As a self-proclaimed lover of blanket forts (I mean, seriously, who doesn’t love a good blanket fort? The whimsy! The coziness! The fun!), I had to up the ante for Valentine’s Day. But me being me, I couldn’t just build a normal blanket fort. Oh no, I had to go themed.
The idea came from my intention to wear my Inara cosplay for a V-day date (bless my boyfriend for putting up with my antics). Red, alluring, exotic – a perfect February 14th combination, right? When deciding what to actually do for said holiday, we both settled on blanket fort real fast! But how could I combine the two?
Welcome to Fort Madrassa!
Thanks to friends lending their saree fabrics, teapots, and a quick run to Home Goods, I amassed a large bin full of blanket fort building goodness. However, I’m the first to admit I’m not the best at coming up with mechanics of fort building. But then, what better couple exercise is there than building a blanket fort? Come to find out, Ian is quite good at it! So without further adieu, here’s how we did it!
Materials we used:
- twine
- duvet covers
- pillows & seat cushions
- sarees
- small clothespins
- breakfast tray
- teapot & cups
- string lights
- LED tealights
- lantern
Build steps:
1. Picked out the best spot in the room for a two person-sized fort (which happened to be in the middle of my room against a large wall).
2. Laid down a few comforters, stacked for bony butt comfort.
3. Strung up sturdy string in a long rectangular stretch across the majority of the room (All credit goes to Ian for this. I struggled for a while trying to figure this part out. Bless my other half for his left brain-ness.) The string was wrapped around strong anchor points across the room.
4. Laid saree fabric across the back wall and then put a curtain of string lights over it.
5. Draped saree fabric across the rest of the string around the room. (Saree fabrics work SO well for this as they’re designed to be quite long for proper Indian styling. Makes for great dramatic floor pooling.)
6.Kept them in place with small coloured clothespins (while they broke easily, they come in large quantities. Bonus OCD points for getting coloured ones that match the sarees. Because I’m THAT person. 😅 )
7. Piled an assortment of pillows on the back wall for maximum lounging.
8. Brought in my breakfast tray, covered it in small, washable scrap fabric for tea and noms. (Inara tea from Adagio Teas, not pictured – our favourite Indian dessert, anjeer katori from a local Indian store. Balu shai is a close second favourite.)
9. Made a second sitting area in the front with floor cushions and strategically placed candles for ambience (why? Because WHY NOT.)
10. Finishing touch of a runway made out of saree fabric and candles. Because, as we’ve established, I’m extra. And I wanted to spoil my boyfriend with pretty. (He’s actually quite a romantic himself. I thought candlelit dinners, wine with a bath, and romantic music were only preferred by those of the female persuasion. Oh was I wrong!)
11. Add in a Firefly-themed playlist, two steaming cups of tea, and a whole lotta love and VOILA!
Firefly themed blanket fort achievement unlocked.