DIY: How to construct an Arabian style tent for entertaining outdoors

Friday, 18 May 2012 3:51 PM

Create an oasis for your guests when entertaining outdoors in an Arabian style tent.

This is easy to do yourself and requires three main steps; creating the wooden support screen, the tent roof dressing and the exotic lanterns for inside.
Housefixer.co.uk with the help of Dremel has put together a guide to construct this coloured Moroccan/Arabian tent design.

Materials required :

A trio device which cuts, sands and routs such as the Dremel Trio with accessories TR563 and TR407/408

Wooden trellis panels
Metal hangings or metal panels
External paint for trellis
Canvas or fabric for tent roof
White fabric for side curtains
Engraving devices such as the Dremel 7700 multi-tool with the Multichuck 4486 and the Diamond Wheel Point 7103
A glue gun such as the Dremel Glue Gun 930 with gluesticks
Coloured floor lanterns
Tea light candles

Stage one: Construction of back of the Arabian nights tent using garden trellis

Buy an ordinary garden trellis and using the trio with its multipurpose cutting bit. Cut through the trellis to create space for metal hangings or panels, then sand off any rough edges using the coarse sanding bit.

Paint the trellis your desired colour using external paint. We used a pale dove grey. Cut feet from lengths of wood and affix to the base of trellis panels using the the trio with the accessory TR563, so that the panels are freestanding - or hinge them so that they stand at an angle like a screen.

Then, inset bought metalwork centres (we used brass kettle stands) into trellis panels and wire onto wood (or drill into wood if there are eye holes in the metal surround).

Lanterns Next, create your roof from draped canvas or buy a tent on poles and fit your trellis inside it. Add white curtains for a private feel.

Stage two: Glass engraving on coloured floor storm lanterns

Cut paper to fit one side of the lantern. Use a black pen to draw your pattern on the paper then tape it against the glass on the inside of the lantern.

Use your tools to engrave the outline of the pattern. When complete remove the pattern.

Continue engraving as before to thicken the line work and fill in any details. Use the glue gun to fix sparkly gems in the design of your choice.

Stage three: Plants can be added to the finished product to make the space more exotic. Create a display of Musas and Alpinia Purpurata Red exotic woody stemmed tropical flowers to go inside your cutting through the tough stalks using a secateur.

Place some heavily rose-scented candles, sparkling cushions, low seating and exotic plants in the right spots, and you have your own Bedouin tent with loads of atmosphere in which to entertain.