The circus is in town and guess where the big top is? That’s right, your room! There’s no need to buy tickets and the show can run as long as you like. Whether you’re into circuses, puppet shows, theater, or rock concerts, they can all happen at your very own tent venue. Just break out the peanuts and pink popcorn, cue the music, and invite your friends to the greatest show on earth.
One quick note: These directions assume you have a framed window 64" wide or less, and 9' ceilings or higher. In this case, the window frame was 64" wide and the room had 10' ceilings. Shorten the main wood supports, curtains and main tent fabric lengths by 12", if you have 8' ceilings.
Difficulty Level: super challenging
Time involved: a weekend
Materials needed:
2x4x10' Doug fir stud, two
2x4x8' Doug fir stud, four
1x6x6' Redwood or pine board, one
1x8x8' Pine board, one
1-1/2"x6' Pine pole for curtain rod, one
60"-wide Red velvet (or other heavy fabric—your choice) for the outer part of the tent, 17 yards
60"-wide Fun, patterned fabric (in a similar color) for the inside of the tent, 10 yards
Paint to match your fabric, 1 quart (or use spray paint)
Spool of thread (also in a similar color), one
12"x16' Roll of hollow fill, one
Fasteners:
1/2"x7" Lag Bolt with washer, two
2-1/2" Hook and eye latch, one
3" Wood screws, 50-count box
7d-size Finishing nails, 10-count box
2" L bracket with four 1" wood screws, four sets
1/2" Heavy-duty staples, 500-count box
2" Velcro strip, 12 inches each of the rough and fuzzy sides
Large safety pins, 20
Wood glue
Tools:
Table saw
Chop saw
Jigsaw, with wood blade
Drill, with the following bits:
3/8"x6"
1/8"
Phillips head
Socket wrench, with 3/4" socket
6' Ladder
Level
Stud finder
Carpenter’s square
Hammer
Sewing machine
Pins
Heavy-duty stapler
Paintbrush
Compass (optional)
Instructions:
1. Cut off 8 yards of your outer and inner fabrics.
2. Sew them together, back-to-back, so that the good sides are both facing out. [Images 6424 & 6432]
3. Now we’re going to sew a 4" hem into the short sides. Fold the fabric over 2" so that the inner fabric is on the inside of the fold. Now fold it over again, 4" this time. Pin the fabric with large safety pins (it’s really thick) and sew the hem 1/2" from your first fold. Do this for both sides. When this piece is finished it will form the walls and ceiling of the tent. We’ll call this the “Main Tent.” Fold this piece and set it aside. [Image 6442]
4. From your outer fabric, cut two pieces measuring 9'-6" long. These will form the curtains at the front of the tent.
5. Making sure to fold the better side to the backside of the fabric, hem a 1" fold into each long edge of the pieces. You’ll sew 4 seams total.
6. Make an 8" fold from front to back in one of the short sides and hem together. This will be the loop in the top of the curtain through which your curtain rod will go. Do this for both pieces.
7. Again folding the good side towards the back, make a 4" hem in the bottom edge of your curtain. These are going to be great. Do this for both pieces as well. All right, your curtains are done. Fold them and set them aside.
8. From your inner fabric cut two 8"x3' pieces. These will be the tiebacks for the curtains.
9. Fold these in half lengthwise, with the good side in, and sew each piece together 1/2" from the long, open edge. Now turn them inside out again. You should have what look like two sleeves with a clean seam and the fun pattern on the outside.
10. Now lay these flat so that the seam in the middle. Fold one end over 1/2" towards the seam, then another 2" and hem together. Do this for the other piece too.
11. Now cut your Velcro strip into two 6" pieces. Peel them apart and sew a fuzzy-sided strip onto each 2" sash hem. Stick the other sides of the Velcro back on for now. We’ll come back to these later. The Velcro will make it really quick and easy hold the curtains back.
12. For the other ends, let’s fold those over 1/2" and hem. Make sure you do each one. [Image 6865]
13. Paint all of the wood pieces (except for the 1x8) with your chosen color. Let this dry overnight. [Image 6408]
14. Good morning! How early is it? Is it early enough to use a chop saw? Great, cut all of your 8-foot 2x4s down to 69". Whoops—I meant late enough. Sorry, neighbors.
