Tulle, Netting and Cheese Cloth Fort Decorating Ideas For Kids
Posted December 23, 2017 by Fort Magic
Building a fort with your kids is one of the most creative things you can do together — not only because of the way that you can design the fort and then work with them to make it a reality but also because of all the ways that they can then use it for learning and play. But best of all, the creative opportunities don’t end once the fort is built — that’s where the decorating ideas for kids come in!
Your kids probably look forward to decorating the fort more than setting up the frame itself, mostly because it creates a tangible result; once the decorating is done, it will look exactly how they wanted it to look. And at that point, they’ll also be able to use it for all of the purposes that they wanted to, like reading or playing with friends. And the decorating itself is fun too, as they can incorporate exciting patterns and shapes into making the walls and creating the appropriate atmosphere in the fort.
Though the internal frame might shape the impression of the fort, the exterior is where your kids can let their personality shine through and bring in some of their unique creativity! One way to do this is by using fabulous fabrics, such as tulle, netting, and cheesecloth, in contrast to the typical blankets or bed sheets that are usually used to cover forts. If you’re looking for a few ways that you can bring these types of cloth into your kids’ fort-building experience, here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Use tulle to design a princess fort.
Tulle is a favorite of kids who are obsessed with princesses, mainly because of the different colors it comes in as well as its gauzy, dream-like appearance. You typically see tulle being used in dresses or skirts, but you can find it in a fabric store fairly easily and take it home for your kids to decorate their fort. And what better way to use tulle than to feed their passion for princess-themed activities?
By using tulle to decorate their fort, your kids can pretend that they are Sleeping Beauty in her castle, Snow White helping out the Seven Dwarves or Ariel from The Little Mermaid in her kingdom under the sea. If there is leftover fabric, you can even use it for costumes or props, which your kids can cut themselves (although you may have to end up sewing the pieces together for them). This can end up being a great Halloween costume (or special outfit to wear to a birthday party) if your child makes something they end up liking.
To make a princess fort with tulle, you should start out by setting up the frame in a castle design, although your kids can take the lead and pick something else if they want. Then, once you set that part up, you can have them pick out the color tulle that they want — this may depend on the princess they’re thinking of specifically, like teal for Ariel’s undersea fort and pink for Aurora’s castle in Sleeping Beauty. You can drape the tulle around the fort by gathering it up at the ends and clipping it to the frame, sort of like curtains — leaving it to be somewhat free-flowing in the middle, which adds to the appearance. If your kids don’t like the semi-transparent look, you can drape some sheets or blankets over the frame first and then add the tulle on top of that.
2. Netting can be fantastic for the outdoors.
Forts don’t always have to be made indoors! One of the best things you can do with your kids is to make an outdoor fort where they can run and play instead of just sitting still. Netting can be an excellent choice for decorating in this case because you can use it to keep out bugs if you live in a humid area, as well as to create a separation between the outside and the inside of the fort. Since it’s transparent, netting is also ideal for nighttime outdoor fort activities, as you can see your kids in it even as they feel like they are in their world. Consider building a sunflower fort in the spring to teach kids about planting and nature!
3. Cheesecloth makes a great spooky fort.
Whether it’s Halloween or not, kids love a good scary story, and what better place to tell it than in a spooky fort? Cheesecloth makes for great ghost-like drapery because of it’s gauzy, partially see-through appearance, and your kids can add to the atmosphere by adding plastic spiders and other scary-looking decorations all around.
Tulle, netting, and cheese cloth fort decorating ideas for kids opens up a whole world of gossamer possibilities!
How do you use these materials to build magical forts with your children? Share your ideas with us below!
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Photo Credits:
Meri Cherry: The Meri Cherry blog is a tremendously awesome resource on all things creative, artistic and beautiful in the world of kids crafting. Full of gorgeous, fun and inspiring ideas for your family playtime, you’ll simply love the hands-on-learning ideas she posts each week.
Play At Home Mom Blog: This super-amazing blog is definitely one of our favorites. Loaded with fun ideas for DIY playtime, with an always-present educational spin.
Fort Magic Customer Photos via Facebook: Visit our Fort Magic Facebook page to see our customer creativity shine with fun pics and videos of families enjoying their Fort Magic kit during playtime.
Fort Magic Customer Photos via Instagram: Visit our Fort Magic Instagram page to see our customer creativity shine with fun pics and videos of families enjoying their Fort Magic kit during playtime.
