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Making a Great Couch Fort

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Whether you’re braving a storm indoors, bored, or just want to create a quiet, temporary haven of escape, building and enjoying a couch fort remains one of the most timeless activities for kids and kids at heart. You can use any household items, from chairs to sofa beds, and a bit of creativity to build a veritable fortress of comfort. Here’s a quick rundown for making a great couch fort.

  • Ask permission from your parents (if applicable). Before you go tipping over any leather couches or using all the fine linens, make sure you ask your parents for permission. Let them know what you need or want to use. You can use chairs, blankets, pillows, couches, sheets, baskets, and just about anything else, so if your parents say “no” to a few items on your build list, you still have all kinds of supplies to choose from.
  • Choose the area. Whether you plan to keep your fort up for several days or a few hours, don’t make your fort in the middle of a busy living room or hallway. It’ll be a hindrance to others and all that foot traffic will be a bother to you.
  • Get a few chairs, large sheets, and light blankets.  Place the chairs in a circle. You could alternately use tables or the back of a sofa if you don’t have enough chairs. You want to find things that will hold your blankets up well. Be aware of electrical outlets; a spark could cause your fort to catch fire. Be careful with everything you use. You don’t want to have to visit your local San Diego furniture stores to find a new chair.
  • Use rubber bands or safety pins to connect your blankets and sheets together. This keeps the sheets from falling down.
  • Drape the connected sheets over the chairs (or other elements you chose). Placing your sheets on the edges of those chairs or tables will only cause them to fall out. Use clothespins or more rubber bands to keep the blankets in place.
  • Make the door. You should be able to enter and exit your fort without taking it apart or damaging any elements.
  • Secure edges. Use books and other heavy objects to hold down the edges of the blankets and sheets.
  • Make it comfy. Bring some blankets and pillows into the fort for your own comfort.
  • Have fun! Make sure you have plenty of things to keep yourself entertained—a laptop, a portable DVD player, or a good book (and plenty of light). Invite your friends over if your fort is large enough.