How to Build a Tepee

This simple tepee makes a nice play structure for the backyard. It is less complex than an authentic tepee and does not have a smoke hole incorporated into the design.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Canvases
• Sewing Machine
• Sewing Machine Needles
• Threads
• Paper And Pencils
• Bamboo Pole
• Ropes
• Tent Stakes
• Grommet-setting Tool And Grommets
• Ladders
• Stepladders
• Ladders

1. Follow these instructions for a tepee that is 8 feet tall and approximately 9 feet in diameter, with a circumference of just under 30 feet.

2. Use 12 bamboo poles for your tepee. The poles should each be 12 to 13 feet long and approximately 3 inches in diameter. The poles should be as uniform in diameter as possible.

3. Choose approximately 18 yards of 60-inch-wide awning or tent canvas for your tepee.

4. Lay the poles out on the ground, and use rope to tie three of the poles together to form a tripod. The cone shaped by the tripod should be 8 feet tall. Raise the tripod so that the bottom of the three poles forms a diameter of just under 30 feet.

5. Tie the remaining poles, one by one, to the tripod until all the poles have been attached. Measure the circumference of the top of the tepee, at the point where all of the poles are tied together. Divide this number by 6, then add 2 inches. Write this final number down.

6. Cut six pieces of canvas, each triangular in shape. The bottom of each piece should be 60 inches wide and taper to a width that is equal to the number calculated in Step 5.

7. Sew the pieces together to form the tepee cover. Begin by sewing one triangular section to the first. Then add the third, fourth, fifth and six pieces. Do not sew the canvas into the shape of a cone. Leave it as one long piece of fabric.

8. Attach five grommets along each 8-foot edge of the tepee cover. Place a grommet as close as possible to each end, then place the rest of the grommets so that all are spaced approximately 2 feet apart. Make sure that the grommets on each edge line up evenly with each other.

9. Make five canvas ties that are each approximately 20 inches long and 1 inch wide.

10. Place the tepee cover over the assembled poles. Keep the cover in place by inserting a canvas tie through each set of grommets and tying securely.

Tips & Warnings

• Make the tepee any height you like. Just make sure that the poles are 4 to 6 feet higher than the desired height and that you have extra canvas on hand if the tepee will be a larger size.
• Use a 1-inch seam allowance, and flat-fell the seams. Turn the top, bottom and free edges under 1 inch, as well.
• See 'eHow to Sew Basic Seams' for instructions on sewing flat-felled seams.
• Use stakes to secure the bottom of the tepee, if desired. Make loops for the stakes out of excess canvas, and attach the loops to the bottom edge of the tepee cover. Attach a loop at each seam and at each free 8-foot edge.
• Adjust the poles, if necessary, after the cover has been attached to the poles.
• Sew excess canvas together to make a floor covering for the interior.