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Children have such wonderful imaginations and are great at using household items to add to their fun. With autumn in full swing, and playtime moving indoors, get their creative juices flowing by turning your living room into a furniture fort! Create the perfect haven for reading books, telling stories and spending quality time together as a family. Here’s a quick guide on making a stable and super cool furniture fort the next time you have a night in.


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Couch + chairs

To create your fort, start with the essentials: a base to hold up drapes or blankets. You’ll want to consider how much height you want inside of your fortress. Use a couch (one with removable cushions is great), and push together chairs in front of the sofa to finalize the main structure of the fort. Now you can use the cushions from the couch to make walls – stand them up against both armrests. You can add even more chairs to expand your fort. More room means more fun!

Pillows galore

Is there such a thing as too many pillows? We don’t think so. Add pillows and cushions of your choice, big or small. If your kiddos plan on sleeping in the fort, have them bring some pillows from their bedroom so they can truly feel at home.

Old sheets + blankets


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You’ll want the inside of your fort as comfortable as it can be. Use fluffy blankets as the floor of your fort.  Lay them down flat around the couch base and chair legs. Want to be extra comfortable? Add an old comforter on top of your blanket base. Now, you’re ready to cover the sides of your fort. You can use an old bed sheet to drape over your couch and chairs. An over-sized sheet works best so all sides touch the floor, making it extra cozy because no outside light will come in.

*Quick tip – if you want to be extra warm and cozy, add sleeping bags! You can unzip them completely and lay them out!

Name it!

To make your fort official, you’ll want to give it a name. This is the perfect opportunity to give your children the creative reign to name their new haven. Once it’s chosen, let everyone help make a sign. Use construction paper to decorate and include the fort’s name – let the kids decide whether or not to add “Keep Out!”


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Important inside accessories

Once the fort looks perfect on the outside, you’re ready to finish off the inside. The first important order of business is choosing proper lighting – a flashlight, of course! Near an outlet? Even better! You can plug in a nightlight that will serve as a consistent light source.

Don’t forget about the activities! Have your kiddos bring board games, a deck of cards, and books to read. And don’t forget about the music – create a playlist including everyone’s favorite songs.