25 days of attempted crafts: Card-Table Tent

For today's craft, I hope my nephews aren't reading my blog. Those kids! It is only inevitable that some Christmas gifts will be showcased here and that is really the point. It is to show that yes, you can make awesome Christmas gifts that won't have them crying for a Toy's R Us gift card for next year.


Or at least that's goal.


The Card-Table Tent is inspired by my husband who has such fond memories of the one he played in as a child. The concept is a fitted blanket that fits over a standard card table. It can be made as ellaberate or simple as your time will allow.

This card table fort is for sale on Etsy by seller missprettypretty for $195. Amazingly cute.

This barn design is similar to the one my husband remembers from his childhood. It is only $35 on Etsy from seller whippersnappersgifts... a great deal now that I have made one and know that it is a pretty time consuming project.

Now on to the creation of my own.... er... for my nephews.

I purchased a 6'x9' canvas drop cloth ($10 @ home desperado) and the pieces fit perfectly. For once my shoddy math skills didn't let me down. You could use fabric by the yard too, I think you would need about 5-6 yards, but don't quote me on that.

I measured the top and cut a piece 1" bigger to allow for a 1/2" seam allowances. For the sides and back I did the same measurements, but used the finished sewn edge of the drop cloth for the bottom portion so I didn't have to hem it (I only allowed for 1/2" seam allowance).

The finished edges were great! If there is a short-cut.... I'll take it.Hence, my love for hotglue.

I made a front flap that over-laps by 3". I like this better than any of the roll-up options I saw on other tents.

Good ol' velcro holds the tent flaps back.

So, here is the tent with the flaps back. It would have been the easiest project ever (like I envisioned before hand), if it hadn't been for the window.

The concept designer (aka, husband reliving his childhood) said a window was absolutely necessary. I used some wide mesh cut in an oval shape and couldn't figure out to really finish the edge in a nice-looking way on both the inside and outside. That's why I'm not showing you a close-up. 

For the next 22 nights I will have nightmares about my nephew opening his awesome tent on Christmas and saying, "Wow, what happened on the window stitching Aunt Alysun?"

I have a few more of these to make, so maybe the next ones will have perfectly executed windows. 

A girl can dream.

* Amazingly, no hot glue was used in this project.