Free Backyard Playhouse Plans

Children of today are quite savvy in terms of knowing what they want. As they grow they need their own space and the age at which they need a place to call their own seems be getting younger with each passing year. As a parent, giving your child a playhouse that is their very own is one of the best things you could do for the child. Building the playhouse project is a huge learning experience for the child and its involvement in selecting the design, color scheme and interior decoration is actually a form of learning made fun.
Observe children when they play, they are always wanting to play inside cardboard cartons, under tables, making tents out of the bedclothes and constructing their own makeshift structures in the garden. This comes from an innate sense of wanting a space to call their own and to play in, and the perfect solution is a playhouse.
You don’t have to set aside a huge budget; the project can be completed quite economically in fact. Go online and find a simple free playhouse plans that you can download and print out. The sites give full information on how to go about building the playhouse as well as covering the tools and materials you will need.
The important thing is to choose the right location taking into consideration the climatic changes over the seasons, wind chill factor, aesthetics and levelness of the ground. The design you choose should be simple because that will make it easy to build and also it should not clash too badly with the house or any other structures you may have in your garden. That is why the backyard is the best place to put the playhouse, not too close to the main house so the child has his or her privacy and is at the same time close enough to the house to call out if help is needed.
When you opt for free playhouse plans taken off the internet you save on the cost of having them drawn up by a professional. Moreover, since the site provides you with a materials list and instructions on how to build, you don’t need to pay for outside labor. It can be a do it yourself project that you can involve the whole family in.
Keep in mind that you need to make the structure as secure as possible because children are not the gentlest of creatures at times. Get all your tools and materials together, stake out the perimeter of the site to set up the boundary line and build your frame. Put a sheet of polythene on the ground before you lay the frame down, to prevent plants from growing up under the playhouse. Follow the instructions you have downloaded together with your free playhouse plans and start construction. Keep a sturdy tarp handy to cover your work when the day is done, this will guard against any sudden squalls of rain you may have.
Using good quality wood and waterproofing after painting is highly recommended. Good luck with your free playhouse plans.

Castle Playhouse Plans – Grand Ideas

When your children decide that no ordinary playhouse will do for them, only a castle playhouse, you are stumped! Oh boy, what do you do in this case? Buying the plans and paying for labor and materials is going to cost a packet that you simply cannot afford. There’s an easy solution, this article details tips on how you can build a castle playhouse and you can always get free castle playhouse plans off the internet.
Log on to your internet browser and get started. You will find plenty of pictures and even plans that detail the step-by-step process of building the playhouse. Don’t forget to make it big enough to hold half the neighborhood children, because it’s going to be a huge crowd puller.
Stock up on building supplies and tools and get going. Plywood is ideal for building the playhouse and you can add turrets and whatnots to make it look good. Find yourself a good helper, preferably someone who knows their way around carpentry tools and building materials. You can plan the measurements in advance and ask the store to cut the sheets for you to the required lengths. Don’t forget to buy some extra plywood for the crenellated top of the castle.
When building the castle playhouse use wooden stakes nailed or screwed to the insides of the frame and sunk deep into the ground, this will provide additional support and strength to the structure. All through the building keep in mind the fact that a horde of kids are going to be swarming all over the castle playhouse, so use reinforcements for additional support wherever possible.
Moving on to the construction, you will need to paint the plywood sheets gray (castle color). Paint over a second time and each time you paint let it dry well. Once completely dry after the second coat, you should pencil in the blocks and use a darker shade of gray to paint over the markings to give it the stone blocks effect. You should end with a coat of waterproof sealant and leave to dry.
Then build the frame and waterproof it. After it is dry you can start nailing the walls to the frame, needless to say the walls too should be painted and waterproofed before you put them up. You can make the front of the castle as decorative and attractive as you choose but follow your castle playhouse plans carefully because you definitely do not want a funny looking entrance to the castle.
You could paint the roof and drawbridge of the castle the same color and then waterproof them and let it dry. Make sure when fixing the ropes for the drawbridge that they are at the right height for a child to pull on to raise and lower the drawbridge. Don’t forget to add colorful pennants to the castle walls. You can use felt or vinyl of bright colors for the pennants; staple them to wooden dowels, drill holes in the frame and glue them into the holes.
Well now, your castle playhouse is ready, so lower the drawbridge, throw open wide the castle doors and bring on the kids!

