Ahead of the summer, Sky has announced a huge expansion of its content library, jumping from 700 to a whopping 4,000 episodes. Now home to more of the most-watched kids’ shows than any other service, there’s something to keep the whole family entertained, come rain or shine. What better way to watch them than to make a den? 

Sky sent us a kit on how to build a great den, with some fantastic things to do in the den and Dunelm sent us a very snuggly rug and the most amazing blanket, along with cushions and blankets to help build the best den we could muster. It is great that in February (2016) Sky will be releasing a new Sky Kids app aimed at children 4-9 and the app will allow children in Sky homes the chance to catch up with loved programmes and favourite characters in a way that best suits them, whether travelling in the back of the car or from the comfort of their playroom (or their den).

Here is what I did to create the den

1. Using a clean broomstick, got it to stand upright using cushions on the floor to hold it in place. I situated it about a metre from the sofa. I also made sure that it was near the new snuggly slumber rug that we got from Dunelm. 
2. I used a double flat sheet, provided by Sky to cover the top of the den. It wasn’t too dark in there then. 
3. I used a rope to secure the flat sheet to the broomstick. 
4. I used the duck egg squares blankets to create the grip and attach the top of the den to the sofa. 
5. I covered the floor of the den with the soft, fluffy faux fur blanket which just looked so inviting. It was possibly the best flooring for a den I have ever seen. 
6. Then I used our cushions to pad around the inside and the tweed woven cushion to pad the edges so that it made the walls a little higher. 
7. I used the pegs to make the den have an entrance, so they could see the movie on Sky of course. 
8. I filled it with the goodies from Sky and we put on Harry Potter! 

It was amazing. The children loved it in there den and it was so comfortable and they had plenty to do. Great for a rainy afternoon, which is what bank holiday Monday was! We had a great afternoon snuggling. 

The great thing about making dens like this and having all these wonderful blankets, cushions and rugs is that I get to re-organise them again and make my lounge look awesome. For when the children have gone to bed obviously. Thank you Dunelm and Sky for the inspiration and giving us great entertainment through the rainy summer and the upcoming autumn months. 

I especially love the anti slip mat under our new slumber rug, it doesn’t move! Despite the children and animals being on it all of the time. Great idea!