DIY Foam Glamping Kits

Camping isn’t for everyone – this has been a decades old debate. However, there are new and innovative camping experiences on the market that have been embraced by both outdoor businesses and individuals alike. An example of this is ‘glamping’, a combination of a more luxury and comfort-based experience with the traditional camping set up.

Many individuals look to hire out bell tents, which are yurt-style tents that typically offer a spacious, cabin-like environment. Offered by many luxury and exclusive outdoor companies, these often come as a standard package. However, with their exclusivity comes a significant price tag. Glamping is typically not a cheap British holiday!

For that reason, there has been a growing appetite in the UK for private and home-based glamping set ups and bell tents. Particularly in times of the pandemic, where more of us are looking for activities closer to come, garden glamping activities are growing in popularity. This has also been seen by the number of small businesses in the UK offering private pop-up glamping experiences in homes. However, individuals are often buying bell tents and wondering how to fill them, particularly without the support of a dedicated business providing all the furnishings for hire.

That said, there is a growing demand for soft furnishings and other items - such as beds and compact sofas – designed specifically for bell tents. One of the most popular options is a luxury floor cushion, easily made with a piece of upholstery foam and a sturdy fabric that is waterproof-lined on the inner side. To make one of these cushions, we recommend a foam piece of approximately 1m x 1m, and 20cm in depth, and two pieces of your chosen fabric measuring 1.2m x 1.2m. We also suggest incorporating some waterproof lining inside your cushion, which can be stitched to the inner side of your cover fabric before sewing together and inserting the foam. Upholstery foams are not waterproof unlike other foam types and must therefore be protected from the elements.

For added warmth, decoration and insulation, another popular DIY activity is to create thin foam wall panels. Adopting the same process as putting a floor cushion together, you will need a foam panel and your waterproof-lined cover fabric. For these panels, we suggest using Plastazote closed-cell foam as this is waterproof and an excellent thermal insulator. If you have a bell or ‘yurt’ style tent, it will comprise of many sides. Measure the width and height of each side, and order foam to these measurements that is 2 inches thick. Order your outer fabric and, using the same measurements, add 1 inch to each dimension to accommodate the foam stuffing. Once complete, stitch on some fabric tie strings to the top edge of your panel so it can be attached to each of the supporting poles.

Another common request from bell tent owners is foam flooring to help achieve a cosy and luxury feel. For ease, we recommend taking the exact floor dimensions of your tent and ordering a single foam flooring panel that is specifically cut to size. If you want to keep your tent outside permanently, we recommend a water-resistant foam such as Plastazote at approximately 1 to 1.5 inches thick. If you are happy to remove your foam and store it inside when not in use, we recommend Reflex superior foam for its durable nature.

For further advice on soft furnishings for glamping activities, please contact one of our friendly advisers.