Homemade Canvas Tent

tent site image by Mike & Valerie Miller from Fotolia.com

Sure, you can go and spend a lot of money on a professional, fancy tent from some outdoor outfitter. But if you have a good, large piece of canvas at home, consider something a little simpler--a homemade canvas tent. You should be able to make a tent that provides ample shelter from the elements--without spending a dime.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Canvas
Scissors or knife
5 grommets
Rope
2 pieces of string
3 6-inch stakes

Step 1

Select two trees that will allow the back of your tent to face the wind. Ideally, the line created by the trees would be perpendicular to the wind direction. The trees should be between 7 and 9 feet apart.

Step 2

Cut three small holes along one side of a piece of canvas with scissors, two at the corners and one in the middle. If available, you may want to clip a grommet on each hole to prevent further tearing.

Step 3

Cut two more holes into the opposite side of the canvas, one in each corner. Again, if available, clip a grommet over each hole.

Step 4

Cut your rope in half. String one half through one of the holes in the two-holed side of the canvas. String the other half of the rope through the remaining hole of the two-holed side of the canvas. Tie the ropes into place around the holes. Several feet, at least, of free rope should be on both sides.

Step 5

Tie the rope to the trees. One rope should tie to one tree, the other to the other tree. The canvas should be pulled taut. The ropes should be at least waist-high on the trees.

Step 6

Tie a piece of string, about 4 inches long, to each of the two grommets or holes on the two-holed side of the canvas. These will act as driplines--preventing water or condensation from dripping into your tent.

Step 7

Pull the opposite side of the canvas (the three-holed side) taut against the ground. Use three stakes to the hold the canvas in place on the ground. This side of your tent should be facing the wind.

Article Written By William Jackson

William Jackson has written, reported and edited professionally for more than 10 years. His work has been published in newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals, high-level government reports, books and online. He holds a master's degree in humanities from Pennsylvania State University.

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