A wicker teepee is a perfect hiding place for kids and a great place for adventure. We explain step by step how you can build one yourself.
A willow teepee is an important place for little Indians and adventurers. Small children like to play in caves and hide in different places. A wicker teepee is a great way to give kids big and small their own retreat. It doesn't matter whether small children play Indians or big children retire to read. The willow tipi in your own garden can be set up in just a few hours and withstands external influences for a long time. If you use freshly cut branches, they usually take root quickly. The willow teepee thus becomes an important part of your home garden.
You will need this to build a wicker teepee
The most important material to build a willow teepee are branches and twigs that are sufficiently thick. At least 10 sturdy branches 10 meters long are needed and many smaller flexible branches. A cordless saw is an advantage to cut the branches to the desired length. A spade to bury the branches and a stake to measure the ground are also necessary. A rope, ladder and work gloves are also recommended. If you want to beautify the willow tipi, you can provide some ivy plants. In short, you need:
- thick knots
- flexible branches
- Cordless saw
- Spade
- peg
- Ladder
- Rope
- Plants
How to build a wicker teepee
The willow teepee is set up very quickly. You only need about an afternoon for this. Children can also help with the construction. This is not only fun, but the children also learn how to use tools. Later, the little ones will be very proud that they built their own teepee and accordingly enjoy playing and spending time in it. It also only takes a few steps to build the wicker teepee from scratch.
Step 1 - Measure base:
To build the wicker teepee you need a circle about 2 meters in diameter. Measurefirst untie the rope. This should be at least 1.5 meters long. In order to get a nice circle as a surface, you should now drive a stake into the ground. Then tie the rope to this peg. Now you can stretch the rope and mark the ground at the end of the rope. So the stake and the rope are a kind of circle. It is best to set several markers around the post. This ensures that the willow teepee later has a nice shape and is big enough to accommodate several children. You can mark the floor with a colored spray or sand, for example.
Step 2 - Dig a Trench:
Once you have marked the circle, you can use the spade to dig a small, circular ditch about 40 centimeters deep. It is important that you leave the entrance for the tipi free and do not dig a ditch there. So the children can later easily go in and out. If you dig the trench, this has the advantage that you can later bury the branches well in the ground.
Step 3 - build the basic shape:
When you're done digging, you can trim the sturdy branches. About 10 branches, each three meters long, are required. You should then place these branches in the ditch at a distance of about 60 centimeters. In order for them to find support, you should lean the branches against each other at the upper tip. You can already see the typical tipi shape. To stabilize the branches, you need to tie them together with a rope below the top. The basic shape of the tipi is ready.
Step 4 - build tipi:
Now you need the flexible branches. These are woven into the basic braid. Twist the thin, flexible twigs horizontally between the large, sturdy branches. Depending on how opaque the teepee should be, a different number of flexible branches are required. In order to build the teepee stable, you should proceed according to the weaving pattern. This means that the narrow branch is woven once over the wide branch and once under the wide branch. Similar to when you weave a carpet. There should be a maximum of 20 centimeters between the horizontal branches. If you want to make the teepee more opaque, you can push the branches closer together. It is important that you skip the entrance. This should be about 70 centimeters wide so that children can still get in and out without any problems.
Step 5 - Close Ditch:
Once you have built the teepee the way you want it, you have to dig up the ditch again. Importantis that you press down the soil so that the thick branches get a good grip in the soil. Once all the branches have been buried and the earth pressed down, the willow teepee stands firmly in the earth and can be embellished.
Step 6 - Embellish willow teepee:
Now you or your children can make the tipi even more beautiful. For example, you can attach several ivy tendrils to the branches. If the ivy tendrils still have roots, you can dig them into the ground. This has the advantage that you can water the ivy and it will continue to grow. This makes the teepee opaque and stays green all year round.
Many children also like to hang flags and pennants on the teepee to make it a little more colourful. It is up to the little ones how children want to beautify the tipi. There are no limits to your imagination.
Tips to keep the wicker tipi in good condition
A wicker tipi looks very nice and lasts for many years. It is important that the willow branches are well buried in the ground. This allows them to take root quickly. And you should also bury the ivy well so that it grows quickly. It is also important that you cut the branches every year so that the tipi always keeps its shape and the branches remain he althy for a long time.
In order to keep the willow teepee for a long time, you also need to water it regularly. In summer, the willow wood needs a lot of water. This is the only way to prevent it from becoming rotten. In winter, on the other hand, you rarely have to supply the willow tipi with water. The surrounding snow releases enough water. However, you can protect the tipi with a tarpaulin in winter, provided you have set it up without ivy. The ivy stays green even in winter, so the tipi shines in a rich, green color all year round.
By the way:
You can make many more beautiful things for the garden out of willow. For example, a living screen (instructions for a living screen made of willow), decorative balls (instructions for balls made of vine or willow branches) or climbing aids (instructions for climbing aids made of willow rods).