Many Native American tribes made tepees (tepee is sometimes spelled tipi or teepee) from long tree limbs and animal hides. You can make a model tepee using a brown paper grocery bag and twigs. This is a simple, inexpensive craft.
- 4 straight twigs (about a foot long each)
- Yarn, twine, or a rubber band
- A large, brown paper grocery bag
- Scissors
- A pencil
- Crayons, tempera paint, or markers
- Tape
Instructions
Bind the twigs together toward the top using yarn, string, or a rubber band. Leave about 3 inches of twig at one side of the string. Do not bind the twigs too tightly.
Gently adjust the twigs so that they form a tepee shape.
Holding the tepee above a piece of scrap paper, trace the outline of one side of the tepee. This will be your template for making the tepee.
Next, cut out your triangular template.
Open up a large paper bag along its seams. Lay your triangle template on the opened bag and trace its outline.
Trace the triangle three more times with the long edges touching.
Cut out this large polygon along the outside edge. Cut a door on one edge. Decorate the tepee using crayons or markers.
Fold the paper along each of the pencil lines. Then form the paper into a tepee shape and tape the edges together.
Snip off the top of the tepee (the twigs will go through this hole).
Put the twigs into the tepee. Tape the twigs into place – each twig is taped along a fold line.
You now have a wonderful tepee!