I ordered a pop-up canopy to use at outdoor art shows. Works great – glad we did a trial run set up before the first show! One of the reasons these structures are so easy to set up is their light weight – which could turn them into giant kites on a windy day! Thus, the recommendation to use weights to keep them grounded. Here is how to make diy canopy weights.
Most guidelines recommend a 40-pound weight for each leg of the tent, but I wanted weights that would be easy to handle on my own, and I didn’t want a big, blocky something that would be a trip hazard.
Most of the instructions I found recommended 4-inch PVC in 2-1/2 to 3 foot lengths. My daughter and I made eight (8) 20-pound tent weights (two for each leg) in an afternoon by changing the diameter and length of the PVC. The materials cost about $75, less than the cost of commercially produced weights.
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How to Make Canopy Weights
Making your own canopy weights not only is more economical than buying big bulky weights, they are easier to take with you to your shows to set up.
Materials
- Eight (8) pieces of 3-inch PVC pipe cut into 2-foot lengths
- Sixteen (16) PVC end caps that fit your pipe
- Eight (8) 1/2-inch eye bolts with washers and nuts
- PVC solvent and glue
- 120 pounds dry concrete mix
Tools
- Drill
- Large bucket for mixing the cement
Instructions
- Start by cutting the 3-inch PVC pipe into 2-foot lengths. The pipe we used is actually made for irrigation, and I think the weights will be more secure because of the ridges in the pipe. The standard end caps work perfectly.
For each weight, we drilled holes in eight (8) of the end caps to accept 1/2-inch eye bolts. We secured the eye bolts with washers and nuts. They are long enough for the concrete to help secure them. The eye bolts allow me to hang the weights vertically, using less of the precious booth square footage. The bolted end caps are attached to one end of the pipe (the other end stays open for now to allow filling with concrete.) with PVC solvent and glue. Do this outside! The fumes are nasty and take time to off-gas.
120 pounds of dry concrete mix was more than enough to fill the PVC tubes after mixing with water. Don't try to mix more than one bag at a time!
- Power tools helped with the mixing, but it would have been easier in a wider, shallow container. The instructions I found neglected to mention that Mr. Big Box Store was not brimming with information. Lesson learned. We mixed with a garden trowel - until it broke. Then it was the hands-on mud pie technique.
With the open ends up, we filled the tubes to the brim with wet concrete and let it cure overnight. We filled them upside down for a reason - the concrete surrounds the eye bolt and sets it in stone, so to speak. The next day, we attached the remaining end caps with PVC solvent and glue. Just as stinky as before. Fresh air is your friend.
- Here are the completed weights in use for the first time! That tent wasn't going anywhere! The little bits of dried concrete on the outside of the weights wiped off easily with a dry rag. Maybe you won't make a mess! We couldn't seem to avoid it!
How heavy should canopy weights be
In doing research about tent weights, it is recommended to have at least 40 pounds for each tent weight. You’ll need weights for all four corners of your tent. Weight bags can be used, or filled pvc pipes like we did for our canopy tent.
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