Fort Kickass
February 2, 2013 11:46 AM Subscribe
A blanket fort is a construction commonly made using blankets, bed sheets, pillow, and sofa cushions. It is also known as a couch fort, pillow fort, or sheet fort.
TAXONOMY
Fuck Yeah!
Blanket Forts
Pillow Forts
Pin It!
Blanket Forts
Pillow Forts
Here, let me Google that for you.
Blanket Forts
Pillow Forts
/r/
Blanket Forts
Pillow Forts
Ruffing it
Dogs in couch forts
IN THE NEWS
Lessons in the Art of Pillow Fort Construction
Checkout time is noon
Vote Blanket Party!
ONLINE
Wikihow
eHow
The Crafty Mama Blog
Real Simple
Apartment Therapy
ON SCREEN
Community
Family Guy
Funny or Die
Dragon Tales
BEAT THIS
The Longest Blanket Fort Known To Man
Lincoln Military Housing's "Longest Blanket Fort"
PREVIOUSLY
Ideas for blanket forts?
Blanket Fort Party
Krak des Blanketiers
And the Walls Came Tumbling Down Again
OBLIGATORY
xkcd
Also, boxes.
TAXONOMY
Blanket Forts
Pillow Forts
Blanket Forts
Pillow Forts
Blanket Forts
Pillow Forts
Blanket Forts
Pillow Forts
Ruffing it
IN THE NEWS
ONLINE
ON SCREEN
BEAT THIS
PREVIOUSLY
OBLIGATORY
Also, boxes.
This my forte.
posted by srboisvert at 11:58 AM on February 2, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 11:58 AM on February 2, 2013 [7 favorites]
I, too, had an AskMe related to this topic.
Blanket forts RULE
posted by Doleful Creature at 12:03 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Blanket forts RULE
posted by Doleful Creature at 12:03 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
The semester after I graduated I still lived in the same apartment with my roommate. We took in three strays in that time. One was my tiny kitten we named Whiskey and the others were females fleeing bad relationships. The girls slept out in the living room in a giant couch fort we all had made. I have a picture of all of us crammed in there with a tiny Christmas tree and me holding my diploma. I love couch forts.
posted by Phantomx at 12:04 PM on February 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Phantomx at 12:04 PM on February 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
The most kickass blanket fort of all time would have to be the nest in "A Pail of Air."
That's a blanket fort.
posted by sonascope at 12:19 PM on February 2, 2013 [3 favorites]
That's a blanket fort.
posted by sonascope at 12:19 PM on February 2, 2013 [3 favorites]
HAHAHAHA, the Fairmont hotel guy is the brother of my roommate.
I knew that would swim around the web for longer than he thought.
posted by Slackermagee at 12:21 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
I knew that would swim around the web for longer than he thought.
posted by Slackermagee at 12:21 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
We bought the young'n this set of blanket fort building sticks for Christmas and fort building in our home quickly escalated into an all-consuming game of family oneupsmanship. Highly recommended.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:37 PM on February 2, 2013
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:37 PM on February 2, 2013
Holy sheet. You've really got the subject well covered here. Ok, this wraps up my awful puns.
posted by orme at 12:37 PM on February 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by orme at 12:37 PM on February 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of my mind screaming about the GREATEST IDEA FOR AN IRL MEETUP EVER.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 12:48 PM on February 2, 2013 [18 favorites]
posted by Parasite Unseen at 12:48 PM on February 2, 2013 [18 favorites]
This my forte.
Finally, someone who pronounces it correctly!
posted by MtDewd at 12:50 PM on February 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
Finally, someone who pronounces it correctly!
posted by MtDewd at 12:50 PM on February 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
Oh, I almost forgot!
FOOTAGE NOT FOUND
Buster and Lucille 2's blanket fort
posted by Room 641-A at 12:58 PM on February 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
FOOTAGE NOT FOUND
posted by Room 641-A at 12:58 PM on February 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
Hey, just five more days until the crushing disappointment of a Harmon/Stamatopoulos/Goldman/Donovan/Russo/Russo-free Season 4 of Community!
posted by Sys Rq at 1:00 PM on February 2, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Sys Rq at 1:00 PM on February 2, 2013 [3 favorites]
I'm kind of a purist when it comes to blanket tents.
You have to use only the materials and structural devices available in your room.
Once you start bringing in pvc pipes and other outside structural elements, it's all too much.
After all, at least half the fun my child has blanket tents is the threat of imminent collapse.
posted by madajb at 1:39 PM on February 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
You have to use only the materials and structural devices available in your room.
Once you start bringing in pvc pipes and other outside structural elements, it's all too much.
