Building My Blanket Fort

During my 27 years on this earth, I have learnt many things: the correct pronunciation of the word 'hyperbole', how to make my own Reese's peanut butter cups, and that I will start composting with good intentions and then quickly fall out of the habit when I realise the compost bin is outside and inside is easier.

The other thing that I have learnt is how to build a blanket fort with no effort whatsoever.

Having basically lived in a small double bedroom for several years, when James and I moved into our own house, I had certain aspirations. I wanted fancy paintings on the walls (we have a Breaking Bad calendar), a garden full of flowers (Hahahahahaha thanks, rabbits) and the ability to walk around in my pants with no judgement (nailed that one, actually).

Realising that the first thing on that list takes taste, the second takes effort and the third is actually too easy to fulfil, I quickly added another thing: I wanted to build a blanket fort.

Having not long moved in, the house was sparsely furnished. The living room therefore had plenty of space for my fort. I quickly set to work. The plans were drawn in crayon (in my mind. The actual crayons may have still been packed away. Or they may not have existed. Probably that, really, I was in my mid-20s at the time)

I decided that the most structurally sound way to go was to use a washing maiden as a frame. I placed it on the carpet. Although it took all of my concentration not to bump the maiden into the chair or dining table, using a ready-made frame has the advantage of there being very little to do in terms of anything except placement and draping over a cover.

The next step was to drape over a cover. I did this artfully. A huge amount of things can go wrong at this stage- the cover could be inside out, it could be damp or it could smell. A novice could encounter all three at once. Thankfully, with my plans in hand, I easily avoided all of these common pitfalls. I would certainly recommend having your own plan within easy reach throughout the building process if you ever decide to construct your own blanket fort. It will save tears and sanity.

Once the draping had finished there was one final step: getting inside the fort. My number one tip at this stage is to be comfortable. This was actually something that I overlooked at the planning stage and, during the de-briefing, I wondered whether I should have involved my aforementioned pants-only dream. Thankfully, it was a happy accident that I didn't include it, as I quickly realised that sitting on the floor in this way could have led to carpet burn. It's never worth risking an unnecessary injury when making a blanket fort.

My fort uniform of choice ended up being pyjamas and big furry slippers that my nan and granddad bought me for Christmas. The ensemble was both comfortable and robust enough to take excessive floor sitting without wearing through. The slippers also made for a great visual, as my fort was small, meaning my feet poked through. A great choice all round.

With the blanket fort completed, I spent a very happy 20 minutes or so sitting inside it until I got bored and wanted to watch TV again. James was there to greet me upon my emergence from the fort and he could not have been prouder. Seeing the finished product has not yet inspired him on to make his own, but I am hopeful that one day, James will also take on the blanket* fort challenge.

*Actually, I have only just now realised that I did not build a blanket fort. I used a duvet cover. My apologies for the misleading piece. Please disregard.