We used to make tipis in the back yard when we were kids. We used the ridge pole from a swing set, an antennae, a flounder gig, and a few long straight saplings for the poles. For the canvas, we used some of mom's old blankets and curtains.
We usually built a fire in it to sleep at night. This taught us a few quick lessons. Sweep the floor. Leave a hole at the top. Leave a little ventilation gap at the bottom. We'd pack leaves around the bottom of the outside of the tent to cut down on drafts, except at the down wind side where the incoming vent for the fire was located. The door fabric, complete with staff folded over the door hole; we didn't have any proper door frame per se.
Our tent wasn't waterproof, but we didn't camp on rainy nights. When the fire went out in winter time, it got cool quick, and it was a good alarm clock.