After all, at least half the fun my child has blanket tents is the threat of imminent collapse.
posted by madajb at 1:39 PM on February 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
I know a shortcut- through the Turkish district!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 2:02 PM on February 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 2:02 PM on February 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
"Your authority is not recognized in Fort Kickass!"
posted by bitter-girl.com at 2:14 PM on February 2, 2013 [9 favorites]
posted by bitter-girl.com at 2:14 PM on February 2, 2013 [9 favorites]
Two years ago, in a fog of depression and loneliness, I built myself a blanket fort in my living room and declared that day, October 22, to be International Blanket Fort Day, sharing pictures and a declaration of fort building for peace on my Facebook page. Several of my friends then posted pictures of their own constructions. It cheered everyone up considerably. Yay for blanket forts!!
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 2:18 PM on February 2, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 2:18 PM on February 2, 2013 [3 favorites]
There used to be a band around here called Couch Fort, which struck me as the second-best band name ever, after Vacation Bible School.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 2:35 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by BitterOldPunk at 2:35 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Speaking of blanket forts, we had a variation in my home growing up that was relatively distinctive. I grew up in a log house in Scaggsville, Maryland that had one heat register on the whole second floor, a weird low box of painted galvanized metal that just sat on the floor like a beachfront gun emplacement, with a grate that directed a relatively forceful stream of kerosene-scented hot air down the hallway. The thing was, if you were home alone, or at least with minimal parental supervision, you could bivouac on that thing with a big flannel sheet, pinning it down around the edges with volumes of the World Book Encyclopedia, and the furnace would inflate it into this perfect dome of pneumatic coziness. Sibling squabbles would subside, we'd all climb into the bubble, each with a book, and luxuriate in the tropical heat that we didn't get in our own unheated bedrooms.
It was wonderful.
Once, my father found the bubble fort inflated and started hollering at us, complaining about how we were freezing out the whole second floor, and midway through his lecture, we all peeked out of our rooms to see what was going on. There was a long pause, a series of quizzical looks between us and him, and finally, my grandmother emerged from the bubble fort to admonish him.
"Jones, you're near to freezin' me to death in this house, and I aim to sit in here if I want to sit in here!"
"Mother," he started to say, but she'd already pulled the World Books back into place. The dome puffed back out, and my father stomped down the stairs.
Eventually, when the family's finances were better, he had full ductwork installed so each room had a register, and our frozen nights, quilt burials, and the shared security of the bubble fort became old memories.
We were never quite so close again.
posted by sonascope at 2:35 PM on February 2, 2013 [65 favorites]
It was wonderful.
Once, my father found the bubble fort inflated and started hollering at us, complaining about how we were freezing out the whole second floor, and midway through his lecture, we all peeked out of our rooms to see what was going on. There was a long pause, a series of quizzical looks between us and him, and finally, my grandmother emerged from the bubble fort to admonish him.
"Jones, you're near to freezin' me to death in this house, and I aim to sit in here if I want to sit in here!"
"Mother," he started to say, but she'd already pulled the World Books back into place. The dome puffed back out, and my father stomped down the stairs.
Eventually, when the family's finances were better, he had full ductwork installed so each room had a register, and our frozen nights, quilt burials, and the shared security of the bubble fort became old memories.
We were never quite so close again.
posted by sonascope at 2:35 PM on February 2, 2013 [65 favorites]
No mention of Problem Sleuth?
posted by mccarty.tim at 2:47 PM on February 2, 2013
posted by mccarty.tim at 2:47 PM on February 2, 2013
Yes, dedicated materials are cheating. Blanket forts must be made with only blankets, chairs, tables, etc (we built ours in the living room).
posted by jb at 3:14 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by jb at 3:14 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
I used to be in the dedicated-materials-are-cheating camp, but after we encased an easy chair in a small castle for a sick four year old stuck watching cartoons all day, I reconsidered.
Seriously: don't let your "We didn't have that in my day" old man voice scare you out of something awesome. Those things are a delight whose time was overdue, if anything.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 3:26 PM on February 2, 2013
Seriously: don't let your "We didn't have that in my day" old man voice scare you out of something awesome. Those things are a delight whose time was overdue, if anything.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 3:26 PM on February 2, 2013
HAHAHAHA, the Fairmont hotel guy is the brother of my roommate.
Heh, the Fairmont employee who arranged for the stuff is a really good friend of my wife & I. Oh, Canada!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 3:30 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Heh, the Fairmont employee who arranged for the stuff is a really good friend of my wife & I. Oh, Canada!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 3:30 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
sonascope, when I was a kid we did something similar, only it was summer in the south when it was brutally hot and humid, and we made a fort in the only room in the house with an air conditioner in the window. I could lay around in that comfort for hours, encased in a welcoming tomb of cotton and polyester.
posted by Red Loop at 4:20 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Red Loop at 4:20 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Finally, someone who pronounces it correctly!
