Found it on Pinterest and Actually Did It: Kid's Canopy Tent

I found a tutorial on Pinterest on making this super adorable and super easy canopy tent that uses only three items and takes 10 minutes to make.  I'm not kidding (we all know how fond I am of making up bs numbers for my own amusement), it's that freaking easy.

Are you ready for the items you need?  You may have to write them down, there's a ton you know.

1. Gauzy style curtains (the tute called for 6 panels, I used 4).
2. Embroidery hoop  (the tute used a 23", I could only find a 12" and it worked fine).
3. Ribbon, one or two spools depending on the length of your curtains and how tall your ceilings are and scissors would be good too unless you want to use your teeth, which is fine too.
4. Cat, optional (the tute says nothing about using a cat but I did anyway).

Cat is optional

Start by getting all your stuff together, I already had curtains in a soft green (mine are 84") from my old apartment (why I kept them I don't know but now I'm glad I did!) and about a billion spools of ribbon but I settled on lilac to match my daughter's room.  I just needed to buy the hoop and I couldn't for the life of me find one bigger than 12" other than online (not worth paying shipping for a $6 item) so I hoped it would do.  It ended up working perfectly fine.

If you've used optional cat, keep said cat from stealing screw

Take your hoop apart and make sure not to loose the screw.  I bought a cheapo wooden hoop and was originally worried how flimsy it would be but it supported everything fine.  If your kids are rough, you may want to get a sturdier one since you can't use the inner ring with the curtains.

Really Jasper?  Look at him!

Stick a baggie over the end to keep it from catching your curtains while you slide each panel on.  Make sure all the seams are on the inside as well to keep it looking tidy and you can cut off the tags as well if you like.  If you do make one with a bigger hoop like the original tutorial suggests, you may want to use six panels instead of the four I did.  Four panels would be stretching it for anything bigger than a 14" hoop I'd say.

Careful not to snag the curtains while putting them on

With all panels on, close the hoop and even the panels which is not shown in this pointless photo

Once all the panels are on, remove the bag, close the hoop with the screw and evenly distribute the panels around the hoop.  Like I mentioned earlier, I couldn't for the life of me cram the inner ring back in with the curtains all bunched up so I just ditched it.  It was sturdy enough to support everything so it worked out ok in the end.  I can always replace the ring with a better one in the future if I need to.

You can make ribbon tying interesting by adding a second optional cat as I have

Cut three or four pieces of ribbon (three if you use six panels, four if you use four panels) preferably without the aid of your optional cat.  First you may want to figure out how high up you want it to hang (don't forget that you want the curtains to drape on the floor too) and measure how much space is between where you're holding the curtain to the ceiling.  Add several inches (six-eight should be enough) to that length to compensate for knots and the angle it hangs from hoop to top knot.  Now cut your ribbon to the length you need and tie one between each panel if you used four panels or every two if you used six panels to keep it looking even. 

Helper cat says you're doing it right.

Pull your ribbons together at the top and make sure it's straight.

Observe my wicked awesome knot tying skills

Tie a knot in the top.

Use a good hook and a stud finder, last you need is it coming down on your kid's head

Hang it up and make a door by parting the panels in front

Your canopy is done!  I told it was easy!  Now you'll want to hang it.  I suggest using a heavy duty hanging hook and break out the stud finder to find a proper place to hang it up on your ceiling.

It looks so cute doesn't it?  I kinda want one for me!

It's been cat approved, say hello to Jasper and Zoe who helped me

Add a few pillows, blanket, toys, (a fluffy cat or two is optional) and all done!  The best part is that if you want to save space you can always take it down and wrap the curtains around the hoop and stash it in a closet or under the bed. 

Feel free to pin this blog post or you can repin the original tutorial from my own Pinboard!

The 365 Project: Week 28

Fresh cherry tomatoes and sugar peas from my garden

This week's theme/challenge was about focus.  I love the macro (close up, the little tulip button) setting on my camera so focus is something that is extremely important for me when taking photos.

