Build a Tepee
Build a Tepee with your kids that they can use on your next camping trip. With your tepee you can sleep outside under the stars and pretend you're a traveler on the Great Plains.
How to Build a Tepee
What You'll Need:
- Four 1 x 2-inch Wood Boards about 4 feet long
- Power Drill
- 3/8-inch Drill Bit
- 12 inches of Cord
- 2-1/3 yards of Muslin about 44 inches wide
- Scissors
- Fabric Paint
- Fabric Glue
- Needle and Strong Thread
Step One: Drill a hole 2 inches from the top of each board. Thread the cord through the holes and tie the boards together to make the tepee frame. Tie the cord in a knot. Spread the boards out to form the frame.
Advertisement
Step Two: Trim one end of the muslin fabric to form a half circle. Cut a U-shape at the center of the straight edge of the muslin. Use fabric paint to decorate the muslin with a Native American design. Let the paint dry.

Step Three: Fold the straight end of the fabric over about 4 inches and glue a seam to make a pocket. Let the glue set.
Step Four: Slip 2 boards of the tepee frame through the fabric pockets. The tied ends of the boards should poke through the U-shaped hole at the top.
Step Five: Sew a piece of thread around the center point of the 2 back boards of the tepee to hold them in place. Stand the frame up, and spread the boards out to form the tepee.

Teach your kids Fire Building with these safe, step-by-step instructions. Learn the correct way to build a fire on the next page.