Fort Loops is a system that helps take fort building to the next level. As a kid, I was often frustrated by the sheets sliding off the top of my dresser. I sometimes even tucked them into the drawers of the dresser but it was never the right solution. Now that I'm partially grown up, I have the ability to solve some of the greatest fort building obstacles of my past. Having suitable points of attachment is huge part of building a successful fort. Without an appropriate way to hang or elevate roof structures, you're left doing the limbo through your front door. Having the technology to 3d print custom parts helped me to put a new spin on the art of fort building. Being able to create new points of attachment without drilling or screwing holes in the wall, makes fort builders and parents very happy. Fort Loops takes advantage of the fact that every room you'd conceivably build a fort in, has doors, outlets and switch covers. Gather up the standard fort building materials and you're ready to go.



Decora Cover Plate



The standard Decora cover plate will cover your switches and outlets. It provides 2 points of attachment at a reasonable height in your room. If you're lucky, you have a 3-way light which gives you even more points of attachment. The round style outlet cover provides 1 point of attachment. If you have Decora style outlet covers, you can use the same cover as the switch cover.



Standard Cover Plates



Standard outlet covers only have one point of attachment No big deal. Just make sure you have what you need before you get started. My sister's house had a strange combination of both decora and standard covers.



Door Hinge Hanger



Simply knock out the pin on one of your door's hinges and slide on the handy Fort Loops door hinge hanger. The beauty of this part is the ability to create a high point of attachment in your room. You can even install one on the lower hinge too. Just keep in mind that you'll likely still need to open and close your door, so pay attention to where you string your ropes.



Door Hanger



The door hanger gives you another high point of attachment in your room. This can go on a closet door or even your entry door. However, it's not a great idea to install it on a door that still needs to be opened and closed.



Sheet Conector



Need to to connect a sheet in a completely different way? Simply sandwich a sheet between the bottom and top clips of the sheet connector and you have a new way to connect materials. Maybe your fort has an awning, or maybe you need to hold the front door open occasionally. Your imagination is the only limit.



Picture Hanger



I was really trying to avoid screwing into the wall. However, if you have a picture hanging in your room anyway, why not hang it with a Fort Loops Picture Hanger. Simply screw the base plate into the wall, preferably into a stud, and hang your picture. When it comes time to build a fort, simply slide in the Fort Loop adapter. This Fort Loop didn't make it into our first fort but you can view sample pictures here.



Fort Loops Break-Away Connectors



I got a lot of attention with the release of Fort Loops. Some good and some bad. As much as you want everyone to love your project, it's important to listen to your criticism and use it to develop or defend your design. I was really happy with the results of my original Fort Loops and really didn't consider the safety concerns that some people might have. I got some good suggestions and some ridiculous ones. I decided to develop my design further to satisfy the safety concerns that people were having and to stick to the original concept of avoiding having to screw holes into the wall. Ultimately, the solution becomes more economical because I no longer have to print out an entire plate cover, and the whole system will be cheaper to buy on Shapeways. Now, why didn't I think of that in the first place? These Fort Loops didn't make it into the first fort either... you can picture one here.



Fort Loops are available in my Shapeways shop.



I'm not out to make money on these things, but a lot of people have expressed interest in having some, so I posted them on shapeways so that people without 3d printers can order them. Have fun!



Fort Loops Door Hinge Hanger



Fort Loops Decora Cover Plate



Fort Loops Break Away Connectors are Coming Soon......