How to make a wigwam for children with their own hands

Wigwam is the home of Indians, a group of indigenous peoples of North and South America. This is one of the symbols of the past era of these continents and life in the wild. Indian tent is often found in films, cartoons and animated series in the role of beautiful scenery. There is nothing strange in the interest of children to such structures. In the tents you can relax, play and fold toys. The teepee technology, however, is also used for more serious purposes. For Indians, the tent is a proven method of protection against the cold. For the same reason, they will be useful in long hikes through the expanses of forests and mountain ranges. At the heart of the usual wigwam is a solid frame of tree trunks and a warm roof. Design for children is easy to do with your own hands. However, if there is no desire to spend time on it - you can choose among the ready-made store options.

About wigwam - history of origin and features

The history of the wigwam begins long before the arrival of Europeans on the American continent and even before the emergence of strong empires, Maya, Inca and Aztec. The technology of housing construction differed depending on the climate: the Indians inhabited the whole of America, both North and South, from the polar regions to the equator. There were also other varieties of traditional Indian housing, such as wikiap and tipi. Based on the method of implementation, the wigwam can be described as a dome-shaped hut. They reached the big sizes and intended for residing to 30 people. The basis of the dwelling was going from thin flexible branches. It was covered with large or small fragments of bark. For these purposes, the Indians used elm and birch. The design was also covered with reeds, grass, and corn leaves. The upper layer is sometimes pressed another frame, outer.

The advantages and disadvantages of making their own hands

The process of making wigwam is an interesting and informative activity to which you can attract children. An important part of the process is finding the right supports - beams of a certain thickness and section. To achieve the desired shape at home is almost impossible, so the stick is better to look in the store. In all other respects, however, it is an advantage precisely for home-made tents. To make the cover, it is enough to possess elementary skills of cutting and sewing. The fastening process is essentially the same as assembling the parts of the finished product. This part of the work will interest children. There are many original versions of ready-made wigwams on different sites. These same ideas can be combined with your own ideas and make something unusual and different from other products. You only need to find quality materials with interesting colors.

Designs

Wigwam can do both in a campaign, and at home for children. In the first case, the design must withstand the effects of wind. In the second, a variety of geometric design options are possible. Children's wigwams come with one or two peaks, less often with three or four. In the double-top version, one pair of sidewalls will be rectangular, and the other triangular. One of the triangular sides must be made an entrance. The bottom will come out rectangular. If the tent has one peak, the base is made with 3-8 or more sides, but a round version is also possible. The entrance to the wigwam is done mainly in the form of blinds. They are fixed with strings or velcro. The upper part of the front of the tent can be made deaf, leaving the entrance at the height of a 5-year-old child. Tents sometimes make out the windows. The wigwam configuration is also wide and high.

What to do - a variety of materials

A cabin lodge is collected using the following materials:

• sticks;
• fabric for plating;
• decorative fabrics for decoration;
• oilcloth;
• pillows (on the mat).

The first is going to resistant frame. At the top of the stick are fixed with ropes, at the bottom you will need to use fasteners (if not provided for special holes). Wigwam tubes are made of wood or polymers. Awning for children's tents should be bright and interesting. The choice of material is almost unlimited, but they are not suitable too thick. For wigwams for various purposes, including materials such as Teflon with cotton, raincoat fabric, taffeta, and Oxford will be useful. The first is a canvas with a bottom layer of Teflon. Raincoat repellent moisture - a great solution for children's tents. Taffeta is characterized by water resistance, wear resistance and resistance to the formation of fatty traces. Oxford material has a hydrophobic coating of polyurethane or PVC, there is also an option with nylon - it is more elastic and stronger.

Frame materials

In a children's wigwam, the base for the platform and the walls are most often made of wooden poles. The linden (smooth, polished) will perfectly cope with the role of the material. You can also use other classic options - pine or oak, and bamboo poles are considered an interesting alternative solution. To create the frame, other raw materials will also fit, for example, plastic, PVC. Pipes made from these materials must be hollow. This is a very good option, as the safety of the design for children will be several times higher. With the same purpose, you can use a stick with a round cross section. If at home there are wide bars with a square profile, they can be given a rounded shape on a lathe - so it will be cheaper than with the purchase of finished sticks. If we are talking about a tent in a campaign, then thick raw branches will be useful. It is better to buy them in specialized stores, because collecting a sufficient number of trunks on their own will not work.

