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Instructions for Sleep Cell Tents for Children

With a children's-size A-frame style sleep cell tent, one trip to the hardware store results in many nights of backyard camping. The tent fits one or two small children comfortably and the layers of ground padding allow, in the absence of ghost stories and sibling mischief, for easy sleep. If you have an extra yoga mat around, you can use that; otherwise foam padding works just as well. The top of the tent is collapsible, so it can be easily stored through the winter and used year after year.

Things You'll Need

Canvas sheet 48 inches by 88 inches
Canvas sheet 30 inches by 44 inches
Foam pad 28 inches by 42 inches
Twine
4 - 1 inch by 2 inches by 48 inches pieces of wooden molding
1 - 3/4 inch by 48 inches wooden dowels, #3
Rotary drill with a 3/4-inch spade bit
Measuring tape
Hammer
Nails

Instructions

- 1
  Drill a hole on each of the molding pieces with the spade bit, 6 inches from the top end of the molding.
- 2
  Place two moldings on top of each other so the holes line up and push the dowel through the holes. Move the hinge of the moldings at a 45-degree angle and secure them with twine. Repeat with the two other moldings.
- 3
  Drape the large canvas over the dowel, making sure the length is even on both sides.
- 4
  Fold the sides of the canvas to create a 1-inch hem, with the edge of the fabric facing inward.
- 5
  Lay the hemmed canvas edges on top of the moldings and secure the canvas to the moldings by hammering four nails, evenly spaced 10 inches apart, onto each side of moldings. Smooth and pull out the canvas with your hands as you go along to make it as taught as possible.
- 6
  Lay out the plastic tarp on the ground and place the yoga mat in the middle of the tarp, then place the smaller canvas on top of the yoga mat. Set the A-frame sleep cell tent on top of the smaller canvas.

Backyard Toys