January 13, 2012

The 5-Minute, No-Sew Bottom Bunk Fort

I think most kids love making forts and clubhouses, but my youngest is obsessed with them.  At least a couple times a week, I go into her room and find a whole variety of sheets, towels and blankets draped over her bottom bunk to make her own private hide-out.  As part of her room re-do that I'm in the process of doing, I decided to give her something a little more "permanent" (although it's still easily switched out or removed completely)

Isn't this cool?



Look how it works.  The curtain can be all tucked away when not in use, but just slide it closed for your very own Bottom Bunk Fort (in our case, a very Pinkalicious Bottom Bunk Fort!)



Now I promised you that it would only take 5 minutes to make and you wouldn't have to sew or even cut anything.  I wasn't lying, check it out..

Here's what you need:  a twin flat sheet, curtain rings with clips, and a tension rod  (NOTE: You can usually find the curtain rings at Target, Walmart, etc. with the curtains and curtain hardware)


UPDATE:  I replaced the thin tension rod I originally used with a sturdier one (actually a shower curtain tension rod).  It still only took 5 minutes to make, but will withstand a little more kid wear and tear.  I just had to slide off one of the plastic end caps to put on the curtain rings.

Sturdier rod = no worry, kid play!

Here's what to do:

1.  Slide your curtain rings onto the tension rod ( I used two packages, so 14 clips).




2.  Mount your tension rod to the bunk bed.  





3.  Fold your twin, flat sheet in half lengthwise, then attach the clips on the fold.


4.  And that's it!  See, I told you it was fast and you wouldn't have to cut or sew anything!

 

My daughter LOVES it.  (I love that I will no longer be finding scotch-taped sheets and thumb-tacked towels forming ramshackle clubhouses).  We rarely use the flat sheets on the bed anyway, so this was the perfect use for them.  Plus, all I have to do is unclip the sheet to wash it or change it out for a different color.  

Sharing our super easy fort at:
Tip Junkie handmade projects

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71 comments:

  1. Great idea! My daughter will love this! Thanks for sharing!

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  4. I LOVE this! We just set up bunk beds for our boys to share and my husband goes through a lot of trouble to set up a fort for them! Thanks for the great idea!

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  5. This is a terrific idea and definitely easy to do. Thanks!

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  6. This is awesome! My girls would love something like this! Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Great idea!!! Pinning this!

    makingitfeellikehome.blogspot.com

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  9. This is a GREAT idea! My husband and I built my daughter a loft bed and were going to close in the bottom with siding to make it look like a house. Since we are so busy with other home renovations and opening a bakery, we just havent gotten around to it. this is a GREAT solution...easy and inexpensive! Thanks for sharing! Pinning it!

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  10. Thanks everyone! She's really loving it. At some point, I may make her another curtain for it with cute little details like windows, flowers, etc., but for now, this totally works.

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  11. That's so fun! My husband is finishing up making my 6 y.o.'s loft bed. I was thinking of doing a curtain there for a fort too. Now I know that a tension rod could work. Kind of worried about my little one getting down from there in the middle of the night, though. We did make the steps extra deep.

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    1. Yes, like I noted, just go with a little bit wider tension rod than what I used. I'm going to switch mine out so it's a little sturdier.

      I know what you mean about your little one getting down, but I must say, mine adjusted really well and never had any problems. (Although I conked my head a few times myself ;) )

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  12. This is fabulous! My boys just got bunk beds last month...this would be so FUN for them. Thanks so much for sharing.
    {HUGS},
    kristi

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  13. My girls have bunkbeds and love forts too! How fun!

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  14. I adore this! I think it speaks to my lack of decorating skills that I'd never heard of curtain ring clips. Way cool!

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  15. WONDERFUL idea! There is nothing more fun than a fort! Especially when you can bring a flashlight in and read. (When my kids were younger we did a LOT of homeschool reading in forts.) :-) Thanks for sharing!

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  16. Excellent idea! trying to figure out how to make this work in the classroom...

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  17. I am so going to do this for my girls but i think i might just go to the $2 dollar shop and buy a shower curtain with the rings... and cut to the right length.....:)

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  18. Oh what a fantastic idea!!! I found you on Tip Junkie! I would like to invite you to share this post with our readers for Fun Stuff Fridays. http://www.toysinthedryer.com/2012/01/fun-stuff-fridays-7.html

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  19. This turned out so cute! We would love to have you come share this at our weekly link party every Saturday! -The Sisters
    http://www.sixsistersstuff.com

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  20. Seriously?! My girls have bunk beds & I so need to do this!!!!!

