How To Build A Self Care Blanket Fort

Build your own blanket fort for precious self care and alone time. Bring cats, sweets and inspirational to-do lists.

Throughout the ages, humans have been seeking shelter and finding cosy spots to retreat from the world. You might think that in the age of comfortable houses and double glazing, this is no longer of any concern. Not so! I’m here to deliver the glorious message of the blanket fort and its magical beneficial properties for the soul.

You may have heard the term ‘self care’ floating around the interwebs, and wondered what it means. Perhaps you think it sounds wishy-washy, or maybe even a bit rude! Like many people, I was quite sceptical of ‘self care’, but the concept has really grown on me. If, like me, you can find it difficult to be kind to yourself sometimes, it can really help to take some time out to dedicate to you and you alone.

If you want a little alone-time, this is how to build yourself a little self-care blanket fort. Think all of the wonderful ways it will revolutionise your life! (Maybe).

The easiest way to make a solo fort, den, nest, or whatever you’d like to call it, is the old chair trick. I like to use a radiator in my fort to add warmth and also to add a sort of structure to one of the sides. Line up two chairs roughly half a metre away from the radiator, facing inwards. Make sure you can fit between the chairs and the radiator because that’s where you’ll be snuggling up in a few short minutes.

If you’ve got some fairy lights knocking about, drape these over the chairs. You could also use some of those little plastic LED tealights. But never bring actual fire into your fort because, well… fire. Put your radiator on a very low heat setting, and pop the kettle on if you fancy a hot beverage to drink while you’re snuggled in your fort.

If you’ve got some sofa cushions, lay these down in your fort’s seating area. Ordinary cushions or pillows will do – or even a couple of layers of blankets. Now is the time to finish making that cup of tea, bowl of pasta, or snaffling up whatever snacks you want in your fort. If you’ve got a laptop, an iPad, a Gameboy or even *gasp* a book, pop this on one of the chairs. The seat part of the chairs serves as a kind of desk/shelf/table. Gotta be practical as well as cosy, am I right?

Now, for the important part – constructing the roof and walls. I like to use a duvet cover because you can button it around the radiator. A fitted sheet also works really well, as the elastic holds it snugly around the radiator. You can use whatever large blanket-like item you like though, and fasten it with safety pins or pegs. I find that a thick blanket is too much, and doesn’t provide enough ventilation for me, but it’s up to you! The last step is to take your snacks into the fort along with yourself.

My favourite things to do in my fort (aside from comfort eating) are watching episodes of television programmes that I know contain no emotional turmoil, surfing the internet, and writing long aspirational lists in my notebooks. I can also highly recommend facemasks as part of a great in-fort beauty regime. I don’t recommend painting your nails in the fort though – messy and full of fumes. Not cool.

There is no wrong way to build a fort, and there is no wrong way to show yourself kindness, and so you should definitely get creative with your fort activities and building techniques. Don’t be afraid to get other bits of furniture involved in the fort-building process. As you can see above, I re-constructed the fort to be more of a two-person jobby, and used a broom to stabilise the roof! Have fun creating a space just for you (and perhaps a loved one), and spend some time in your magical tent of escapism. Forts aren’t just for kids – they’re for everyone!