15. Cut your 10-foot 2x4s down to 8'-6". These will be your “Main Support” posts.
16. From your 1x8x8' board, cut a 72" piece and two 12" pieces.
17. Butt both ends of the 72" piece against the sides of the 12" pieces (like you’re forming three sides of a long narrow box). Attach them using wood glue and finishing nails. To make it sturdy, add a couple of L brackets to each inside corner, 1" from each edge. See photo. [Image 6402]
18. Congratulations. You’ve just made a valence.
19. Now let’s cover the entire valence with hollow fill. Just double it up (fold it from 16' down to 8'), wrap it around the valence, stretch and staple it in place. See photo. [Image 6447]
20. OK, find the remaining piece of your outer fabric and lay it face down. Now lay the valence on top of it, diagonally, with the sides pointing up. Stretch the corners of the fabric tightly over the ends of the valence and staple them down. Continue stretching and stapling the fabric onto the back of the valence trimming and discarding the excess. ]
21. Cut the curtain rod down to 71-1/2". Cutting it to a little less than 72" will allow room for the fabric and hollow fill when we install it in the valence later on.
22. Using your table saw, rip the 1x6x6' lengthwise into one 2"-wide strip and two 1-3/4"-wide strips.
23. Cut the 2"-wide strip down to 68" and the other two 1-3/4" strips down to 60". The first one will be your “Top Strip” and the other two will be your “Side Strips.” I mitered the corners of my TOP and SIDE strips where they meet. You can too but it’s not necessary.
24. Do you remember your MAIN SUPPORT posts from Step 15? Grab them. Look for the “crown” in the beam. Every 2x4 bows a little, bulging on one of its narrow sides. This bow is known as the “crown.” Sight down the length of your 2x4 to see it. We want the crown to point away from the wall. So that the bottom corner of the wall-facing side of the SUPPORT doesn’t scrape the wall when it rotates forward, we’ll round these corners off. To do this draw a line across the wide side of the beam 1-3/4" from the bottom edge using your carpenter’s square. Now draw a line a couple of inches up the center of the board. (The center happens to be 1-3/4" from either edge.) Place the point of your compass where these two lines cross and a draw a 1-3/4" radius curve across the corner. Trim this curve off with a jigsaw. Do the same for the other MAIN SUPPORT beam.
Here’s a little tip: if you don’t have a compass, tap finishing nail into your mark and tie a string around it and a pencil leaving 1-3/4" between the two. That’ll work just as well.
25. Now drill a 3/8" hole where the lines meet. Repeat these two steps for the other MAIN SUPPORT post.
26. Using the stud finder, mark all of the studs above and below the window.
27. Take one of your 2x4x69" boards and mount it just above your baseboard trim, on center with the window. It should protrude beyond the edges of the window frame by 2-1/2" on each side. There should be at least three studs under the window. Drive two 3" wood screws through the board and into each stud. Bury the screws deep. This needs to be strong.
28. Place another 69" 2x4 flush in front of the one you just placed. Attach it using 3" wood screws in groups of two in an over-and-under pattern. Drive a set of screws in 2" from each end, 8" from each end, and another set right in the middle. See photo. [Image 6825] Let’s call this the “Lower Rail.”
29. You may need an assistant for these next two steps. Hold the side of the rounded end of one of your MAIN SUPPORTS against one end of your LOWER RAIL so that the top of the SUPPORT is pointed away from the wall. The rounded end shouldn’t touch the wall since it needs to rotate. Put a lag bolt through the hole in the SUPPORT to test the rotation. If everything looks good, give the lag bolt a little tap with a hammer to mark the spot. Measure the mark and put one in the same location on the other end of the LOWER RAIL. [Image 6833]
30. Drill a 3/8" hole 6" deep into the first mark you made with the lag bolt. Be sure to drill straight into the end of the LOWER RAIL. Don’t let the drill drift at an angle. Do the same for the other side.
31. Grab your remaining two 69" 2x4s and line them up flush with one another. Now attach them together using four 3" wood screws even spaced lengthwise. This will be your “Top Rail.”