Girl’s Playhouse Plans

Little girls love to play house and if you give your child a playhouse of her own, you are actually giving her hours and hours of fun times to play pretend house outside. Building a girl’s playhouse will mean that your child does not have to play with cardboard boxes or under tables or blankets. She can have a whale of time in her playhouse, invite her friends over for tea parties and generally have a blast.
Consult your child to find out what her ideas of a playhouse are and then go online to find a girl’s playhouse plans free of cost that you can download. There are several models available that you can find building plans for. Go for something distinctive and download the detailed instructions that are part of the plans. All you will need to do is follow the materials list to buy what is required to build the playhouse and then follow the detailed instructions to construct the playhouse.
You can find girls’ playhouse plans that range from the simple, functional one room playhouse to the more elaborate castle styles. You can also find multi-functional playhouse designs with a play area for swings and a slide.
Make sure you choose a set of plans that give you complete building instructions down to the smallest detail and not plans that expect you to guess what happens next or fill in the blanks. Read over the instructions a couple of times to make sure you understand them thoroughly and are fully confident of constructing the playhouse. Any areas where you have doubts, for example if the roof construction is not too clear, do more research on other sites to see if you can find clearer instructions.
Needless to say you would have to be a skilled do it yourself person to put together a girls playhouse. If you have doubts about whether you will be able to follow the instructions, get a professional to draw up a set of blueprints and provide detailed instructions. This will be cheaper than if you botch things up and have to do it all over again. Simple designs are really the best option because the instructions will be easy to follow.
You can build a simple framework and then add to it to give it that distinctive look. Get your child involved in the project. Colors and interior decoration should be based on her ideas and she will be thrilled to be a part of the project. Don’t forget to put her name up on the front and any designs she wants can be stenciled and then painted, or you can get stick on designs. Girls usually like flower decals and bright, sunny colors.
Don’t forget to include furniture in your budget. Bean bags or a child’s table and chairs are a good idea so that she has a work space for her activities. You can always rope in the mother as well and make it a family project. Mom can help with putting up window boxes with flowers and pretty curtains and door mats.
At the end of it all, you are going to have one overjoyed child.

Outdoor Playhouse Plans

When you decide its time to build a playhouse for your kids, you are taking on a huge project and you need to be absolutely certain that you are capable of following the outdoors playhouse plans provided online. Quite a few sites provide free plans for you to download and the plans are inclusive of a detailed materials list and instructions for building the playhouse.
As the project is a fairly extensive one you need to study the plans carefully to make sure you understand well what is expected of you. Then print out everything that is provided in connection with the outdoors playhouse plans. Now decide who will be your assistant because you are definitely going to need a helping hand; maybe your dad or a brother can help.
It is recommended that you construct in stages and make sure you have a good quality tarpaulin to cover your work when you finish for the day. Prepare to spend at least a week on the project and do check out the zoning and building laws in your area, the norm is that you will not require any permission to build on your own property but it is always a good idea to make sure.
Prepare all the necessary tools and materials prior to starting the project so that you are well equipped and won’t need to dash off to the hardware store for forgotten items. Add a cutting guide to help you make those perfectly straight cuts and buy only galvanized nuts, bolts and screws. You can always check the site from which you got the outdoor playhouse plans for information on the tools and materials required to build the playhouse.
Prepare the ground first, clear away any plants and stones and level it out. Then prepare the outer frame using wood that is qualified for outdoor use. When you have the frame ready, use a rake and again level the ground. You will need to put down a polythene sheet first and then put the frame on top of it; this will prevent plants from growing up under the playhouse and damaging the structure.
Follow the plans to make the inner frame joists and then the plywood floor. Now construct the walls, cut each wall to the right size and when you have them all ready, nailing them into place securely. The rear wall should be put up last and made secure with wall studs (proportionately cut pieces of wood that will be nailed between two joists for added support) nailed horizontally, halfway up the wall. When preparing the walls don’t forget to make provision for the windows. The more windows the playhouse has the better ventilation and light it will have. The front wall should have the doorway cut out of it.

