Restoration Hardware Teepee Knockoff

Back in the fall I saw a picture of this amazing teepee from Restoration Hardware and fell in LOVE!  I had just built a stick teepee outside for the kids as we were having fun study early American history and acting out being pioneers and Native Americans in their playtime.  And then I saw this Teepee and it was just so whimsical to me!  So I picked up brown and white chevron fabric at Hobby Lobby 40% off and got home and set out to work figuring out how to cut the fabric and out it together.  We had new kittens and I just ended up stashing the bag with my sketch and measurements in a bag in the closet.  I had also gone out in the woods with a big pair of loppers and cut down some trees that were pretty straight and no more than 1.5 - 2 inches round for poles. Then it all just sat...and sat....but last week was the week!  My son has his first ever birthday party to celebrate turning 5 and it was Native American themed and that spurred me on to finish the teepee!

I had looked online but didn't find a tutorial that I liked because all the tutorials used some sort of large sheet, drop cloth or super wide fabric so the measurements and pattern didn't work for my 45 inch wide patterned hobby lobby fabric.  

So here is my tutorial for a DIY Restoration Hardware Teepee / Pottery Barn Teepee for less than $30. I bought more fabric than I needed Bc I didn't know how much I needed until I made it so I'll save you that!

Supplies

3.5 (or 4 just to be safe) yards heavy weight fabric (duck/canvas) hobby lobby has lots if fun prints around $9.99 and you can use the hobby lobby app on your phone to get it 40% off! For 4 yards that's $24.

Thread

Ribbon

4 poles either cut trees or PVC pipe ~70 inches long

Measuring tape

Pencil

Long straight edge like a board or yard stick

Sewing machine

Lay out fabric, folded in half lengthwise.

Measure 62 inches up and mark fabric with a pencil.  Use a clear quilting ruler to cut straight across at that 62 inch mark. 

From folded edge, lay out your long straight edge to get a straight line from corner to corner.  (I used the board we had just used as a cross for an Easter lesson). 

 Draw along that straight edge with a pencil.  

Then carefully cut along your pencil line

You will have this... When you open it you have one large traingle and two halves of another triangle.  

Repeat that process again with the remainder if your fabric.

Now you should have 2 large triangles and 4 half triangles.  Take one of the half triangle pairs and flip the fabric so the right sides are facing eachother and everything is lined up and then along the straight edge (not the angled edge) stitch the two pieces together creating a full triangle when it's opened.  

Repeat that process with the other half triangle pieces except this one will be the front of teepee with a door so start sewing from the top of the triangle and see down the the edge about 24 inches and then back stitch to finish it off.  I left the raw edges as is because I liked the frayed look.  

Now you should have 4 full triangle pieces.  

Next step is to simply hem the top and bottom of each piece.  Turn over the bottom edge of each triangle about half an inch and see along creating a hem.  

For the tops, we need to create space for a hole for the poles so fold the tops of each triangle over about 3 inches and see down to crest a finished edge.  

Now to assemble the triangles together.  

Place the triangle that has the opening for the door right side with one of the triangles with no seam up the middle (the triangle with the seam in the middle will go in the back).  With right sides facing eachother, see along one of the outside edges of the triangle to connect the pieces. 

Open it up and do the same thing, placing the other full triangle (with no middle seam) lined up with the triangle with the doorway, right sides facing eachother and sew together along the opposite side of that piece.  

When you open it up you should have the  front teepee piece with the opening in the middle with the 2 side pieces connected on either side.  

Now you just have to connect the back piece.  The one with the seam up the middle.  

Open up your teepee and place the last piece on top of one of the side pieces, right sides facing eachother and sew along the raw edges.  Then, connect the two last raw edges of your teepee together right sides facing eachother, and sew along the edge completing the teepee.  When you flip in right side out you will have a lot of fabric all connected!  

Now cut some lengths of ribbon ~18 inches (hopefully you have some on hand that you can use up and don't need to buy any!)

I simply reached inside the teepee and quickly centered a ribbon with each seam on the lower half of the teepee and stitched it down right along the seam.  Then repeated the process attaching a piece of ribbon to each inside seam on the upper half if the tent.  

The ribbons don't need to all be at the exact same spot in each seam, it's just to tie to the poles to help keep the seams lined up with the poles once you erect your DIY teepee.

now take your poles all gathered together and slide them up the middle of your teepee and spread them out. 

I then used some twine to tie up and secure the poles once I had them positioned the way I wanted them.

 Crawl/reach  inside your teepee and tie the ribbons securely around each pole.  

If you have your teepee on hardwood floors, consider throwing down an area rug or some canvas drop cloth to protect your floor from scratches. 

My son playing the drums I made as favors for his birthday party inside the teepee!

Later we hung a dream catcher great grandma had sent on the front

And added a basket to the side with play invitations, toms for playing the drums, feather headband, frayed t shirt, binoculars made if toilet paper tubes, a bear, bow and arrows etc.  

Spare throw pillows thrown in... Now not only are the kids drawn into this whimsical cozy space, but has become a new favorite napping place for the cats!  Which in the play world are wild cougars!!! Watch out!!!