Building a fort out of pillows, blankets and furniture is a passed down tradition that builds you a cool hiding place! You can easily build a fun fort in your room using just a few things you already have in your house.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Building a Pillow Fortress
Step 1. Gather as many pillows and sofa cushions as you can
You can start with the pillows in your own room. Ask your parents if you can use extra pillows from the couch, parent's room, and other places.
Step 2. Group the pillows
Soft and fluffy pillows are suitable for building a fort floor to be luxurious, but not suitable for a fort wall. Sofa cushions and other pillows that are hard and stiff are suitable for fortification walls.
Memory foam pillows are also a good choice for building a fort wall because they are heavy and don't buckle
Step 3. Choose the furniture that you will use to build the fort
If you build a fort in your room, you can use a bed. Chairs, tables, and dressing tables can also be good choices. You can ask your parents to bring furniture from other rooms.
Step 4. Gather heavy objects to support the pillow
Heavy books can be used to support the fort, but you can also use shoes, large toys, or even canned food (but ask your parents' permission first). You will use these items to support your pillow castle structure.
Step 5. Build the walls
There are two basic wall construction techniques that you can choose depending on the type of pillow you use. Start building from the bed and use the bed as the main support for the fort structure.
- The sandbag technique is suitable for soft, limp pillows. Start building the rampart out of bed and place a row of pillows away from the bed as the rampart wall goes as far as you want. Then place another row of pillows on top of the previous row and build the wall as high as you want. Don't get too high because your fort may collapse.
- The vertical support technique is suitable for firmer, stiffer pillows such as sofa cushions. Start building the rook out of bed and put a row of pillows away from the bed. Support the pillow on both sides with heavy objects such as books to prevent the pillow from falling.
- To make your fort walls even stronger, spread a blanket over the fort walls. Secure the blanket with clothespins or clips, then use heavy objects to support the fort walls.
Step 6. Create the roof
Use sheets for the roof of the fort because the sheets are lighter and the chances of the fort collapsing are less because of the lighter sheets. Spread the sheets along the walls of the fort. Use clothespins or clips to connect several sheets together if you are using multiple sheets.
- If you have a bunk bed, you can build a domed roof! Tuck the sheets under the top bunk, then let the sheets hang down to the fort walls. Use clothespins or clips to secure the sheets to the ends of the pillows.
- Use flat sheets (no rubber) if available. Elasticated sheets are a bit tricky to work with because of the elastic edges.
Step 7. Secure the roof with heavy objects such as books so that the ends of the sheets are anchored to the floor
You can also tuck the ends of the sheets under furniture such as table legs or beds.
Step 8. Fill the castle
Every fort needs a supply of food. So, bring snacks and drinks to store in the fort. If you plan to stay at the fort, you should also bring a flashlight or even a twinkling light. Then of course you need books and various games as entertainment while in the fort.
Never bring candles or other flaming objects into the fort! Pillow forts are highly flammable
Method 2 of 4: Building a Tent House Fort
Step 1. Gather a long stick or pole
If you have a backyard, you might be able to find a long stick there. You will need about five to seven straight, strong sticks that are at least 1.5 meters long. If you don't have a long wand, you can ask your parents if they can buy a dowel stick (or even a curtain rod or broom) from the hardware store.
Step 2. Gather the rest of the ingredients
You'll need twine, rope, or thick rubber to tie the stick together. You'll also need some sheets or blankets to make the walls of the tent house, as well as clothespins and clips.
Step 3. Place the three sticks forming like a tripod
Place two sticks on the floor in an inverted “V” shape. Place a stick in the center of the letter "V" so that the shape now looks like an inverted "W".
Step 4. Tie the stick
The safest way to tie a stick is to use the base knot at the top of the stick. If you don't know how to make a base knot, make sure you slip the rope under the pole and around the pole. Leave the end of the rope.
If you're using a rubber band, tie a bunch at the top of the stick so it doesn't come loose
Step 5. Ask a friend to help build a tent house
Building a tent house alone can be difficult, so ask a friend or parent for help. Once set up, the stick should now look like a tripod. Set the legs to be stable.
