How to build a play tent for your garden | STIHL​

A wooden play tent for your garden – adventure awaits! In this video, we’ll show you how to build a kid-friendly wooden tent from sustainable wood and how to turn it into a living garden feature. 🌱🏕️

This DIY project brings together fun, gardening, and sustainability. Perfect for spring and summer – and made for builders and aspiring builders alike!

Watch now and bring your garden to life!

Chapters in this video:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:09 Saw and sand the boards
00:00:39 Drill holes
00:00:54 Prepare and glue the base
00:01:18 Apply wood varnish
00:01:25 Set up the tent in the garden
00:01:59 Attach the door batten
00:02:15 Cut the fabric
00:02:03 Plant climbing plants
00:02:56 Add decoration

🧰 Materials & Tools Overview:
Workbench & sawhorse
Measuring tape
Triangle ruler or carpenter’s square
Battery garden pruner (e.g., STIHL GTA 26)
Multi-sander with 150-grit sandpaper
Rubber or plastic hammer
Battery screwdriver with bit attachments
Battery drill with:
• 15 mm Forstner bit
• 4 mm & 6 mm wood drill bits
Spirit level
Stapler with 8 mm staples
Flat brush
Planting trowel
Bucket
Watering can

✂️ Accessories:
Pencil
Scissors

🪵 Wood & Building Materials:
All wood should be spruce, fir, pine, or Douglas fir.
8 tongue-and-groove boards: 22 × 140 mm × 300 cm (Parts 1–6
7 square timbers (beveled edges): 34 × 34 mm × 240 cm (Part 7)
1 square timber (beveled edges): 23 × 23 mm × 200 cm (Part 8)
84 wood screws (3.5 × 40 mm)
Wood glue
7 wooden stakes, thin plant stakes, or tent pegs (for marking positions)
7 PVC pipe sections, approx. 10 cm long / 5 cm diameter (e.g., downpipe sleeves)
14 m rope (6 mm diameter, ideally natural fiber like sisal or hemp)
1 straight screw hook (M5 × 50 mm)
1 metal bolt (M6 × 70 mm)
1 washer (M6)
1 cap nut (M6)
Weatherproof clear varnish (approx. 375 ml), child-safe (DIN EN 71-3)
Gravel/split (approx. 1 liter or 500 g)
Potting soil (approx. 50 liters)
Plant wire or twine
1 outdoor LED light string (10 m)
1 fabric remnant (approx. 100 × 100 cm)
Decorative fabrics & cushions of choice
1 outdoor rug or old blanket (approx. 180 × 200 cm)

🌱 Plants
21 seeds of fast-growing annual climbers (e.g., fire beans – Phaseolus coccineus)
7 perennial climbing plants (e.g., ivy – Hedera helix)

🦺 Personal Protective Equipment:
Work gloves
Safety goggles
Dust mask

How it's done:
🪚 1. Prepare the Wooden Floor Panels
Cut tongue-and-groove boards in pairs, following the detailed length guide. Clamp, measure, mark, and cut using a cordless pruner. Then cut four support boards for the underside. Lay them out in decreasing size from the center.

🧼 2. Smooth and Sand All Wooden Pieces
Use a multi-sander for all edges, especially near the drilled holes. Smooth by hand where needed and always wear a dust mask while sanding.

🏗 3. Build the Tent Poles
Cut 7 square timbers to 200 cm for the tent frame and 1 small crossbeam. Drill holes 30 cm from the ends using a 15 mm Forstner bit – this will be the threading path for the rope later.

🔨 4. Assemble the Wooden Floor
Align all boards symmetrically. Glue the tongue-and-groove joints, knock together with a soft hammer, and let dry. Then screw where stabilizing boards and tongue-and-groove boards cross, two screws each – making it 84 screws in total for maximum support.

🧴 5. Seal the Wood
Varnish all wooden elements with weatherproof, child-safe clear coat (look for “DIN EN 71-3” label). Let dry thoroughly.

🌞 6. Choose Your Spot
Pick a level garden area – part sun, part shade is ideal. Mark where the 7 poles will stand using pegs or tent stakes.

🪢 7. Create the Tent Frame
Thread the rope through the pole holes, form a teepee shape, and loosely tie it. Check the shape and position, then tighten and double-knot the rope. Anchor each pole into a slanted PVC pipe sleeve filled with gravel for drainage and stability.

🚪 8. Build the Tent Entrance
Attach a crossbeam using a hook and bolt system, then staple a piece of fabric as the tent flap. Ensure proper placement and trim if needed.

🧵 9. Add the Finishing Touches
Stretch the rope around the outside of the poles in a spiral to support climbing plants. Drape an LED light string for a magical look in the evenings.

🌿 10. Plant & Water
On one side of each pole, plant 3 fire bean seeds. On the opposite side, plant a perennial climber like ivy. Tie up the stems for support and water thoroughly. Keep watering regularly to help the plants thrive.

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