PVC Playhouse and Sunshade {create memories with kids}

Do your kids spend every. possible. moment. outside during the summer?  If they’re anything like my two daughters Arden (four) and Hadley (almost two), then the answer is “yes”.  I created a playhouse-slash-sunshade out of PVC pipe and a tent I sewed to keep them covered while they enjoy hours of fun using their imaginations!

When Diana sent the e-mail inviting me to participate in this series to Create Memories with Kids, I knew this was the project I wanted to share.  I’d been thinking of something like this for a while, and I seem to work best with a deadline!

Even though we live in Michigan and have relatively mild summers, I still prefer my kiddos to have their delicate skin protected and I don’t feel like slathering them with sunscreen every time they set foot outside.  I’ve only had the playhouse completed for one day and we’ve already had a “tea party” snack and a post-swim lunch under the shade.

I had so much fun making my doodles turn into reality!  Fun features like round windows in the roof peaks, windows with curtains and awnings on the short walls, and an awning on the open front side…
I used PVC for the frame, duck cloth for the walls of the tent, and the grey and white chevron is polyester intended to be made into reusable shopping bags.
The curtains are an adorable Swiss dot floral and the awnings are from a bolt of IKEA fabric I picked up a couple of years ago from the “as is” bin.  The rest of the fabrics are all from my local Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft store.

This didn’t take too long to construct, but it was a bit of an aerobic event working with this much fabric!!

Since there’s more to the construction of this little playhouse/sunshade than I can share in one post, I’m going to be writing several tutorials with dimensions for the whole project, the construction of the frame, the different features of the tent including how to make mitered bindings for the square windows, and how I made sure the sewing construction would stand up to active play.  Come and check them out over the next few weeks at A Jennuine Life.

Thanks for hosting this great series, Diana!

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For more projects in this series, click image below!

Create Memories with Kids

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4 Comments

  1. That is ADORABLE!!! My girls & all their friends would love that.

    1. Thanks so much, Gina! They’re definitely enjoying it!

  2. I love this PVC playhouse! Great work. Did you ever post the tutorial? I’ve been searching and can’t find it.

    1. Becca, if you follow the link to Jennifer’s blog (she’s the persons who shared this project) you can search for her tutorial there. I’m pretty sure she shared it over there. 🙂

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