It’s been a million years since I posted on here. I’ve done several projects but my time is kind of limited these days. My career as a professional photographer has been in the works for about 2 years and over the past year I’ve been going full throttle…while still raising two girls. But this project motivated me to get on, write and share.
We’ve had a trampoline for about 5 years…maybe more. And of course with the sun and usual wear and tear the foam padding started falling apart and the bouncy screen ripped. But I didn’t have the heart to throw it out. I looked online, Pinterest and other favorite DIY sites for ideas on what to do with a broken trampoline but nothing was what I had in mind. I found cool swings and gardening repurposing but nothing for the kids. My goal is to keep the kids entertained outside in the summer. However, we get over 100 degree days so shade is always good. I was visualizing a fort of some kind. And so…
I flipped it over! The girls were like you’ve gone nuts. They didn’t see it as anything they wanted to play in even when it was flipped. So I went to work. I cut off the blue foam padding that was falling apart. That cleaned it up quite a bit. I cut the screen completely off where the door once was so they could enter easily. But what really made it so much more play-worthy was attaching teal, waterproof, fabric shower curtains with white rope and stringing a set of small globe lights all around. It went from a 0 to a 10 instantly. The girls love it!
I cut out more sections of the screen to give it easier access from all around. However, if you live in Florida or a more mosquito infested region maybe leaving more screen would be useful. I wanted to take off the poles that were once the legs off the top just to make it more aesthetically pleasing. But, turns out those are rather necessary for the entire structure. It almost collapsed after removing four! I’ll hang flags up there to make it more festive.
The trampoline fort is a lovely shady spot during the day and so magical at night! I love it! They love it! I think I’ll make a lounging bed and make it our outdoor movie area for these hot summer nights!