The choice of fabric for the walls

Material for an awning and a rug is selected at its discretion. If the child is not yet 5 years old, then it is better to sew a canopy from translucent materials. Tents perform not only in the Indian style. The "dwelling" in the oriental style is decorated with fine silk and transparent organza. If the wigwam is meant for a little girl, the walls should be made of light "airy" chiffon. Thanks to a tent of thick canvas material, the situation will be as close as possible to the conditions of the Wild West. Boys will be able to play cowboys and Indians. For the construction of wigwam, you can use fabrics such as velvet, satin, canvas, flannel, batik, muslin and knitwear, as well as materials that imitate animal skins. Application for sewing old curtains, tulle and capes - it is also a good way to save money. Preference is given to variegated colors:

• striped;
• with small frequently repeated patterns;
• dotted;
• combined;
• in patchwork style.

Buy should be fabrics that are well breathable.

Wigwam from wooden beams and cloth do it yourself

To make a wigwam yourself, you will need to complete the following steps:

1. Select materials and collect the necessary tools.
2. Assemble and securely install the frame.
3. Do cutting fabric and choose the option of covering.
4. Hang tent on the frame.
5. To issue the input part.

The first thing you need to get the tools. To do this, you must also select the material for the frame and fabric for plating. Almost any matter will do, the main thing is a beautiful and distinct color. The basis can be made of lime, pine or bamboo poles, or plastic pipes. You will also need a rope, scissors, and in some cases a drill or glue. The frame can be mounted in several ways. It is assembled at the top with holes and a rope or only by the cord itself. In this case, the frame can be attached to the bottom of the fastened straps, repeating the outline of the bottom of the tent. Next is preparing the canvas. You will need to cut out the shape, ideally suited to the specific configuration of the wigwam. Then you need to decide, leave the edges untreated or stitch them. After that the tent is put on the base and the necessary fittings are installed.

Materials and tools

For the frame construction will need a wooden stick with a thickness of 2-4 cm and a length of 2 meters. However, it is worthwhile to consider the option with bamboo yards - they are durable and pleasant to look at. The second component is a strong rope, preferably a twine. The tools need a tape measure and a drill, although instead of fasteners, you can use a durable thick rubber band. To make an awning, you should take a piece of cloth with a length of at least 3 m and a width of about 1.2-1.5 m. Choose a better natural fabric. It will take a certain number of bands from 30 cm each (tapes, braid, cords). A needle and thread to match the color of the main fabric are also required. For processing the edges of the fabric material will need an iron with a special tape or a sewing machine. You can do without lining the edges. Eyelets, laces, rivets, buttons, etc. are used to create the “doors”. You will also need pins and a pencil.

Assembly and installation of the frame

The top of the base is mounted in several ways. In the first case, the ends of the poles are gathered together and firmly tied with a string or other strong rope. In this case, from the top to the point of attachment should be 10-25 cm. Then we arrange the sticks in different directions with a large amplitude and the same gap between the lower ends of the different rails. We make one of the spans wider. After that, we check the reliability of the design - it must independently maintain a vertical position on the ground and the form at the top. The top of the frame is recommended to attach to the "foundation" base. There is another method of assembling the top. To do this, drill through holes 10-25 cm below the upper edge of the sticks. Then we thread the twine in them and pass through each bar. Then the sticks are tightly tied with this rope and widely divorced to the side.

Cutting fabric for canopy

The next step is to prepare the canopy. Place the fabric on the floor and fold in half. It should turn out to be a square of approximately 1.5 × 1.5 m. Next, we make sure that the fold is located at the left edge of the square. Then we fold it diagonally, putting 2 opposite corners on each other. Now we have a triangle. Next, proceed to cutting. First of all, the markup is drawn: draw an arc from the base of the figure (in its role the fold line acts) to one of its sides. Maintain a 5-centimeter distance from the end of the web. After that, draw another arc, 8 cm from the corner. Then we cut the fabric along the lines and put it on the floor. It should be a figure that vaguely resembles a rainbow. To a greater extent it will look like a protractor. After that, we put an awning on the frame with the front side inwards and connect the edges with pins. We mark the points where the canvas is in contact with the slats at a level of 20 cm from the floor. Then we remove the fabric from the construction and sew tape or segments of the rope already used (30 cm each) at the marks.

