A man’s home may be his castle, as the saying goes, but a kid’s home can be so much more … it’s a private space where children can be anything they want to be. It can be as simple as a blanket tossed over a chair or a sheet over a card table — it’s a personal space filled with robust imagination.

But if you want to really please your little tyke, create a simple playhouse that’s held in place on tension rods to fill a hallway or door opening.

This house isn’t just a house; depending on the fabrics and trims, it can be a circus tent, a royal princess castle, a school, a church, a library, a puppet theater or even a pet store filled with stuffed animals. Made in camouflage fabric, it becomes a fort where any small solider can hunker down.

The portable playhouse simply rolls up and stores in the closet when play is done, or it can be easily transported to grandma’s house to while away the hours.

Getting started

Measure the opening where the playhouse will go, then head to the fabric or discount store to purchase two tension curtain rods. The rods are available in size ranges, such as 24 inches to 48 inches, 48 inches to 72 inches, etc., so pick one that suits your measurements and will fit the area snugly. Tension rods unscrew to hold themselves in place against the walls where the playhouse will hang. Another option is to set up the house on a staircase, posting the rods against a wall on one side and a banister on the other. Setting the house on the stairs creates a multilevel loft “home,” but be careful of this if children are very small and not adept with stairs.

The house itself is made from fabric, either print or solid, depending on the desired look. The fabric could also be an old sheet cut to size.

If you plan to put windows into the house, use clear vinyl from the fabric store for the “panes,” simply leave them as an open space, or just indicate windows with fabric rectangles. If you opt for the latter, it leaves room for adding some window animals, like on the featured house.

The playhouse can be sewn, glued or fused together, depending on your skill. If you plan to glue it together, look for glue designed specifically for fabric so that it doesn’t soak through the surface and damage the detailing. To fuse the architectural features, look for fusible web at the fabric store, available by the yard or in pre-cut sheets, depending on the size needed. On the featured house, all the embellishments are simply fused in place using a fusible web called Steam-A-Seam 2. It’s paper-backed so you can draw your designs on it before fusing, for accurate cutting.

Detailing can be accomplished with fabric paints, markers or crayons and/or sewing trims. Check out stores like Dollar Tree or other discounters for accoutrements like faux flowers and other accents. Notion departments are a good source for iron-on numbers (every house needs an address) and for press-on letters (for a mailbox, name, etc.)

The house can have a door that opens, or simply an opening cut for a door as shown.

House plans

If children are old enough, involve them in the house planning and construction. They might want to include a mailbox, some flowers, curtains, a door mat, etc. The concept of the playhouse is a simple one, but the embellishment and personalization can take it from a run-of-the-mill tract home to a customized address in no time.

The featured playhouse is 58 inches tall and 40 inches wide. Look for duck, canvas, twill or other sturdy fabrics that will hold their shape. If you’re starting with a sheet, starch it to add more body. You’ll need the height of the playhouse, plus 2 inches for the casing that holds the roof rod. Many fabrics are 60 inches wide, so you can purchase just the width of the house plus hems.

Cut the fabric the width of the playhouse plus 2 inches for side hems. Turn under 1 inch on both long edges to finish; sew, glue or fuse the hems in place. If the lower house edge needs a hem, turn under 1/2 inch twice.

Cut out openings for a door and windows, depending on the style you select. Adding fabric trim around the openings is optional, but it adds to the decor. Windows can have curtains or shades for more privacy.

As you plan the house details, look to fun fabric prints for ideas — you can add a pet dog, a little frog hiding in the bushes, birds on the roofline, etc. Back the fabric portion with fusible web, then trim the outline and fuse in place following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Add a 2-inch-wide casing to the house at the place where you want to insert the first rod — at the roofline. A casing is simply a channel sewn or glued in place to hold the rod. It should be the width of the house. At the top roof edge, turn under a 2-inch hem and sew or glue in place to hold the second rod.

When you set up the house, position the rod so that the lower edge of the house just barely skims the floor. The second rod can be placed slightly above and behind the first rod to create a slanted roof, or directly behind the rod to make a flat roof, or directly above the first rod to create a tall, townhouse look.