A little fawn resting in the shade in my backyard

My fluffy Coon, Jasper.  I focused on the light to help darken the image.

Now if you have a fancy dSLR camera, there's lots of different focusing techniques for you to use depending on the circumstances.  I don't have one so I skipped that half of the tutorial.  If you'd like to read it, check out the tutorial on Picaboo.  For the rest of us with point and shoots, focusing is still very important and can be tricky.

Beautiful Red Admiral butterfly on a plant stand on my porch

Freshly watered impatiens

Most cameras focus automatically but you can fake your point and shoot to focus on what you want, not just the center of your screen.  Press your shutter button halfway and you'll probably hear a beep.  Depending on what type of make/model of your camera, a little box should show up on your LCD screen showing you what it's focusing on. You can trick your camera into darkening or brightening your shot.  Want it brighter? Focus on a darker area of your subject and press halfway on your shutter button then move your camera back to your subject.  Want it darker?  Focus on a lighter area of your subject and press halfway.  So long as you're not changing the distance from your subject it should remain a crisp image!

I never knew hens and chicks flowered!  Tiny but gorgeous!

Blueberries ready for picking!  I focused on a darker area to brighten it up.

If you routinely have trouble with unclear images you can try lowering your megapixels (check out your manual on how to do it).  You only need about 5 or 6 megapixels to print a good 4x6 photo.  Sometimes too many megapixels causes noise in the background.  Some brands of point and shoots don't have good sensors for achieving clarity.  I have only owned Canon brand cameras in the more advanced end of the PowerShot series and I personally have never had this issue, but it may be worth a try if you have trouble getting a clear photo!

Kind of Best Friends

Kaylie with Jasper, he looks soooo happy!

Kaylie’s new favorite thing to do in the world for this week is to give our obscenely hairy maine coon, Jasper, hugs.  Granted it sounds adorable (and it is) and Jasper, the trooper that he is, deals with it with nothing more than an annoyed sigh and a “here we go again“ look in his eye, but you see my daughter‘s “hugs” consist of her dragging him by the neck and saying “awww” while shaking him back and forth like a ragdoll.  Granted she’s too little to understand he has feelings and bear hugs around the neck are not his idea of a good time, but as far as she’s concerned Jasper is nothing more than a really cool interactive hairy toy.  Why he puts up with it without much of a fight other than a whine here or there is totally beyond me.  He is a saint if you ask me with all the things she’s done to him!  She’s sat on him, laid on him, played on him, kicked him, hit him, pulled his fur, pulled his tail and the list goes on.  Gizmo, our torti won’t let her within five feet of her.

There’s also the fights over my lap.  Jasper will be purring to his heart’s content in my lap and Kaylie seems to think only she is allowed in my lap.  She sits on him, pushes him, kicks him if she has to in order to get in my lap.  Then Jasper, who doesn’t give up a fight easily, crams himself in the inconceivable space between her and me and purrs, rejoicing over his victory.  Then he and Kaylie’s eyes meet and it’s the look of death between the two of them.  Is it possible that Jasper is just a hairier toddler and this is cat/child sibling rivalry?  It’s rather comical the way those two fight like little kids over who gets my lap, heaven forbid they share!

Holding a kitten at the corn maze

Cats are by far her favorite animal at this point in life.  While at the Hayes Corn Maze, holding the barn kittens was about the only thing she wanted to do and was even trying to put them in her stroller to take home!  So far I think I have got it through to her that if she’s going to drag the poor cat around the living room, at least hold him under his arms so he can still breathe.  The funny part?  The dummy now purrs the whole time she’s dragging him around.  I guess I did well when I picked him out at the shelter three years ago.  If it was Gizmo (assuming she could catch her), she’d of packed her bags and left by now!  I’m hoping to talk hubby into us adopting a kitten this spring, maybe Jasper will get a bit of a break then :)!