Whether you have kids or not, making a blanket fort is a fun activity for all ages. We’ve got the lowdown on how to make a fort in your room with a few simple steps to guide you along the way. Plus, building a blanket fort in your bedroom doesn’t require much! With determination, blankets, pillows, clothespins, and a few other items, you’ll have everything you need to make the ultimate blanket fort in your bedroom. Feel free to loop your family in to not only get more helping hands but to share in the joy of creating beautiful and silly memories.
1. Scope out the Spot
When deciding how to make a blanket fort, you should first start by searching your bedroom for the best spot. Nine times out of 10, within the vicinity of your bed will be the ideal location. This is the case for 2 important reasons:
a. Your mattress is there. Let’s be honest, you’re probably not as spry as you used to be, so laying on the floor may not sound like your cup of tea. It’s completely understandable -- you’re older and deserve an upgrade from the days of floor naps.
b. Your mattress frame makes the perfect base for draping sheets and covers. It’s solid and will not topple over, so you can continue to enjoy your blanket fort worry-free.
2. Gather the Goods
Once you’ve settled on the spot, it’s time to gather the right tools for constructing your bedroom fort. While it all depends on your home and how your room is set up, the following may be of some help to get you started: sheets and blankets, cushions and pillows, chairs, a large wooden dowel a broomstick or large stick will work), clothespins, and heavy books.
3. Work on the Walls
The walls of your fort are the most important part because if they are unsteady, the whole thing could come tumbling down. To make sure your walls stand strong, we suggest grabbing chairs with backs – perhaps some dining room chairs – and placing them 5 feet away from your bed but next to each other around your mattress. It is up to you how large of a space you want your fort to be, so it is entirely up to you how many chairs to use. Just make sure you have enough seats lined up facing outward while the backs of the chairs are making a wall. Take advantage of your bed frame as well since it probably can be used to hold the blankets up in areas.
4. Layer with Linens
Now that your fort has “bones,” it’s time to dress it up! Before pulling out as many blankets and sheets as you can and draping them from one chair to the other, be sure to lay blankets down all around the ground of the inside of your fort. While you’ll have your bed inside the fort, filling the whole place with blankets will bump up the coziness level on the cozy meter.
As far as the roof and walls go, it’s nice to have really long blankets to do the job, but if you don’t, that’s fine! You can always use some clothespins to connect two together to make one extremely large blanket. Continue to strategically drape so that until there is no opening into the blanket fort.
5. Secure and Make Sturdy
If you’ve made it this far, then you may be thinking that your fort is looking a little droopy. Well, now that you have a covering for the roof and walls, you’ll just need to make it sturdy! Place heavy books on top of each chair seat so that they sandwich the blankets.
Before moving onto the other side, making the blanket taut, and putting the heavy books down on the chair seats, it’s a good idea to grab either a wooden dowel, broomstick, or large stick to place in the center of your fort like a column. This will make the roof higher and give you more space in your blanket fort. If your mattress is in the center of your blanket fort, balance your chosen pole against the mattress and let it stand vertically, lifting the ceiling into a teepee-like shape.
Find where you would like the entrance to be and use a clothespin to clip back the blanket like a billowy curtain. Search for any spots where the blankets look flimsy or that are loose, and use the clothespins to help secure the fort.
6. Place Pillows
Go ahead and get inside and make it cozy! Place pillows and cushions all around the inside of your blanket fort, making sure there isn’t a single wall uncovered. If you have removable couch cushions, place them inside, as they do a really great job of adding comfort to the flooring of your fort.
Now’s the part where you get to enjoy all your hard work! Bring in the books and a flashlight if you are looking for a quiet place to read. Play board games with your loved ones under a slew of string lights. Meditate and relax with a little bit of light music. Take a peaceful nap. Eat some snacks and watch a movie on your smartphone. The choice is yours now that you’ve built the most epic of blanket forts!
7. Fill with Fun
Now’s the part where you get to enjoy all your hard work! Bring in the books and a flashlight if you are looking for a quiet place to read. Play board games with your loved ones under a slew of string lights. Meditate and relax with a little bit of light music. Take a peaceful nap. Eat some snacks and watch a movie on your smartphone. The choice is yours now that you’ve built the most epic of blanket forts!
While blanket forts are fun to build, it's important that they not only look inviting but that they actually feel comfortable and cozy. Having a good mattress in your bedroom will ensure that your blanket fort is just as comfy as ever. Give us a call today if you're ready to replace your old mattress and turn these fort room ideas into a reality.