Are you ready to jump on the teepee trend? There have been so many cool images of indoor and outdoor teepees on the internet lately I just couldn’t resist writing about them! However, when I jumped on the internet with bright excited eyes to buy one online, they soon blinked in disbelief.
I couldn’t believe how expensive they are. I knew there must be some crazy crafters out there who have already figured out a more affordable DIY teepee. And low and behold, my hunch was right.
From my hunting, I gathered 17 of the best DIY backyard teepee ideas for you to create a dreamy escape or your child’s new play place without breaking the bank. Some of the tutorials are simple, quick and easy-to-follow. Others will take more advanced skills but can definitely be accomplished with the right tools. So, let the DIT Teepee building begin!
17 DIY Teepee Ideas to Build Right Now
1. No-Sew Teepee
Take the shortcut and put away your needle and thread. The cover of this teepee doesn’t need too much attention during the build. Just a large piece of fabric, careful measuring and a pair of sharp scissors will do the trick.
You can focus your attention on the structure of the teepee. This tutorial will walk you through the steps to ensure that you have a stable and durable teepee.
2. Tie-Dye Teepee
This is one of those fun projects that you can take your time creating and turn every step of the teepee building into its own activity.
Start off having a crazy tie-dye party with the kids in the backyard and add bright colors to your teepee cover. Then, experiment with finger painting and handprints. To finish it off, set up the teepee by following the instructions and watch your kids scurry inside with excitement.
3. Pom Pom Teepee
One of the fun things about starting with a blank canvas is you can really get creative and personalize your teepee.
Add fringe or pom poms to the edges, paint colorful shapes, douse it in sparkles or just leave it plain. The choice is up to you and the kids! This teepee design can also easily be moved indoors when the weather cools off.
4. Burlap Teepee
This burlap teepee project is multifunctional. Can you guess its other use besides being a special space for your children to hide in?
First, the structure of the teepee can be used to grow climbing green beans in the Spring. After you’ve grown, harvested and cleaned up the plants, add the teepee cover and voila! A new place for your children to play and hide and seek in the summer.
5. Two-Tone Teepee
Create a two-toned teepee look and also make use of those old bedsheets that don’t match your new bedroom color scheme. You can also spoil yourself and purchase new fabric to get that extra special look you’re dreaming of.
This is an inexpensive project and surprisingly simple to make. The form of this teepee is made with white PVC pipes instead of dowel rods which is a great option to consider. If you already have the PVC pipes at home you might as well make use of them.
6. Feather Teepee
This teepee has been decorated with colorful paper feathers and is a great size so that you can join your kid inside. Read a book together or take a nap in the fresh air.
This is an intermediate level project that should cost you around less than $70 to make. Of course, that depends on how much of the material you already have. The best part? It folds up for easy storage.
7. Kitty Cat Teepee
Don’t forget about your furry friend. Even your kitty cat would love to have their own teepee as an outside escape.
Think of how adorable a tiny kitty teepee would look out on your back porch. Plus, it could easily be moved inside if it’s rainy or cold.
8. Cornstalk Teepee
The perfect Autumn teepee for a romantic date night in the cornfield. Before you compost those cornstalks, create an attention-grabbing getaway that your neighbors will be jealous of.
Celebrate your hard work during the harvest season by just relaxing in a handmade cornstalk teepee. Your partner is sure to be impressed.
9. Sheets Teepee
Create your backyard teepee using old sheets. Create that magical place for your child to explore their imagination. Or, maybe you want to use it as your own personal escape from reality.
This is an extremely budget-friendly project that isn’t demanding as far as your DIY skills go. Just carefully follow the steps and it will be done in no time.
10. Patterned Teepee
If you have the time and sewing skills then you can really go all out when designing your backyard teepee. Use fun patterns for the cover and paint the dowels bright colors.
This teepee design is a little more challenging because of the sewing that has to be done. However, if you are good at using a sewing machine then this project should be a piece of cake.
11. The Tied Teepee
Check out this teepee hack that requires no sewing and is easy-to-make. Simply weave fabric around the teepee structure and tie knots to hold it in place.
You and your family are sure to have a lot of fun playing make-believe inside your new home away from home.
12. Full-Size Teepee
Are you looking to make the real thing? A giant full-size teepee that the whole family and even the family pets can fit into? Look no further! This teepee is big enough that you can even have a small fire inside and tell ghost stories or roast marshmallows.
It will take some proper planning and you will need to pay attention to detail to make this project happen. But, with patience and a bit of passion you can have your very own full-size teepee.
13. Simple Teepee
If you don’t want a full-size teepee and are looking for something a little easier to make, then this simple teepee takes only five minutes to put up. Plus, it takes just as long to take down and clean up.
No sewing, no cutting, just a simple fix to a bedsheet around some dowels and you can call it a day. Skip the hard work and go straight to lounging.
14. Boho Chic Teepee
For the bohemian princess to make her escape to. A place to lounge beneath the stars and listen to the frog orchestra play their new sonatas.
Dream and explore your imagination in your handmade boho chic teepee. This will definitely be your new favorite photoshoot spot.
15. Glamping Teepee
Glamp in your own backyard! Have you ever heard of glamping? It’s a clever combination of “glamorous” and “camping”. So do some backyard camping in style inside a fabulous teepee that you made yourself.
This DIY project has a video tutorial that is visually easy to follow and will make crafting the teepee simple and quick.
16. Wooden Teepee
Now here we have a more advanced DIY teepee. A great project for those who enjoy carpentry as well as for those who are looking for a more permanent play place in the yard.
As you can probably imagine this wooden teepee won’t be done in just one day. It takes some careful planning, some attentive measuring, and precise cutting. However, when you stand back and look at the finished product you will feel proud of your hard work.
17. Scrap Fabric Teepee
This DIY teepee has a bit of a different strategy than others and uses more than one technique during construction.
It starts off with wrapping the posts with fabric, then, adding the fabric panels in between, and to finish it off, fabric weaving at the top. It gives the teepee a unique and magical appearance.
So get out your old bedsheets, sharpen your scissors, mix up some bright paints and turn on that creativity switch. Pick one of these 17 DIY teepee tutorials to follow along and don’t be afraid to go a little off-track. Personalize your teepee to fit your own space and vision.
Make sure you secure your teepee and check that it’s safe and good-to-go before the kids go rushing in. There will be a lot of playing going on inside so you will want to make sure it’s safe and stable. Most importantly? Have fun!
