Ikea shared guides for using furniture to make forts

Millions of families are stuck at home in an effort to decrease the spread of COVID-19. And even though some states are loosening up their safer-at-home guidelines, we’ll probably still be spending a lot more time in our homes for the foreseeable future.

But parents, don’t despair: Ikea released a fort-making guide that will help your kids turn your living room into a magical land of adventure and creativity.

The Swedish furniture retailer is known worldwide for their easy-to-assemble pieces and iconic assembly instructions. And now, in conjunction with the marketing geniuses at Instinct, Ikea Russia is providing customers with detailed how-to guides for building all different styles of forts, from castles and wigwams to fortresses and caves.

To create these fun forts, all you need are simple items you can find around your house, like chairs, books, clothespins, pillows and blankets, as well as the optional string of battery-operated lights (so your kids can light up their fort and turn it into a real home).

Try the tent-inspired design below, which will make you and your kids feel like you’re camping out under the stars. Made with a clothes rack, a blanket and heaps of pillows, this is one tent you won’t mind spending the night in:

Click through to also see the Wigwam design, which requires a coat rack, a blanket, books, clips and a rope (or you can use an extension cord).

Or try the Cave design, which requires only a table, a blanket and some books and clips to help hold it all together (stuffies, pillows and other cozy home accessories are optional but heavily encouraged).

And check out the Fortress design, which uses couch cushions and a blanket for a simple fort shape that even little ones can recreate. Perfect for those times when you just want to burrow into your secret fort and find some peace and quiet.

With these fort ideas, Ikea is helping to make our time at home a little more enjoyable, especially for harried parents!