I'm SO excited to share this DIY with you all! It's definitely one of my favorite things I've ever made for my girls. I think you'll see why!

While I love the idea of those adorable play teepees, we simply don't have enough square footage for one. But I grew up loving all little cubbies and forts, so I wanted my kids to have some version of one as well...I just needed to find an apartment-friendly kind. This tutorial for an A-frame tent fit the bill! While it obviously takes up floor space when in use, it folds up completely flat and can be stored against the wall, behind a chair, etc. 

I had my husband get the frame of the tent ready following the measurements in the tutorial above (though learning how to use power tools is on my to-do list!). We originally made the tent for my daughter for Christmas, so on Christmas Eve I was running to the craft store and bought the most basic fabric I could find with the right yardage. It was simple, but she loved it! Here's the original:

Like I said, Mollie loved it...but after a few months the unfinished wood and fraying fabric started to get to me. So I decided to do a little makeover...maybe save yourself the extra project by doing this while you make the tent in the first place :).

First, I sanded the wood pieces to make sure the surface was smooth. Then I used these stain wipes. You guys, those things are a game-changer! It was so fast and tidy, with no real clean up. And it made a huge difference in making the tent look more polished:

Then I got some new fabric (I love everything Rifle Paper Co.) and made sure to leave some extra inches to make a hem this time, since the raw edge of the first tent frayed quickly. But since I didn't want to dig out my sewing machine, I just used this fabric tape on the underside of the fabric and folded a hem:

Then, I used the velcro shown above to put one side along the wood, and another along the fabric hem to make sure the fabric laid flat against the frame. 

And the end result was definitely a success!`

We'd love to see pictures if you make one too! I can promise many hours of happy play. :)

It obviously takes up floor space when in use, but when the girls aren't playing in it, it folds up completely flat against the wall.