Next steps:

1. Double bend the edges.
2. We line them up.
3. Alternatively, you can glue the edges with an iron and special tape.

If the tent needs to be done in a casual style, then the fabric sections are not processed.

Close-up wigwam and fastener methods

Now it remains only to connect the edges of the tent. One of the ways involves installing eyelets that need to be laced. Various buttons with loops, buttons or ribbons are also used. After the fixation elements are installed, we cover the wigwam with an awning and fasten the upper part of the “entrance”. Free floors are wrapped, so that they maintain this position. "Doors" can be fixed with a tape or velcro. Another way of stitching does not require sewing. It will be necessary to bend the fabric to the width at which it hangs down to the floor on the side edges of the teepee, and from 10 to 15 cm above does not reach the place where the sticks cross. Then put the canvas on the rack. We mark the upper edge of the fit with a pencil (on the slats, not on the fabric), then remove the matter. We grease the staves from the markings and down by 15-20 cm. Apply the fabric, press and wait until the glue dries. At the end we form a convenient entrance, for example, with the help of ropes or braid.

Ideas for decorating

It is necessary to organically fit the wigwam into the interior of the room, and at the same time take into account the child’s preferences regarding decor. The most common variant of decoration is the design of the flags of the upper ends of the slats. In addition to these, you can also decorate the upper perimeter of the tent. As an alternative to flags, pens are used. Various figures are sewn onto the tent, painted with horns, arrows and other elements of Indian themes. If the tent is designed for a little girl, then ruffles are used as decoration. Another worthy decision is a garland, and this option will be relevant not only for the New Year, but also at any time as decorative illumination. Inside the wigwam is decorated with pillows of different shapes and colors. In the interior of the room it will be interesting to look at the tent in the form of a hut.

What to lay on the floor in the house

A wigwam child should be comfortable in any position, lying or sitting, and for a long time. The floor in the house should be covered with a soft mattress, with a blanket and pillows: the baby will sometimes fall asleep there. If the frame of the tent has a lower part, it is necessary to sheathe it with a soft material. In any case, a mat or mattress is placed on top. It can also be made with your own hands, for example, from the remnants of fabrics or various patches. In tents most often used options from one segment or several flat squares. To the child was soft and comfortable, it is better to make a rug from a variety of small cubes. This product is also called Bombon. Outwardly, it resembles a blanket. Mattress-mat Bombon is made from several fabrics of different colors. For tents of non-standard configuration, it is better to sew more comfortable, matching their shape mats.

How to sew a rug / mattress Bombon - step by step instructions

The first step is to acquire fabrics of several different colors. Then we cut out one square of the desired size. From the figure 17 × 17 cm in the final form we get a cell 10 × 10 cm. So, from several different fabrics we cut the number of squares necessary to create one line. Fragments sew in a strip, ironing seams right. The next line is doing the most different in color from the previous one. This time the seams are smoothed to the left. Next, the rows of squares are connected. The lower parts of the square elements are made with parameters 11 × 11 cm. Between each row you need 1 cm of allowance, and from the sides - 4-5 to make a piping for the subsequent decoration of the rug. When it is ready, each square fragment is filled with gasket through the cuts left below. The latter are then carefully sewn up. This mat can simultaneously serve as a mattress.

Conclusion

In the modern sense, wigwam is not only housing for Indians and a variant of overnight camping, but also a full-fledged element of the interior of a children's room. For children up to 5-6 years old, the tent is a place for fun, entertainment and games. Decorative wigwams can be made out in classical Indian style or in the spirit of the Wild West. The tent can be made independently. To do this, collect materials for the frame and buy a beautiful fabric for plating. The sticks are fastened with ropes, but for greater reliability it is better to drill holes additionally. Then the structure is wrapped with a fragment cut from the canvas. Fixation is made by connecting the opposite floors with laces or with glue. Inside the wigwam for the child you need to install a soft mat-mattress. It is better to decorate the house in the traditional style, using interesting decor for the child.