"Usage Note: The word forte, coming from French fort, should properly be pronounced with one syllable, like the English word fort. Common usage, however, prefers the two-syllable pronunciation, (fôrt), which has been influenced possibly by the music term forte borrowed from Italian. In a recent survey a strong majority of the Usage Panel, 74 percent, preferred the two-syllable pronunciation. The result is a delicate situation; speakers who are aware of the origin of the word may wish to continue to pronounce it as one syllable but at an increasing risk of puzzling their listeners."
The people have fortefied the forte. Sorry.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 5:18 PM on February 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
"Usage Note: The word forte, coming from French fort, should properly be pronounced with one syllable, like the English word fort. Common usage, however, prefers the two-syllable pronunciation, (fôrt), which has been influenced possibly by the music term forte borrowed from Italian. In a recent survey a strong majority of the Usage Panel, 74 percent, preferred the two-syllable pronunciation. The result is a delicate situation; speakers who are aware of the origin of the word may wish to continue to pronounce it as one syllable but at an increasing risk of puzzling their listeners."
The people have fortefied the forte. Sorry.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 5:18 PM on February 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
That's one of the best fort stories I've ever heard, sonascope.
posted by BlueHorse at 5:48 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by BlueHorse at 5:48 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Couch Cushion Architecture : A Critical Analysis
posted by andronicus at 7:48 PM on February 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by andronicus at 7:48 PM on February 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
Can I get an amen for outdoor blanket forts? I remember a lovely one my mom helped me sling over a gnarled branch of the old apple tree when I was tiny in Maine, horsetail ferns underfoot, sorrel to gnaw on, apple blossoms overhead.
posted by gusandrews at 8:02 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by gusandrews at 8:02 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
King size bed sheet. Pickup truck bed. Broomstick. Six other sticks. Take edges of sheet and cover truck bed. Push edges of sheet down into holes on edge of pickup bed and use other sticks to hold into place. Prop up center with broomstick. And Tada! Truck blanket fort!
posted by azpenguin at 8:36 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by azpenguin at 8:36 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Blanket and pillow forts are things I have been contemplating pretty intensely lately, so thank you for this FPP.
posted by Skygazer at 11:04 AM on February 3, 2013
posted by Skygazer at 11:04 AM on February 3, 2013
Tangentally related note:
I once saw some plastic nut and bolt things that were used to join cardboard cartons to make all manner of castles, buses etc.
Anybody know what they are called, have a link?
posted by bystander at 12:41 PM on February 4, 2013
I once saw some plastic nut and bolt things that were used to join cardboard cartons to make all manner of castles, buses etc.
Anybody know what they are called, have a link?
posted by bystander at 12:41 PM on February 4, 2013
For other non-purists like myself and DirtyOldManTown, I recommend the EZ-Fort x2. The single set is too small (20 long, 14 short) to make anything HUGE, which is what everyone wants. The pieces are a little hard for small hands to put together, but my four y.o. does "OK" with help. (Adding tape on the ends is a good tip to ensure structural integrity.)
Yes, dedicated materials are cheating. Blanket forts must be made with only blankets, chairs, tables, etc (we built ours in the living room).
Bah. By my measure, half of our furniture items are "dedicated fort materials" to my kids.
Can I get an amen for outdoor blanket forts?
That would be the other large PRO for construction sets. Plastic or metal can go outside; most indoor furniture can't. Throw in a tunnel, old discarded slide you find on the street, etc., you've almost got FORT AWESOME (which is actually something else entirely.)
posted by mrgrimm at 1:46 PM on February 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
Yes, dedicated materials are cheating. Blanket forts must be made with only blankets, chairs, tables, etc (we built ours in the living room).
Bah. By my measure, half of our furniture items are "dedicated fort materials" to my kids.
Can I get an amen for outdoor blanket forts?
That would be the other large PRO for construction sets. Plastic or metal can go outside; most indoor furniture can't. Throw in a tunnel, old discarded slide you find on the street, etc., you've almost got FORT AWESOME (which is actually something else entirely.)
posted by mrgrimm at 1:46 PM on February 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
...plastic nuts and bolt things....
Oh, that reminds me!
Bystander, try using zip ties! We used to use these when the kids were little. Zip ties and fridge/stove boxes--best forts evar!
posted by BlueHorse at 7:41 PM on February 4, 2013
Oh, that reminds me!
Bystander, try using zip ties! We used to use these when the kids were little. Zip ties and fridge/stove boxes--best forts evar!
posted by BlueHorse at 7:41 PM on February 4, 2013
Two years ago, in a fog of depression and loneliness, I built myself a blanket fort in my living room and declared that day, October 22, to be International Blanket Fort Day, sharing pictures and a declaration of fort building for peace on my Facebook page. Several of my friends then posted pictures of their own constructions.
....I am totally going to do this now.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:33 AM on February 11, 2013
....I am totally going to do this now.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:33 AM on February 11, 2013
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posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 11:54 AM on February 2, 2013