How to Make & Construct a Tepee
The tepee, or tipi, is a tent made popular by American Indians who lived in the Great Plains. Although they were typically fashioned from thick animal skins and birch-tree bark for durability, it is possible for you to construct your own model tepee. With a few craft supplies, your tepee will resemble the structure of those used centuries ago.
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Things You'll Need
- 15 straight foot-long twigs
- 2 rubber bands
- Sheet of paper
- Pencil
- Large brown paper grocery bag
- Crayons
- Scissors
- Tape
Instructions
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1
Gather the twigs together and bind them at one end using the rubber bands. Make sure that the rubber bands are large enough so that the twigs are not wrapped too tight. For more reinforcement, you might need to use additional rubber bands.
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2
Pull the twigs apart carefully so that they form the shape of a tepee. There should be 3 inches of twigs still bound together at the top. On the bottom, the twigs should be adjusted so that they form a wide base.
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3
Lay the structure on its side, lightly trace its outline onto a piece of paper, and cut out the triangle. This shape will provide the template for the tepee's cover.
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4
Open the brown paper grocery bag and lay it flat. Using the triangle as a stencil, trace the shape onto the bag. Then shift the triangle to the left or right so that the long edges remain touching. Continue to trace triangle shapes until you have four total.
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5
Cut out all four triangles as one. In other words, you should have one tepee cover with four triangles drawn onto it. Do not cut individual triangles.
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6
Designate a space for a small door in the tepee cover on one of the triangular panels and cut it out.
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7
Decorate the tepee cover using crayons. This is your chance to be creative.
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8
Wrap the cover around the twig structure and cut out space at the top so that the twigs can stick out.
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Tape one end of the cover to the other. To make sure it does not slide off, hold the structure upside-down and tape the twigs to the inside of the paper bag.
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References
- Photo Credit teepee image by Mike & Valerie Miller from Fotolia.com
