DIY Shabby Chic Teepee Tutorial

After our last tutorial was such a big hit, I received a lot of requests to share a step-by-step guide to making your own teepee at home! 

When a mother requested a boho teepee for an upcoming cake smash, I was thrilled to be able to pull together a gorgeous set using this new prop.  Fabric teepees seem to be the "it" item of 2016 -- for months I had been admiring teepees on Etsy, in clients' homes, on nursery blogs, and all over Pinterest.  These beautiful tents easily sell for $100-$200, and being the oh-so-crafty photographer that I am, I knew that I could make this for a lot less, love the outcome, and have fun doing so!

First, I headed over to Pinterest for a little inspiration.  I knew that I wanted the teepee to be a medium size, perfect for sitters, toddlers, and young children.  I decided that the ideal height would be 5 feet tall, though at the moment I am debating making another set of poles 3.5 feet tall to see how it looks with smaller babies.  

STEP ONE:  The Frame

Purchase PVC pipe at your local hardware store and cut the pipe into four 5-foot sections.  I chose the 1" piping.

The PVC will have letters printed on it.  Spray paint the top 12" to cover the letters.  You can use any color that will match your fabric or theme!  I happened to have some cream colored paint sitting around, so I used that.  Let dry.

Then, use a power drill and drill holes all the way through each piece about 7" from the top of the PVC.  Later on, this will be how you string the four pieces together.

STEP TWO:  The Fabric

Many people like to use a sturdier canvas fabric for their teepees.  If your teepee will get a lot of use, choose a fabric that will stand up to a little wear & tear.  

Because this will be more of a photography prop, and to match my airy & whimsical style, I chose a light, gauzy fabric with delicate details.  It is sheer enough for light to pass through, and it has beautiful movement.  

You will need at least 3.5 yards of fabric.  You will cut four trapezoids that each measure 44" across the bottom and 10" across the top.  I measured and cut my fabric according to the steps in this tutorial here.  I left the ends a little frayed to give it more of a soft, shabby look.

STEP THREE: Time to Sew

Next you are going sew the pieces together, creating a "tube" for the PVC pipe to later slide into.  Think of it like the double seams at the top of your curtains.  

I left a 1/4" seam allowance for the first seam, and then I sewed another straight line down the side of the teepee about 1.5" from the first one.  You should hold your PVC pipe up to the fabric and figure out how wide your own seam should be.  I did this to attach all four pieces of the teepee to each other.

But wait!  When all four pieces are connected and can lay flat, but before you sew the final two sides to each other to finish off the frame, do this next step first.

STEP FOUR:  Make an Entrance

Choose which panel will be the front of your teepee.  Measure and cut a straight line about 3.5 feet tall in the center of this panel.  This will be your doorway.

I chose to decorate mine with pompom trim.  You can use lace, beads, an accent fabric, feathers -- anything your heart desires!  You can sew it on to the fabric, or use a hot glue gun for fast results.

Because I used a sewing machine to attach the trim, it made sense to wait to sew together the final two seams for the last corner of my teepee (like in Step Three) until after I had finished the trim.

STEP FIVE: Assemble Your Teepee

Earlier, you drilled holes into each piece of PVC pipe.  Now you will need to thread one very long piece of rope through each of the holes.  It can be tricky to thread the rope through the pipes, so I taped the end of my rope to a chopstick and threaded them much more easily that way.  For extra reinforcement, I tied a double knot around each pipe to secure each piece in place.  

Once all four pieces of PVC are on the rope, pull them all together and wrap the rope around all four pipes multiple times, securing with knots so that the pieces are strong together.  Don't worry if it's not too pretty.  You can cover that up later with ribbon or decorations.  

One more step that I did to prevent the PVC pieces from slipping on my floor was to use a hot glue gun and trace a circle of glue around the bottom of each piece of pipe.  This way, the "feet" of your teepee have a little extra grip to them to not slip & slide as much on your floor.  It's also extra protection for your hardwoods!

Finally, slide the fabric onto the PVC pieces, and stand your teepee up in the middle of the room!  The fabric should fit snugly once you adjust the legs appropriately.

To prevent the fabric from slipping down at the top of your teepee, I used a dot of hot glue to hold the fabric into place on each pole.

STEP SIX:  Decorate

I loved this part!  To decorate my teepee, I used all faux flowers and greenery.  Many of these pieces I already had on hand, and the rest were bought on sale.  Actually, the only piece I had to buy for this project was the greenery, which I found on sale for $9.  Score!!  Whenever flowers go on sale, stock up and get them at 50-60% off.  You'll be so glad to have them sitting around when a project like this inspires you!

