Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build shows how average "do-it-yourself" families can easily and affordably bring to life a "Hobbit's Treehouse," a "Pirate's Playhouse," or a "Crow's Nest" in their own backyards! There are a lot of books out there filled with enchanting photos of elaborate treehouses and playhouses built by professionals and costing tens of thousands to build. For the rest of us, there's bit of elbow grease, a lot of imagination, a trip to the hardware store-and Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build.
A treehouse is a wonderful idea, but how in the name of creation do you actually build one? In this delightfully illustrated handbook, David Stiles, the unofficial world grandmaster of the treehouse, shows how. Not assuming anything about the treehouse builder, Stiles starts with the basics: how to nail, how to buy wood, what kind of screws and nails to use. Then it's on to an A-frame design so simple that it can be built in a weekend out of four sheets of plywood, followed by lean-tos, a tree hut, and a Tarzan-style jungle hideaway. There are also forts of every description, including a 21-foot-tall lookout tower modeled on one George Washington built to keep an eye on the redcoats. Stiles also adds a design for a snowball catapult, an igloo and even a Nerf-loaded cannon. Written for children, with an adult peeking over their shoulder, Stiles's TREEHOUSES, HUTS, & FORTS is a dreamer's handbook, offering practical results.
It seems that almost everyone likes treehouses. Smiles of recognition turn into grins of enthusiasm as more people discover them and dream about making their own private retreats or family play spaces. And it's nice to remind ourselves that treehouses are built into the oldest and most forgiving, living things on earth. Also, history records treehouses as being built as deliberate follies, as challenges for arboreal designers, for merrymaking, and for keeping the spirit of fairy tales alive. But treehouses can also be social places. We will visit many that were built to entertain, to hang out with friends, or as guest houses. Trees come in all types. Master treehouse builders Peter and Judy Nelson, with David Larkin, have embarked on yet another treehouse-discovery expedition across America, this time adding the investigation of backyard playhouses to their agenda. Now, in The Treehouse Book, they reveal their findings, illustrated and described in the most complete volume yet. From casual treeshacks made from discarded lumber to multitiered feats of fancy, they found shelters representing myriad builders--interesting characters ranging from childhood fanatics grown up, to weekend carpenters, to those who want their grandkids to have the best clubhouse on the block. Detailed how-to information, including plans and drawings, is woven with behind-the-scenes tales of each structure's occupants and stunning interior and exterior photographic exploration.
Provides information on tools, ropes, knots, ladders, and other equipment and supplies needed for building a tree house, and offers five basic designs that can be built.
Provides instructions and plans for fifty projects for parents and children to build together, including a swinging treehouse, a model sailboat, and a totem pole.
Part dreambook and part practical guide, Knack Treehouses takes the reader a big step closer to having a house in the treetops. Replete with 450 full-color photographs, it covers all there is to know about designing, building, and enjoying unique elevated dwellings—both for kids and for adults. It also includes extensive information on materials and building techniques, including tips on tree selection and evaluation. Specific plans are given for trunk treehouses, branch treehouses, and treehouses between two trees, with each plan including step-by-step instructions for safe construction.
Here is the very best of backyard building: Popular building authors Jeanie and David Stiles—whose treehouse once garnered a spread in Architectural Digest—have gathered dozens of original plans for treehouses, playhouses, and sheds, as well as a summer house, tea house, garden arbor, and functional workroom. Backyard Building will cover backyard accessories, the fundamentals of tools and materials, and useful tips based on real-life questions from the couple’s popular website. Its unique style, with hand-drawn illustrations to guide the reader through the building process in a user-friendly way, stands out from the crowd. The clear, detailed drawings are not only easy to follow but a pleasure to look at; they are supplemented by irresistible color photographs.
Build your own unique backyard playhouse. In this inspiring guide, Lee Mothes shows you how easy it is to construct the hideout of your kids’ dreams. With simple step-by-step instructions and plenty of innovative ideas to engage kids throughout the building process, the whole family can get involved in the fun. You’ll love constructing a personalized clubhouse with your kids, and your kids will enjoy playing in it for years to come. Just don’t forget the secret password.
Provides step-by-step, illustrated instructions for building three tree houses and four playhouses and discusses tools and equipment, planning, and accessories.