    Thanks for sharing on the Sunday Showcase - hope to see you this week.

    Bern

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  21. now where did you get those curtain rigs? I've never noticed them before & after showing these pics to my girls - we have to have one, haha!

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  22. This makes me wish my kids had bunk beds and shared a room! Our forts consist of blankets over the dining room table. So cute. Thanks for sharing at my party.

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  23. I think this craft is amazing

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  25. Where is your loft bed from? So cute!

    Jen
    www.upcyclededucation.com

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  26. too much fun! thanks for sharing it on Make it Monday! I've posted your link on the Brassy Apple FB wall and for our twitter followers! :)

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  27. what a great idea! It'd make for an awesome insta-fort! You should join me for Handmade 52! http://raisingoranges.blogspot.com/

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  28. This is a super good idea! WE always used to tuck a heavy blanket under the mattress of the top bunk. Lol, somedays it stayed better than others. What an awesome way to make it more permanent for her.

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  29. Oh ya....my kiddo would love this. We have stuffed a blanket for the same purpose, but this would hold so much better. Stopping by from TGIF.

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  30. SO much fun! My kids would love something like this except we took the bunk beds apart last year! You must be a blast to live with! Thanks for linking up to my party!

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  31. Great Idea...any clue how I could make one on top as well??

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  32. crazycountrygirl,

    I know my oldest daughter would love one on the top as well. I've been thinking about it, but I'm not sure of a solution that would be simple like the bottom one. I was definitely considering mounting something on the ceiling, but I'm concerned about it being sturdy enough that it wouldn't pull down if the kids grabbed on it. I'll definitely post if I come up with something though.

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  33. I know IKEA has the tracks you can install on the ceiling that I have considered getting... I was just curious if you had a DIY ida :-) thanks anyway

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  34. I'm SO glad I found your blog!! My daughter refuses to sleep without her "fort" but it's so messy, I needed another solution. This is perfect!!!!! Thanks!

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  35. Love this!!! My top bunk dweller is going to be quite jealous, though! :-)

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  36. OMG! i just spit out my coffee when I read "no more thumb tacks or tape"! LOL! My girls are forever using tape and thumbtacks, and even staples! on the ceiling to hang up their curtains (i.e., sheets). thanks for the great tip! now to figure out how to do this on the top bunk.

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  37. This is a great idea! Budget-friendly, and such a great way to keep the fort a little neater...my daughter is a fan of tape, too! Thanks for the great idea...I will be sharing with my readers, too...

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  38. I have 2 boys and they would love this. Such a great idea, thanks for sharing!

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  39. This is a awesome idea! I really really want to do this but I am having trouble with finding a rod long enough. I measured our bunk beds and would need a rod about 84 in long. I found some curtain tension rods but the reviews said they were very flimsy for even the lightest curtain. I can't find any tension shower rods long enough that aren't super expensive. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. if you can email me at heidi62613@yahoo.com.

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  40. Hi Heidi,

    I'm so glad you liked this idea. My daughter loves hers. Unfortunately, I think our bunk bed set must be shorter than yours. I believe ours was around 70-71", because I was able to use this rod that I'd picked up on sale at Kohls http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/bathroom/showeraccessories/showerhardware/shower_rods/PRD~353766/Home+Classics+Shower+Curtain+Rod.jsp

    I'm trying to think what else might work in a longer length. I wonder if a rod that you would get for a closet might work? I know in my son's closet I had to get a new hanging rod. I did have to mount the two brackets on the wall, but the rod itself was adjustable. Once I had the rod adjusted to the size I needed, it just slid into the brackets. It was a few years ago, but I'm pretty sure I just picked it up at Home Depot. I wonder if they might have something longer like you need?

    I'm sorry our original idea isn't working out for you, but I hope you can find another kind of rod that would work.

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  41. i tried to use a standard tension shower curtain rod from Target in the longest length the had and it was still too short. :( Such a bummer.