Once the tripod is set up, place another stick in the center of the tripod. Use the remaining rope to tie the stick to the tripod structure or secure the stick with rubber
Step 6. Spread the sheets over the structure of the tent house
Use clothespins or clips to secure the sheets to sticks or posts. You can also use string or twine to tie the sheets to the structure.
If your parents allow it, punching holes in the sheets will help you tie the sheets to the tent structure more easily. If you want to punch holes in the sheets, use only old sheets, and of course ask your parents for permission first
Step 7. Place some pillows on the floor inside the tent house
That way, you can sit in the tent house comfortably.
Step 8. Fill the castle
You may want to bring snacks and drinks to enjoy at the fort. Books, games, and maybe a laptop can be entertainment while in the fort.
If you want to decorate the inside of a tent house, you can wrap a twinkling lamp on a pole and plug it in
Method 3 of 4: Building a Quilt and Furniture Fortress
Step 1. Gather materials to build a fort
For this type of fort, you will need as many pillows, blankets and sheets as possible. You'll also need some furniture that can be moved around to form a circle.
Ask an adult to help move furniture such as a dressing table. You don't need to move the bed
Step 2. Move the furniture so that it forms a circle around your bed
The bed may be too big and heavy to move, so move other pieces of furniture so that it forms a circle with the bed as a guide.
You can use a study, a large table, or a small table and dressing table
Step 3. Fill in the gaps between the furniture with pillows
If you want light to come in, you can leave places like under a chair open. If you want a more secure and closed fortress, fill all the gaps.
Step 4. Place the base
You want the floor of the castle soft and comfortable, so put some soft pillows on the floor. You can also use a towel or bedcover if you have one. If you use a pillow as a base, spread a blanket over the pillow so that the floor is firm.
Step 5. Create the roof
Use sheets to make the roof of the fort because sheets are lighter than blankets. Secure the bed sheets to furniture with heavy objects such as books, as well as clamps such as clothespins and clips.
- You can tuck the sheets that make up the roof of the fort into the dresser drawer and secure it in the drawer with clothespins or clips. That way, the roof of your fort will be higher and sloping.
- Tuck the sheets that form the roof of the fort under the bed so they don't fall off.
- If you're using a piece of furniture with a hard, flat surface like a table top or the bottom of a chair, you can support the sheets with a stack of books or other heavy objects.
- You can also clamp the sheets between the heavy furniture and the wall. Just tuck the sheets behind a heavy object like the headboard and push them against the wall.
- Use rubber or rope to secure blankets and sheets to protruding or pegged tops, such as kitchen chairs.
Step 6. Fill the castle
Bring snacks and drinks to the fort. If you use furniture such as chairs or dressing tables, you can put the snacks and drinks under the chair or in the desk drawer. You should also bring a flashlight, laptop, and books and games. Don't forget to invite friends too.
Method 4 of 4: Building Other Types of Forts
Step 1. Build a bunk bed fort
If you have a bunk bed, building an instant fort in your room is easy. Take a sheet or blanket and tuck it under the mattress of the top bunk. Let the sheets hang down to the floor on all sides of the bed.
Step 2. Build a tunnel fort
This type of fort is very easy to build, but it is smaller than other types of fortifications.
- Prepare two pieces of furniture, such as a sofa and a table, and place them face to face with a distance of about 0.5 to 1 meter.
- Spread sheets or blankets along the gap between the two pieces of furniture to create a roof.
- Secure the bed sheets by covering them with heavy objects at both ends. You can use heavy books.
- Place a pillow or bolster on the tunnel floor so that the floor is comfortable to sit on. Your fort is ready!
Step 3. Build a beach umbrella fort
You can also use an ordinary umbrella, but the space will not be as large as if you use a beach umbrella. If you have several umbrellas, arrange them in a circle. Then, spread the sheets over the umbrellas. Your fort is ready!
Tips
- Use furniture with a hard, flat surface to build a fort. Such furniture will make it easier for you to stack heavy objects such as books to hold up the roof of the sheets.
- Ask a friend for help if you can. Forts are easier to build in groups of people.