32. Line up the TOP RAIL between the tops or your MAIN SUPPORTS. When everything is flush, attach using three woodscrews on each end. [Image 6841]
33. Line up the holes you made in the MAIN SUPPORT and the LOWER RAIL ensuring that the rounded corners of the MAIN SUPPORT are against the wall. Insert the 1/2"x7" lag bolts, with washer, through the holes in the MAIN SUPPORT and drive them into the LOWER RAIL until snug.
34. Now grab a pencil, a level, and your ladder and raise the SUPPORT up so that it’s exactly vertical. Use the level to check. When it is, trace the inside of the SUPPORT onto the wall. Great—you can lay the SUPPORT back down now.
35. Line your TOP STRIP (2"x68") up on the wall so that its top edge is flush with the line you just drew. It will overhang the vertical parts of your line by 1/2" on either side. Attach it to the wall using one 3" wood screw per stud (that you found in Step 26). Pre-drill with a 1/8" bit so that you don’t split the stud, then drive the screw. Do the outer most studs first. There should be about five of them total. [Image 6845]
36. Now let’s install the SIDE STRIPS (1-3/4"x60") strips on the side of the window. Lay one right against the side of the window and the top strip that you just installed. Attach it using three 3" wood screws, one 2" from each end, and one in the middle. Pre-drill with the 1/8" bit and drive them in at 45˚ angle so that you hit the stud running vertically next to the window. [Image 6852]
37. Fold the MAIN SUPPORT back up against the wall and attach the latch hook to its underside in the middle, 1" from the edge closest to the wall. Attach the eye of the latch in the middle of the TOP STRIP. This hook will hold the tent to the wall and keep the excess fabric from the top of the tent from draping in front of the window. It will also keep tiny circus performers from starting the "Greatest Show in the Living Room” without you. [Image 6847]
38. Make a line on the top of your MAIN SUPPORT marking its midpoint. Do the same on the top edge of your TOP STRIP. Fold the MAIN SUPPORT back down for now.
39. Find your MAIN TENT from Step 3 and fold it in half to find the midpoint. Mark it with a line on both long edges, front and back, just dark enough so that you can see it.
40. Now with the outer fabric of the MAIN TENT facing up, match its midpoint mark to the midpoint of the TOP STRIP. Staple it down. Continue along all of the STRIPS DO the same for both SIDE STRIPS.
41. Line up the midpoint on the other side of the MAIN TENT with the midpoint on the top of the MAIN SUPPORT. Wrap the fabric over the top of the beam to form a 3/4" lip on the front side. Staple every 2" along this lip of fabric stopping at the ends of the horizontal beam.
42. Insert the wooden curtain rod through the 8" hem loops in each curtain. Make sure both curtains are facing the same way.
43. Now position the curtain rod in the valence so that the ends are centered at points 4-1/2" back from the front and 2" down from the top on both sides. Drill one wood screw through the valence and into the curtain rod on each end. It may help to make a small cut in the valence fabric so that it doesn’t twist up when you sink the screw. [Image 6854]
44. Attach the valence to the top of the MAIN SUPPORT using 3 woodscrews per side. Make sure the back and top of the valence is flush with the back and top of the MAIN SUPPORT, and that the MAIN TENT is between the SUPPORT and the valence.
45. OK, we’re getting close to finishing. Let’s grab the curtain tiebacks from Step 12 and attach the non-Velcro ends to the SIDE STRIPS. We’ll use staples. It’ll look slick if you hide them—here’s how. Lay the tieback with what will be the outside edge against the wall. It should be 3'-6" from the floor and the 1/2" hem should be against the SIDE STRIP and MAIN TENT. See illustration. Press the staple gun flush against the wall and staple the tiebacks into the SIDE STRIP. Now fold it over and the staples disappear. Do the same on the other side.
46. Fold and latch the tent against the wall. You’ll have to push the ceiling of the MAIN TENT up a bit to expose the eye of the latch.
47. Wrap the tiebacks around the MAIN TENT fabric so that the Velcro end lines up with the inside edge of the MAIN SUPPORT. Make sure both ends of the tiebacks are level with each other. Peel off the rough-sided Velcro and staple it to the inside of the MAIN SUPPORT at the edge furthest from the window. [Image 6871]
48. Now attach the tiebacks to the MAIN Support and you’re done!
49. Now invite everyone over to take a seat for the show.
50. When they wonder why they’re staring at a window, lower the lights, fire up the spotlights, and unlatch the tent! Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth!
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