{no-sew fort kit}

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It’s coming!  Winter is quickly approaching, and I’m preparing for both in and outdoors. When it comes to high quality and super cute outerwear at a decent price, I go to Oshkosh B’Gosh.   They have darling things for both boys and girls!  For girls, a great option for cold days is a puffy bubble jacket. With a fleece-lined hood and plenty of weather protection, it’s great for layered looks and will keep her warm. Find lots of fun, girly details like polka dots, colors and floral prints that are fashionable and provide warmth on wintry days. When it comes to boys, a bubble jacket, bib and reversible hat, your little outdoor adventurer can keep warm on cold expeditions! Sporty and colorful for a cold day, the heavyweight parka is one of OshKosh B’gosh’swarmest options! If you need cozy hats, mittens, or scarves too, check out their Winter Shop…it’s chock full of all the accessories you’ll need to keep those kiddos warm! Right now everything is 50% off! They also carry other awesome winter wear for indoors as well–jeans, long sleeve shirts, sweaters, and more!

Wintertime can also mean more time spent indoors, and I like to have fun activities on hand that my kids can enjoy inside.   I’ve seen the darling DIY fort kits around for awhile now, but I’ve never made one.  So…I decided it was time, and I put my own spin on it!

No-Sew Fort Kit Includes:  sheet with ties, rope, clothespins, clamps, suction cups, and flashlights!  My kids adore making forts, and I know this will be a fabulous addition to our playroom. It’s also quick, easy, and inexpensive, making it a fabulous holiday or birthday gift!!

I knew I wanted to make one that was no-sew–I have a sewing machine, and I can use it, it’s just not my favorite thing to do, and it usually takes me a lot longer than I want it to.  The ones I’ve seen have ties sewn into the corner of the sheet, but I knew there had to be another way. So…I went searching at JoAnn Fabrics and came across a large eyelet kit, one large enough that ties would fit through, and would go through fabric.  HOORAY!!! It had everything you needed, except a hammer–perfect.

I’ve seen all other fort kits in bags, and I really didn’t want to use a bag for a couple of reasons.  Okay, one of the reasons is that I didn’t want to make it, lol, but the main reason is that I have all the toys in our playroom either in labeled bins or buckets, and I like the look of everything stacked up together.  I decided to use a Rubbermaid container instead, and I LOVE it.  It’s perfect on our toy shelves!

So…here’s how you can put one together!

{supplies}

*I bought all of the supplies except the Rubbermaid container at the dollar store.  I found the container at Walmart for $2, and I already had the sheet at home.  I bought four flashlights–one for each of my littles that would be using the fort–because I didn’t want any fighting about them, and I knew they would each want one. You don’t have to have that many, and it would decrease your cost by $1 each.  My total cost:  $13, including the eyelit kit from JoAnn Fabrics. I had more than half of the eyelets leftover, so you if wanted to do this with a friend, it would decrease the cost even more.

-12 Qt. plastic container (mine is Sterilite)

-large eyelet kit

-jersey tee shirt

-clamps

-clothespins

-rope

-flashlights

-suction cups

-sheet

–FREE LABEL PRINTABLE

{directions}

1.  Following the directions on the eyelet kit (I found it in the aisle with snaps and other fasteners), place one in each corner of your sheet, plus two about 1.5 inches apart in the center of the sheet. I cut apart an old jersey tee shirt (they stretch really well, and don’t fray) into strips, threaded it through each eyelet, and tied knots on the ends so they couldn’t come through.  I threaded one strip through the center two eyelets, and tied knots in the ends as well.  Fold the sheet so the ties are in one corner.

2.  Gather your supplies, and place them inside your container.  The 12 qt. is the perfect size!!!

 3. I created a printable to go on top of the lid, so we would be able to keep track of the contents.  I printed it out on a full sheet white label (you can get them from Office Max), or if you have the printable white adhesive paper from Silhouette, you can use that too. It was super easy to print, peel off the back, and adhere to the top of the lid.  You can download the printable HERE.

That’s it!  Super easy to put together, and took less than 30 minutes. Woot!

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Disclosure Statement: OshKosh B’gosh partnered with bloggers such as me to help promote the OshKosh B’gosh Holiday Network. As part of the program, I received product or gift cards. OshKosh B’gosh believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words, and therefore did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products I used. OshKosh B’gosh policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. The winner of any giveaway in this program will be randomly chosen and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party.