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  42. I just found this tensiuon bar at amazonm now all I need are the clips and a twin sheet!


    www.amazon.com/InterDesign-Curtain-Tension-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B0052JOJC4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333419658&sr=8-1

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  43. LOVE this! Pinning it then going to do it for my daughter! I was so worried I was going to have to sew something and have a hard time with it. All the other tutorials I Googled required so much more work!

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  44. Went to the store just after I pinned this and got the supplies. SUPER easy and my girls LOVE it! Spent a little more money than I wanted because of the sheets I bought but it was worth it! Used a block of wood to make up for the fact that the tension rod was a bit short. Used the pillow case to make a curtain for the short side of the bed. Wish I could post a before/after photo!

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  45. This is such a good idea! My son just got a loft bed, and I was searching for something to put underneath. I think we will use this idea, but with a more "manly" color. :)

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  46. I really amazed this idea. This is perfect for girls or change the theme and it could be perfect for kids beds.

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  47. This is exactly what my bunk bed was like as a kid! Well it was a lot less cute, but my fort was awesome. I loved it.

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  48. Simple and easy thanks for the pics!

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  49. Thank you so much after I spent hours in stores trying to come up with a much more complicated curtain system for my daughter's bunk. Thank you!

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  50. Just came across your curtain idea! We just built this loft bed, and cannot WAIT to curtain it off! http://diyloftbed.wordpress.com/2012/11/18/we-made-a-loft-bed/

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  51. Ahhhh..... A solution to my fort builder's obsession!! She must be soul mates with your little one because I have to constantly clean up forts, and they're always some haphazard mixup of blankets as well. So glad I found your idea on pinterest! I will be doing this tomorrow!! <3. Thanks for The smart idea!

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  52. Saw this on Pinterest and instantly thought of an idea.
    I will be heading to college in the fall. I will have a loft bed.
    This would be absolutely perfect for the bottom part (where I'll have a futon) for some extra privacy.
    My only question is: What size sheets should I use?
    Obviously my college bed loft is quite a bit bigger than your daughters...
    According to the website, the inner dimensions of the bed loft are 81.75" long, 36.5" wide, and 60" tall. Is there any sized sheets that would work for that, or any other alternatives?

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    1. Hi Marisa, Actually a twin sheet might still work. I folded the sheet I had in half before putting it on the hooks. The actual width of a twin sheet is close to 60". However, you could also go with a queen or full sized sheet if you want the double layer of fabric so it's not as easy to see through. If it's a little too long or a little too short just adjust where you have your fold so it's the right height, then attach it to the clips. Does that make sense?

      Let me know if you have any other questions and good luck in college! :)

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    2. Thanks for the tips! I will definitely have to try it out. I've seen a few different methods of similar things, but this one definitely seems the easiest. The majority of the others were curtains draped in the corners. While those looked very cute, they just don't seem very practical. This one seems simple and easy.
      I was also thinking, I could possibly cut the sheet in half. That way, I could always just open them up and tie them around the corner posts or tie them up on top or something. But then, if I did have company or just wanted some privacy, I could easily just close them back up.
      Thanks!

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    3. Oh, also:
      Does it have to be a thick shower curtain?
      I've been having a tough time finding a tension rod that will work for my 81.25" bed frame.
      I finally managed to find one, but it's an extremely thin curtain rod. Nowhere near as heavy duty as a shower rod.
      Do you think it will be okay?
      Obviously I'm not a little girl who will be using it as a fort where I might accidentally pull it down, but I'm still a little worried about it being too flimsy...

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    4. I think you do want to go with a thicker one. Even if you're not pulling on it, the weight of the fabric will make it sag in the middle and then come loose. Instead, you might want to look into an adjustable closet rod. Home Depot should have them. You do have to put two little brackets on either side to hold them in place, but they're easy to put in (and take out when you leave the dorm or apartment). I think they'll be a lot sturdier for you and allow you to pull the curtain open and closed (or tie it back) without having to worry as much about it falling down.

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  53. Sorry if I'm a bit late to the party but I have been looking for something like this for ages and have just stumbled upon this post. Will definitely try this with my daughter's midi bunk and a vintage sheet - thanks :)

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  54. Sorry if I'm a bit late to the party but I have been looking for something like this for ages and have just stumbled upon this post. Will definitely try this with my daughter's midi bunk and a vintage sheet - thanks :)

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  55. We just got a loft bed for our boys and I am trying to figure out a way to give each of them a little more privacy. This is a great idea!

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