Q&A for How to Make a Teepee

From what I have read, the lodge poles should be three feet longer than the height of the canvas. For example, if the canvas is 12 feet tall, then the poles should be 15 feet long.

The tipi design varies from tribe to tribe. It's possible that porcupine quills were used by another tribe than the one you're from. Any generalization suffers from not being applicable to individual circumstances, so perhaps you could do deeper research into the tipi variants and inform this article some more; everyone is free to edit this site, to enhance the knowledge.

It depends on the type of materials you want to use and where you purchase them, but I would expect to spend at least a few hundred dollars for a large, high-quality teepee. You could likely make a cheaper version for under $100 if you shopped smart.

The door flap and smoke flaps traditionally face east, as the prevailing winds are out of the west, but could vary based on your locale.

That depends on the size of the teepee you make and the size of the people getting in it. If you use the measurements used in this article, you should be able to comfortably fit up to 4 average sized people.

No, but you need poles of some type, such as thick bamboo.

pi x diameter = circumference 3.14 x diameter = 30' 30' / 3.14 = 9.5' diameter sin 30 degrees of 15' = 10.5' You'll have a 9.9' wide and 10.5' tall tipi with a 15' x 30' canvas.

You should paint it before waterproofing. Waxing the fabric plugs up the holes making it very water-resistant. This really helps: instructables.com/id/How-to-Wax-Your-Clothing-and-Gear

That's a great idea, but you would have to resew the cut ends so the tarp does not fray.

You should be able to buy the canvas from large stores like Walmart or Target, but if not, sites like Amazon would be good places to look.

You could use an old blanket, or, if you have a sewing machine, sew some old clothes together.

If you want to make it inside the house, you will have to cut down the size. Make it half or even one-third the size of the original. Instead of canvas, you can use fabric or even an old blanket. If you don't have sticks, you can use PVC pipes or any other straight, sturdy material.

By decorating it and making it your very own! You could put colorful paintings in it or put flowers around it, and put some furniture inside. It's all up to you.

They will leak a little, however, it should leak away from the flap. If it means a lot to you, you could sew a flap over the door which will keep the rain out, though it is not traditional.

As small as you want it to be but you should make it sturdy enough to be self standing. And if you want to fit someone in it, then make sure it is big enough that they can move pretty easily and comfortably in the teepee. If you really want, you can make a miniature teepee for dolls or a diorama, so that's how small you can go but you'd need to use different materials.

For a sturdy teepee, you'll need at least 6 - 8 poles. Make sure the poles are strong. The durability depends on the type of wood.

Not as dwellings, but many tribes still use them for special occasions.