How to Build a Teepee

A Teepee is a kind of conical house. It resembles a tent and is made of wooden poles covered with skins or other material. The covering may be decorated with painted pictures. The teepee was the usual dwelling place of many Plains Indians. It was also used as temporary accommodation by other Native Americans.

Things You'll Need

• 10 to 20 wooden poles
• Skins, canvas or similar
• Rope
• Wooden pegs

Instructions

1. Select an area of ground and clear it of debris. Gather together the wooden poles. These can be finished poles like dowels, or smooth sticks or saplings of the appropriate length. You will be building a tripod, so select sticks that will be long enough for you to stand up inside the finished frame. Take 3 sticks and arrange them in the shape of a cone. Plant the bottom ends in the ground at equal distances form each other. The shape created should be that of a rough circle on the ground. You do not need a foundation. A teepee is like a tent. The floor will be the earth covered by a skin or piece of canvas.

2. Bind the tops of your 3 poles together near the top. Leave enough space so the top ends of the poles splay out above the cord. This leaves an open space that serves as the vent or smoke hole. Take the other poles and arrange them evenly in between the 3 main poles. Use as many as you need to create a sturdy frame. Rest the tops of each pole against the lashing of the 3 main poles. Plant the bottom end of each pole firmly in the earth. Take your rope and pull it 3 times around the entire structure. Tighten and secure, and then tie it in place.

3. Make the covering of your teepee from canvas or skins (rawhide). Traditional teepees were made by sewing together lengths of animal skin. You can make a covering from a single piece of canvas. Cut the canvas so it resembles a sort of huge cape. The shape is not purely circular because you are fitting it over a cone. Top and bottom ends should follow a curving line to match the shape of the frame. Fasten one of the long ends of the canvas to another pole, sort of like attaching a sail to a spar.

4. Lean the top end of the pole against the place where the 3 main poles are bound together. Grab the free end of the canvas and draw it around the entire teepee frame. Pull until the frame is covered evenly and the free end overlaps the starting place. This flap is your door. Pin the canvas in place using wooden pegs. Use as many as you need so that the canvas does not blow in the wind or fall off.

Tips & Warnings

• Decorate your teepee as you see fit. Paint designs on the canvas before you put it on the frame.

Resources

• First People photographs of actual teepees
• Pictures of teepee artwork