 8. Try placing books or other heavy objects along the edges of sheets and blankets to prevent them from moving and sliding off
Don't use anything so heavy that it will hurt you if it falls on you. Don't even use any fragile or valuable stuff.
Step 9. Bring a blanket and some pillows inside the fort
Grab a portable DVD player, MP3 player, or whatever else you need to pass the time and enjoy the comforts of your fort.
Step 10. Invite a friend to join you if there is enough space for two
Make some snacks and play together. Throw a sleepover. Use a flashlight.
Step 11. Design and build the fort however you like it, simple or complex
Make a room divider to form two rooms if you wish. Furnish the fort. You can use toy furniture if you have any, or improvise with pillows and cardboard boxes.
Step 12. Give the fort a stunning name (eg "Mount Olympus")
Step 13. Take a snack with you to eat inside the fort
You can't know how long you'll be in it.
Method 2 of 3: Fort of Chairs and Clothes Pegs
Step 1. Build a fort using chairs and clothes pegs
You will need blankets, chairs and clothespins.
Step 2. Place a blanket or quilt on the floor
The quilt definitely offers a softer surface to sit on.
Step 3. Place a chair in each corner of the blanket
Step 4. Spread a blanket over the chairs
This way you will get a roof.
Step 5. Get some clothes pegs and attach the blanket to the chairs
At this point you can consider the job done, or read the next step to find out how to add walls to the fort.
Step 6. If you want a walled fort, take smaller blankets and attach them to the "roof" to create the right effect
Repeat to get the other walls.
Method 3 of 3: Tent Fort
Step 1. Put four medium-sized chairs, footstools, or nightstands together
This tutorial assumes you are using chairs.
Step 2. Arrange the chairs to form a square
Step 3. Spread a light blanket over the top of the square
You may need someone's help.
Step 4. Secure it in place
Use paper clips, safety pins, rubber bands, etc. to fix the position of the blanket.
Step 5. Get help pull the blanket over the chairs
Pull it until it no longer hangs in the middle.
Step 6. Use a stick or high stake as a central support
Place it in the middle to keep the blanket raised.
Step 7. Make sure the cane is held steady by wedging it between pillows
Step 8. Arrange comfortable items on the floor
Add quilts, pillows, and other comfortable things inside.
Step 9. Bring in what you like
Take electronic devices, books, food, etc. with you.
Remember to take a flashlight to shed some light
Step 10. Take refuge in your fort
Invite friends. Enjoy your free time!
Advice
- The blanket fort must be tall enough for you to sit up without risking collapsing.
- Don't put too many blankets on top of each other. You would cause the fort to collapse.
- Inside the fort, use a battery-powered lantern or flashlight. Place it on the floor, or try to fit it into the blanket on top.
- The sheets provide more light and better air circulation.
- Close the gaps with rolled-up pillows or towels.
- If you want a two-story blockhouse, build it using the bed and floor for more space.
- Have fun, spend the night, watch a scary movie, bring your iPad or tablet, and always be brave!
- Remember to bring something inside to play or pass the time.
- Create interior walls by hanging sheets and blankets.
- Find the best composition for your fort by using different furniture, such as a sofa or table.
- Bring a radio into your fort to listen to some music.
- Once inside, you can keep the door closed with safety pins or clothespins, or lock the flaps by placing books on top.
- If you put cushions on the chairs, the fort will be higher.
- The fort must be large enough for you to move around inside.
- Use your imagination, and pretend your fort is something else. Play in your fort pretending it's a pirate cave, a bear's den, your own clubhouse, a tea room, or whatever you want.
- Use a fan to circulate the air and inflate the fort.
- To set up the fort and be able to carry out some operations, you may need someone's help.
- Large cushions can have a thousand uses inside the fort. You can use it to sit on it, or as part of the structure.
- Remember that there are no hard and fast rules for building a blanket fort, you can build it however you like.
- Stuffed animals and dolls are the ideal guests if you can't invite your real friends.
- Arrange chairs, sheets and blankets to create more rooms.
- You can also use a pillow to create a door to open and close.
- If your bed is in the middle of the room, surround it with chairs to which you will fasten the covers with laces.
- If you don't have a flashlight, use electric candles.
- Folding tables are ideal for a legendary fort! Just spread a blanket on it! Tile multiple tables for a larger fort.
- Arrange the sofa cushions on the floor of the fort.
- Limit the number of people who can enter the fort.
- Use a broom to make it taller, and make windows to look through. Bring extra blankets to sleep and be more comfortable.
- Don't forget the board games to spend time inside the fort.
- Ask for permission to cut squares of fabric from the blankets to create the windows.
- Get a portable fan if the room gets too hot.
- Along with the pillows, you can use quilts to build the fort instead of the sheets.
- If you have a bunk bed, hang some sheets on the upper bed.
- Place a blanket between the bed and the dresser. Hold it steady by placing books or other heavy objects on top, use the real wall as a wall, and place a cushion as a door. Your fort is ready!
- Wedge a corner of the sheet behind the sofa to prevent it from slipping off.
- Don't mess around.
- The chairs must not be too far from each other, otherwise the blankets will not be able to balance.
- Make sure you have enough supplies before you start building a fort.
- If you want a large fort, use large blankets.
- In the absence of space to arrange the cushions neatly, simply leave them on the floor, it will be like resting on a single, large, soft cushion.
- Once the structure of the fort is in place, do not remove blankets or pillows, or everything will collapse.
- Bunk beds are ideal for building a fort. If you don't have one, you could use a table.
- Put a fan in the fort so it doesn't get too hot.
Warnings
- Do not use anything fragile or heavy to block the flaps of the blankets, and make sure that nothing falls on you when you are inside the fort.
- Avoid lighting lamps that can cause a fire if they come into contact with sheets or other materials.
- Do not use plastic-coated sheets or tablecloths. Plastic doesn't let air through and you could choke.
- Beware of large items.
- Do not use items belonging to other family members without first asking for permission.
- Don't sit inside small forts if you suffer from claustrophobia.
- Do not bring sharp objects into the fort, such as scissors or knives!
- Always ask your parents for permission.
