Pillow Fort by Le Petit Elefant - click image to view more
Bring back the indoor fort.
When I was little, my best friend at the time used to roll her eyes when she came over, because I always wanted to make a couch fort. We had this fantastic 1970s behemoth that had little finials all around the top. The tiny holes in the large blanket we had fit perfectly over them, making it the greatest base for my forts. All we needed then was a yard stick to prop it up from the inside. It was magnificent.
I haven’t made an indoor fort since grade school, and that’s just a flat-out travesty. Where’s the rule that they’re only for kids? I sure don’t see one. Personally, I think as adults, we’re more deserving of a special little place to get away from the world from time to time.
Turns out that I’m not alone in my thoughts. Here are some great links to show that kids aren’t the only ones who should have all the fun:
- How to make a blanket fort – In case you’re still not familiar with the concept of what an indoor fort entails, you can read up on these instructions to help get you started.
- Tumblr blogs devoted to forts – There was not just one, but TWO blogs on Tumblr that I found, both dedicated to curating images from around the web. Take a peek at what others have created to get some inspiration.
- The Reddit fort subsection – Reddit users seem to be pretty fond of forts, as well, as evidenced by all this activity. To quote one user, “There is no problem in the world that cannot be solved by forts.” Indeed, my friend. Indeed.
- Wild Things fort contest – Back when the movie Where the Wild Things Are was out and about, the blog BOOOOOOOM held a contest for the best Wild Things fort. Check out these winners and scroll to the bottom for links to the other entries.
- Couch Cushion Architecture: A Critical Analysis – The blog BUILD took a scholarly review of selected forts in this fun write-up, including giving out design grades.
- Craigslist’s totally dope blanket fort – If you’re not familiar with the way some people use Craigslist as a medium for some pretty hilarious creative writing exercises, this listing from a few years back will break you in. After reading it, check out the Sesame-Street-style music video spoof Details magazine made to celebrate it.
Did you make indoor forts as a kid? Do you still? What are your best memories of them?
About Tina Jett
Love this!
Yes! My husband and I made a hurricane fort in our living room when Irene was headed towards NYC. Best. Decision. Ever. Here’s a photo: http://www.thezenofmaking.com/2011/08/sunday-snapshot-hurricane-fort.html
NICE. Best part of that post? — “stocked with beer and oreos” — Well played, ma’am.
Our cotton playcloths make for great fort building! Also, see Heartwood Arts giant wooden playclips for anchoring sheets or playcloths to furniture…my kids used to use books but they get heavy when dropped on heads!
Those playclips are fabulous! I was very familiar with the book-falling episodes when I was little. These would have been perfect.
OMG!! my kids make me crazy with the fort building!!! every chair and stool in the house, pillows, blankets, curtains, towels, baskets, ropes and pulleys aaaghhh. they love it so much. they have a fort build outside right now using some trees and long bamboo poles, draped with blankets, all held together with clothespins. I hope any of the blankets and clothespins survive…
Ropes and pulleys? That’s some hard-core fort buildin’, there! Outside forts are great, too, not to mention that you (hopefully) can get most of your house back.
Love this post, Tara! When our 3 daughters were little my husband built square frames of wood about four feet on each side and an inch thick. They were hinged together so they stood on their own or held up by tables, chairs, etc. I hemmed huge pieces of brightly colored fabrics. We presented them to the girls for Christmas (every year we had at least one home-made gift) with pinchy-clamps we bought at Home Depot for holding the fabric to the frames. I don’t know who had more fun over the years – the kids or us. We still have the whole kit and kaboodle waiting for grandchildren.
That is very cool, Sandra. I think my husband and I will probably end up wanting to do the same for our kids, too. I especially like that you didn’t get rid of it once it was outgrown.
I LOVE forts!!! So much so that I made one for my final project in my first yr of grad school last spring:)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=281519801864625&set=a.223630174320255.76335.100000198232374&type=1&theater
That is… awesome! Love those colors. What are you studying that you could make a fort for school?
Love this, brings back some brilliant memories of my sister and I with a washing basket and blankets!