FRONT ROOM FESTIVAL

About a week ago, I posted this picture on IG & Fb, just to show what we'd been up to and how we're coping with the prospect of no festivals this year.

Since then, there have been so many enquiries as to how I put it together, I thought I'd blog about it.

We (by we I mean myself, my sister, brother in law and our collective small humans) without fail, have visited the same 3 small, child friendly festivals for a number of years now.

We have met friends that we will stay in touch with forever, friends that we only see once or twice a year but remain firm besties with the kids, friends who have touched our hearts and I can see the kids continuing to festival together long after Ive hung up my dancing wellies.

Festivals are very special to us, they are time to chill with family and let the kids run free, time to enjoy music, fresh air, camp fires and starry skies.

When the kids realise exactly what this COVID19 pandemic would affect this year, they were suitably disappointed. What I didn't expect was just how disappointed they would be at the prospect of no festivals.

I can't take the credit for the idea of a home festival - that was entirely my sister's idea, she set up their massive bell tent and fairy lights at the bottom of their garden but due to social distancing, even though we ALWAYS festival together and they were only a mile down the road, we couldn't join them.

So I got to work the only way I knew how - decorating and staging!

As all the camping equipment is stored at my sister's place (and most of it in use) I had to improvise.....

I repurposed about 8 meters of linen look tulle fabric recently, purchased from Lush Fabric Ltd, Liverpool - my airy bedroom redesign will have to wait!

Cutting into 4 panels and draping from those repositionable sticky hooks on the ceiling. I then loosely stapled (yes your read that right, no stitching required) the panels together down the length and fashioned into a teepee/bell tent shape, using the sofas and other furniture to anchor.

TIP:If you want to try similar, I suggest you use the lightest fabric you can find, 1 because its less likely to fall down and 2 a huge tent like shape in your lounge tends to block out the light, so if you still want to use the room during the day, keep the fabric quite sheer.

Then drape fairy lights (everyone has spare fairy lights in the shed - right?) or sparkly string, bunting, ribbon, anything to give it an fun vibe across the "entrance" to your tent and across your ceilings - you're trying to create the illusion of space, so keep the drapery high and wide.

Next I took the kids foldout sleepover beds from their rooms and layered them with duvets, blankets, throws, cushions, beanbags etc to make a seating/sleeping area below the tent. I then added footstools from elsewhere in the lounge as extra structure.

Finally, I found some old artificial eucalyptus garland and artificial spider plants left over from another project and draped around the tent.

I realise that not everyone will have access to garlands etc but you could move plants from other areas of your house or collect large sticks on your next walk.

The trick is, keep it fun, keep it whimsical, keep it festival-like.

Oh and be prepared to spend the rest of social distancing, sleeping in the lounge !!

Please share your pictures and ideas for other front room fun.

See you soon,

J x