Mum Saves Over £200 Creating £20 Budget Teepee for Daughter
- Emma, 32, wanted to create a fun garden teepee on a budget for her daughter
- She sourced many of the supplies for free from Facebook Marketplace
- Overall the project cost her just £25 and she has saved over £200 making her own
Plenty of people have made their gardens unique by building pergolas, bars or benches from pallet wood, but one mum has created a space with a twist by building her daughter a teepee to relax in.
Emma Hughes, 32 from Liverpool, who works as a project manager for an IT company, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘I love to do DIY and I just moved into a new ex-military home with my husband and baby daughter. It has a large garden so I was excited to get started on some projects!
‘I have a low budget, but I wanted to make something for my baby girl to be able to play in, where she could also have shade to sit and eat lunch in the sunshine.’
While doing some research online, Emma came up with her idea. ‘I Googled ‘Home DIY projects’ and noticed there were lots of different teepees in the search results. That inspired me to give my own teepee a go.
‘I didn’t have a design that I followed, I just looked at a picture and went from there!’
Emma was able to source a number of bargains from Facebook Marketplace. ‘I managed to pick up five old pallets from Facebook Marketplace, which were free to collect. I also got off cuts of artificial grass free of charge.
‘Some of the other parts came from various stores, but they didn’t come to much overall. I got four two by two batons from B and Q for the frame, and they cost £3.95 each. I also got copper wire solar lights from Amazon for £8.99.’
Once it was time to build, the whole process was simple. ‘I sanded down the best pallet I had, that wasn’t broken, and filled in the gaps to use as the base. I then made the A frame, and this was the hardest part as I didn’t know what I was doing - I had to just figure it out!
‘When it was assembled, I attached the A frame to the base with wood screws. I then split the other pallets for wood, cutting and placing them as panels in an arrangement I liked.
‘The next step, once everything was screwed in, was to sand everything down. Finally, I used burnt linseed oil to treat the wood. I already had this product in my shed, but it only costs around £4 on Amazon.’
Finally, Emma added some finishing touches to make the teepee sparkle at night. ‘I attached the copper wire solar lights around the frame to complete the look, and it was done.
‘I loved doing this project, and my husband, daughter and dog all love it too. It’s a good thing I know how to do it, as now my nephew wants me to make him one so I’m starting all over again!’
Emma realised she made some great savings by building the teepee herself. ‘The whole project cost £24.79 overall, and I saw ready made ones online for around £250.’
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Emma’s daughter will undoubtedly have a fantastic summer in her new teepee. It looks great and Emma should be proud of her work.
‘It’s easy to spend a couple of hundred pounds on pre-built teepees, but you can make one yourself with just a few hours of work and some cheap supplies, as Emma has proven.
‘After making one of these myself last year, here’s my guide to making your very own garden teepee.
‘Tom’s Teepee
‘You will need:
- ‘4 2 by 2 batons (for the main frame)
- ‘1 piece of square-shaped decking (for the base)
- ‘5 wood pallets (to fill in the frame)
- ‘Drill
- ‘Several screws
‘1. Arrange two of the batons so they make an arch shape across the back of the decking.
‘2. Sand or saw down any excess wood from one of the batons so they fit comfortably next to each other with a pointed top.
‘3. Drill the two batons together with one or two nails, ensuring that the bottom of the arch remains wide enough to fit across the decking.
‘4. Repeat this process with the other two batons, arranging them near the front of the decking and ensuring all four batons make a point at the top.
‘5.Cut one of the pallets down to four slats and nail them around the top of the teepee, just under the point, to hold the frame in place.
‘6. Cut the remaining pallets down to size and nail them around the back and sides, leaving the front open as the entrance. Leave spaces in between each plank if you’d like ‘window’ gaps!
‘7. Drill the pallets you apply to the base of the frame onto both the batons and the decking. This will attach the teepee to its base.
‘8. Sand down the wood and apply linseed oil to treat it.
‘9. Paint the wood if desired and apply decorative touches such as blankets, cushions, artificial grass and lights.’
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I have to say well done Emma on doing an excellent job making the teepee. I'm sure quite a few people will follow your instructions and make a teepee so their kids can have lots of fun in the summer. 