DIY Festival Oasis

It's that time of year again... a time for great music, daring fashion and making memories on the lawn with your squad. Whether you made your first pilgrimage to Coachella, have plans to check out one of the music festivals from our  "4 festivals you've never heard of" blog post or are catching a concert series in the park this summer there are a few essentials you'll need to consider... 

You've been dreaming up the perfect outfits & hairstyles but what about your base camp situation? Sure you can bring a crusty old blanket and call it a day, but as anyone who's sat sunburned and foot weary in the grass and dirt can tell you- that gets miserable pretty quickly.  With a little inspiration, you and your friends can create a relaxing, Instagram-worthy, oasis true to the music loving goddesses you are. Here are some secret tips for creating the fool proof bohemian festi-tent of your dreams: 

1) Thrift it like you mean it

This is probably my single greatest tip:  DON'T YOU DARE BUY ANYTHING NEW. The magic of  a festival tent done right is the mix of textures and patterns that look as if they've been collected over time. Vintage finds allow you to cheat this look. Score everything from perfectly worn in textiles to heaps of pillows and small decor items for super cheap AND depending on where you go, do a little good for your community while you're at it! Our tent only cost us $45 and a weekend of thrifting (okay, so we borrowed the frame, but this is still insanely cheap)!

2) Work a color palette

Since our tent was so gleaming white and ethereal, we wanted to warm it up inside with some color and pattern. The trick to mixing and layering multiple patterns in a way that doesn't make you want to hurl is to pick ONE color story and stick to that shit.  Here I went for indian summer shades of burnt orange, deep red and yellow. I achieved a vintage boho vibe by going wild with patterns that felt authentic and interesting. Since everything is in my tightly edited color palette it reads very intentional and not so much on the crazy.

3) Think outside the box

Try to see things for what they COULD be and not what they are. You're looking for color, pattern and texture. Screw what something IS, you can make it into whatever you want it to be. The amazing textiles we used are mismatched menagerie of thrifted shower curtains and Grandma doilies. Yeah, girl, SHOWER CURTAINS. Once you get going, I swear, it's actually really easy.

5) Save your sanity, buy a hot glue gun

There's nothing you need to do for this tutorial -or pretty much life in general-that can't be done with a glue gun. From making garland to attaching textiles for the actual tent- all of it is infinitely easier and less annoying if you just glue it together. Seriously.

Most importantly, be chill with yourself. The process is meant to be fun. You're creating a haven for you and your crew to make memories in. As long as you've having fun, who cares about anything else? Tis the (festival) season, amiright?