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Blog » How to Make a Den At Home
If you’re looking for something cool to do with the kids at home, then den building is where it’s at. Invoking mystical worlds and becoming magical characters is all part of growing up, so when your little one’s shout “let’s pretend!”, you know what you have to do!
Here we run through how to make some of the BEST dens using regular household items, cardboard boxes and bed sheets have never been so much fun!
How to build a den – An infographic by the team at Climadoor
Materials You Will Need (Frame):
4 – 1” X 2” X 48” Whitewood Molding
1 – ¾ x 48” Poplar Dowel
Drill with a ¾” Spade Bit
How To:
The frame is around the size of a double bed duvet cover, so if you have a flat one laying around you can save yourself time by throwing that over the frame. If you want to make a cover, it’s as quick and easy as making the frame and can be done with or without a sewing machine.
Materials you will need (Cover):
How To
You can hem the fabric if you have a sewing machine, do this by using a straight stitch with a half inch hem.
The tent should now be ready to use! You change the fabric to match your toddlers ever growing and changing tastes.
Materials You Will Need:
Glue
Colored or patterned tape
Coloring pens, pencils and markers
Large cardboard boxes
Glitter, stickers, decorations
How To:
The scope to be creative with this is massive. You can add as many or as few boxes as you like, decorate them how ever you want, and tape them together in whatever order suits you best.
You could have a large box as the center, with a few smaller boxes tape to the side as ‘rooms’. Or two large boxes connected with a rectangular box as a tunnel… the only limit is your imagination!
Some advice though…
The Classic Pillow Fort
You Will Need:
Pillows
Cushions
Blankets
Poles
Pegs
Use a central pole (An old mop or broom pole works well), held in place with tins, bricks or heavy books. Place the sheets over the pole, pegging multiple sheets together if you want to make a bigger den. Use additional heavy items to hold down the sheet in the corners.
Using Chairs:
Try using the backs of chairs as walls and placing sheets or blankets over for the roof.
The sofa is one of the most valuable den building tools you can have at your disposal.
Use the cushions as walls. They’re great for walls because of their square, brick-ey shape and sturdiness!
Get the sofa itself in on the action by using the back of the sofa as a wall. Place a sheet over the side of the sofa and use poles to prop up the other side. Kinda like an awning on a caravan.
Things to take into a den are just as important as the den itself. After all – it’s what on the inside that counts!
Take an empty shoe box and cover it with some ‘funky’ wrapping paper by gluing it on. Decorate the box with your little one. Get them to write ‘Treasure Chest’ on top or side as they wish and decorate it with glitter and stickers.
Fill the box with snacks, sweeties, games, glow sticks, music players and toys.
Name the den – It could be a fort, a castle, a nest, a lair, a cave or a den! Maybe you could incorporate something that your child loves into the name such as “The Ice Cream Castle” or “The Glitter Palace”.
On a nice piece of card, write the name down and decorate with stickers. Try finding some stickers related to the name of the den or of something that your little one enjoys. You can pick some cheap but wonderful stickers online, from eBay and Amazon. Not only will having and building a den entertain your kiddies for hours, but making a sign is another great way to get creative.
Pale/Baby Pink + Silver/Gold + Hot Pink + Glitter
Try making glittery signs using glue, glitters and card.
You could make a cardboard door sign in the shape of a crown or make a pink, glittering flag to make it into a ‘real’ castle.
Add fluffy, soft cushions and cushions like velvet and silk for a Den fit for Royalty – and don’t forget to stock the Den up with Fairytale books.
Try making strawberry cupcakes to take in as a fruity, pink treat.
Grassey Green + Brown + jungle colours (think tigers, parrots and more).
Try decorating homemade door signs with animal prints like polka dots for a leopard, stripes for a tiger or snake print.
Add fluffy blankets like a lions mane, or even add some astro-turf to the floor of the Den to make it look like jungle grass. You can easily get brightly colored feathers from high street arts and crafts shops – you can easily string some up and pretend they are birds of paradise.
Take in lots of educational wildlife books and some animal crackers that you can pick up from any supermarket.
Blue + Navy + Silver
There are all sorts of things you could do with tin foil – maybe try sticking some to the walls of you den to make them shiny and sci-fi!
Try making some cardboard or paper mache models of the planets, they can be hung up inside the den and little ones can learn about the solar system.
If you search far and wide on the internet, you can buy vacuum packed food as novelty gifts, it’s based on what astronauts would have eaten – try snacking on some space food in the den.
Building a den isn’t the only fun you can have in your home either! Why not check out our DIY guide to painting doors to give your internal door a fun splash of colour.
If you have questions about any of our internal door or external door ranges, our team is happy to help so get in touch today!
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