Tent Week, Day Five -- PVC Frame and Mini Tents!

Today I want to give instructions and measurements for making a rooftop frame for a standard 34" square card table. Can't you picture the most ADORABLE little cottage with this roofline? When I make mine, I will include a round window that opens into the "attic" for toys to hide and "play" in!

You will need:

two 10 ft lengths of PVC pipe

fittings:
4 x 90 elbow
2 x side outlet 90s (mine had one threaded outlet)
2 x adapter from threads to pvc pipe

(This is what my side outlet 90s and adapters look like.)

Cut the following pieces:

4 x 21"
2 x 31"
1 x 29" -- ?
I would cut the final pipe's length a little longer at first. Not all side outlet 90s are the same, so there is potential for this measurement being wrong for your particular fittings.

Now all that's left is fitting your pipes together! The two 31" lengths lay on the table, the four 21" lengths create the gables, and the final length is the roofline. Ta-Da! You're ready to strap the frame to your table and create your tent/house!


Now I have to share a few mini tents -- because at MY house, having ANYTHING in miniature is The Coolest Thing EVER!


Susan made these mini teepees from the top pieces leftover from her teepee tent tutorial.


They are the perfect size for her daughters' princesses -- and her girls are just THRILLED with them!


This is the G.I. Joe tent my brothers used to play with. We had three little dome tents, and this was the smallest. There was a slightly larger tan one for He-Man, and an even bigger red one for my sisters' and my Barbies. These are replacement poles -- swamp cooler tubing. It's not quite stiff enough to do the job. Ideas, anyone? I was thinking maybe glow stick necklaces, but the length is a problem... you can't cut glow sticks down! The original poles were some kind of sturdy plastic that came from a home goods store, but after research we can't figure out what on earth it is!


And finally, this little guy I found at a thrift store. It's about 8" tall, and so stinking cute! I am wondering if a very heavy weedwhacker wire would be stiff enough to duplicate poles for a really small tent like this?


I really hope you've enjoyed Tent Week! It has been tons of fun, and tons of work...

...and I am definitely ready to sew something else now! :o)