I used ribbon to cluster bunches of flowers together, securing with a knot and then wrapping around the top of the poles of my teepee.  I loved draping the greenery over the poles and adjusting it to get just the right flow and balance.  Have fun with this part and make it your own!

I did not permanently attach the decorations to the teepee, and they are all removable so that the teepee can be used and redecorated for a variety of sessions, each with a distinct look.  

I can't wait to use this in a session I have coming up in a few weeks!  I'll add more to the decor to really bring the set all to life, and I have a few magical ideas for this particular session that I cannot wait to create.  Be sure to follow our Facebook page to see this teepee in use!

MATERIALS NEEDED:

4 five-foot sections of PVC pipe  (approximately $5)
3.5 yards of fabric (approximately $15)
Coordinating thread
Faux flowers and greenery  (approximately $25)
Sewing Machine
Scissors
Glue gun & glue sticks
Spray paint
Ruler/Yardstick

Did you find this tutorial helpful?  
Comment below or share on your Facebook and Pinterest Page!  Also, feel free to share your own pics of your DIY teepees in use.  

Be sure to check out our very popular DIY Paper Flower Backdrop Tutorial for step-by-step photos and instructions on creating an elegant one of a kind backdrop for your next photo session, too!  This would be gorgeous to combine with a teepee!

DIY Paper Flower Backdrop

The paper flower backdrop from my springtime session with these gorgeous girls has been getting so much attention on social media that I decided to share an easy step-by-step tutorial so that you can do it yourself!  Read on and get your scissors ready!

Assemble your materials before beginning: Assorted cardstock and scrapbooking paper, glue gun, extra glue sticks, pencil, and scissors.

Create your petal templates -- one small, medium, and large for each style of flower.  Fold your template paper in half and cut out the shape of a petal.  Try different styles with rounded petals, pointed petals, and ruffled petals.

You will need 9 sheets of 8.5x11" paper for each flower.  I like to use all one color for the entire flower, or mix a few shades of the same color for one flower.  You will first cut 6 sheets of paper in half -- these will be the large and medium petals.  Then cut 3 sheets of paper in quarters (cut it in half, and then in half again) -- these will be the small petals.  

You will need 6 large petals, 6 medium petals, and 6 small petals.  Trace your petal template on the colored paper, and cut them out.

After cutting out the petals, cut a 1" slice in the bottom center of each petal.  Then curl the tops of the petals around your finger to give them more of a textured and 3-D look.

Put a dot of glue near the cut that you just made in each petal.  Fold one side over the other and your petal will take on a curved and 3-D look.  Do this to all of your flower petals.

After gluing the bottom of all of your petals to give them that 3-D pop, this is what they should look like.

Next you want to assemble each tier of petals separately -- small, medium, and large.  To do this, put a dot of glue at the bottom corner of one petal, and overlap the next petal on top.  Do this so that all 6 petals will fit together and form a closed circle shape.  

Insider tip: Depending on how you space the petals when attaching them together, sometimes you will only fit 5 petals in the ring of petals that you've created.  Keep your extras, and you may find a use for them in a different flower later on!  

Once you've glued all of your petals together, they should look like this!  

Next you will want to stack them inside of each other and glue the three tiers of petals together.  I recommend tracing a circle of glue around the base of the large petals, and then pressing the medium ones on top.  Then do the same by putting the smallest petals into the medium petals so that all three tiers are now attached.

Now we are going to create the center of your flower!  There are so many options for this, so I encourage you to have fun with different materials and colors to create a garden full of unique flowers.  You can use cardstock like in the sample below, and you can also cut & crumple tissue paper for unique flower centers as well.

To create the center like you see below, cut two long pieces of paper and fold them in half.  Then use your scissors to make a fringe in the paper.  Finally, use your glue gun to dot glue along the base of the fringe as you roll the fringe up.

Finally, you can glue the center of your flower into the base and you are ready to hang it up & enjoy!  

To hang my flowers, I glued a metal washer from the hardware store to the back of each flower, and then I hung them with magnets on my backdrop.  This makes them easy to reuse and reposition on your backdrop.  

Insider tip:  You can buy heavy duty magnets at the hardware store, and these work wonderfully to hang the flowers.  However, be very careful not to drop the magnets since they will shatter and the tiny pieces are sharp & dangerous.  

Storage:  These flowers are STUNNING and are very versatile, and you are going to want to keep them and reuse them for other sessions.  I stack mine inside of each other and store them in a large, clear plastic tote with a cover.   I add a few more with each session, and I like to change out the color scheme to make every session unique.

Have fun!