You can always make a porch with a railing following the outdoor playhouse plans and then make the roof and complete decking of the floor and sheathing of the walls. Painting and decorating will be the final stages of the project.

Do-It-Yourself Playhouse Plans

As a parent your love for your children is very strong and you always try to please them in as many ways as possible. Most children will at some stage ask for a playhouse, it is only natural. Moreover, a playhouse is a very interesting project to involve children in and while constructing the playhouse the lessons they learn will be quite valuable.
Now you will have to decide how you are going to go about building the playhouse. Do you buy the plans or trawl the internet for free plans. You can get some very good detailed plans on the internet that you can download for free, just make sure that they give step-by-step instructions in a clear manner as well as a list of materials required.
Start with planning: decide on the best spot to build the playhouse and then clear the area of debris. The playhouse should be so located that you can see it from the house, preferably the kitchen window because that’s where families tend to congregate and wives are usually in the kitchen more often than not. However, it should not be too close to the house because children feel spied upon and the noise levels are sure to deafen you. Once you have chosen the area mark off the boundary line. You can do this by driving wooden stakes into the ground and tying strong twine to them.
Now did the holes and insert the fence posts, make sure they stand up straight are all of the same height. Pour the concrete that you have already mixed into the holes; leave them overnight for the poles to harden and set.
Make the walls by putting up individual sheets of plywood that have been cut to fit between the posts and nail them firmly to the posts. If you start at the back your mistakes will not be visible and you will also get the hang of it so that the front will look real professional. The boards should go about an inch off the ground and all the way up the post leaving about 3 or 4 inches off the top.
A good DIYer can fashion a door following the DIY playhouse building plans. If you are not confident, you can do more research on the internet until you get a very detailed plan for the door. One option is to call in a professional to make the door and yet another option is to hang a heavy canvas curtain over the doorway.
Make the roof flat topped, this is a less complicated pattern and will provide ample shelter from the rain. You can create the roof by cutting a plywood sheet to fit from the front wall of the playhouse to the back wall. Make sure there is a slight overhang on either side, once you have cut it fit snugly between the posts you can nail it down.
Do it yourself playhouse plans are an excellent method of building a playhouse for free and your children will be so proud of you.

Free Playhouse Plans – Building Made Simple

Providing a playhouse for your children is good idea because the benefits are many, for starters you get them out of the house and your hair, they learn to become independent, they also learn to take care of property and maintain it because it is in their best interests to do so. Calling in a professional carpenter to draw up plans and construct the playhouse can come expensive. The alternative is to find free playhouse plans that you can use to build the playhouse.
There are many sites on the internet which offer excellent free playhouse plans. All you need to do is download them and print them off and you’re ready to go. There are simply loads of free playhouse plans available that you can choose from. The sites include drawings, equipment needs, materials required and the actual putting together instructions, tips and advice. What more can you really ask for?
Playhouse plans give design and details for the house to be erected on a flat level site. If this is not possible with the land you have available, embed the posts as deep as possible and for a sloping site making sure they are all the same height at the top. It is recommended however, that you keep the playhouse as close to the ground as possible for safety. The timber you use to embed in the ground should be water resistant and highly durable; you don’t want rot of any kind to set in and weaken the structure, where it will collapse one day and pray God your kids are not inside. Your timber merchant would be the best person to guide you when buying the wood and make sure that all the nuts and bolts are made of galvanized steel or metal.
Even though you get the playhouse plans free, if you have absolutely no idea about construction and cannot tell a screw from a nut, don’t touch it. Call in the professionals, sure it will cost you but you can have something simple made according to the plans you download. If on the other hand you are quite confident of building the playhouse then go for it but make sure that the free playhouse plans you download are as detailed as possible to help you out. The plans should include the materials list and as I mentioned a step-by-step guide that you are confident of reading, understanding and following. It would be good if the plans included color designs of the different stages of construction.
Always involve your kids, its going to be their playhouse and their input will be valuable. It will make them feel important and responsible as well. Make sure all your measurements are perfect, if you are not sure measure again and again if necessary until you are absolutely sure. The sensible way to go about building the playhouse would be to start out by getting all the materials you require in accordance with the free playhouse plans specifications. Thereafter it is a simple matter of studying the plans and following the step-by-step instructions.