Table of Contents
- 1Introduction - Materials list
- 2 The Plans - Cutting detail 1
- 3The Plans - Cutting detail 2
- 4Cutting Ideas from Full Sheets
- 5Making the Floor
- 6Making the Walls and Roof
- 7Standing and Fixing the Walls
- 8Attaching the Roof
- 9Making the Door and Windows
- 10Dismantling and adding the panes
- 11Re-assembling the playhouse
Introduction – Materials list
Introduction, about the measurements and the material requirements
This plywoodA piece of wood made of three or more layers of wood veneer laminated together with glue. playhouseA small house for children to play in. can be dismantled and reassembled.
I made this playhouse for my granddaughters sixth birthday.
A little bit of thought had to go into the design, as it was to go into a backyard with access through a narrow gate and along an equally narrow garden path.
There was really no way of getting a playhouse of any size into the backyard in one piece, short of building it on site. This was not a preferred option as I did not want the playhouse to be a permanent structure locked inside the backyard. After all, you never know when a move is on the cards.
So…
I had to design a playhouse that could be easily dismantled and then just as easily reassembled. This would allow me to make the playhouse in my workshop.
I could then dismantle it, move it in segments to my granddaughter’s backyard via the narrow gate, and then reassemble it in place.
A lesson learnt. I had built a playhouse in the past (see it here) for another granddaughter, that was pretty much a permanent fixture (the playhouse, not the granddaughter). A couple of years later the house was sold and the playhouse had to be left behind – much to the pleasure of the new owners and the anguish of my granddaughter.
About the measurements
The measurements throughout this project are given in both standard (inches) and metricMillimeter measurements. (mmAbbreviation for millimeter which is a metric unit of length equal to one thousandth of a meter. 25.4 mm equals one inch.).
The standard measurements are given first, followed by the metric measurements in parentheses ( ).
The standard measurements are best suited to North America and the metric measurements are best suited to Australasia and other countries.
The inch sizes given in this project do not convert exactly to their corresponding metric (mm) equivalents. So use one or the other.
For this project you will need…
Note: Use woodTimber, lumber. The hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees that is suitable for outside.
Plywood – 9 of 4ft x 8ft (1200mm x 2400mm) sheets 3/4″ (18mm) thick.
4″x4″ (100mm x 100mm) wood – 2 pieces at 86″ (2150mm) long.
1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ (90mm x 45mm) wood – 57 ft (17 meters)
1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ (45mm x 45mm) wood – 90ft (27m)
3/4″ x 1 1/2″ (45mm x 18mm) wood – 20ft (6m)
Acrylic sheetAny broad, thin surface. (plastic glass) 4mm (3/16″) thick – 3 pieces @ 19 1/2″ x 19 1/2″ (490mm x 490mm), 2 pieces @ 9 3/4″ x 19 1/2″ (245mm x 490mm).
Carriage boltsAre round headed bolts with square shoulders that resist rotation when located or driven into place. They can be called coach bolts or carriage bolts depending on which part of the world you live in. The head end of the bolt does not need a washer, but the other end of the bolt (the nut end) usually does. 3/8″ (10mm) diameter with nuts and washers – 12 @ 5 1/2″ (135mm)long, 46 @ 3″ (75mm) long, 4 @ 4″ (100mm) long.
Other bits and pieces you will need…
An 8ft (2400mm) length of 2″ x 2″ (50mm x 50mm) galvanizedCovered with a protective coating of zinc. angle for the roof ridgeThe horizontal line at the top of opposing sloping sides of a roof running parallel with the building length.,
12 screw tie angle brackets about 1″ x 2″ (25mm x 50mm) by 1″ (25mm) wide, but any similar size will do,
12 galvanized metal strapShort lengths of metal strap 25×1 (1/16×1) used to fix members together to resist uplift. ties about 6″ (150mm) long,
some adhesive clear sealantA pliable substance used to seal a surface to prevent passage of a liquid. for the windows,
some wood glue,
6 hinges for the windows and doorA horizontal framing member above the door/window opening.,
a latchThe locking device on a door or window. for the door,
a handful or two of 4″ (100mm) galvanized nails for the floor frame,
a handful or two of 3″ (75mm) galvanized nails for the floor,
a variety of screws,
a few 1/4″ (6mm) bolts 1″ (25mm) long,
and some paint of your choice.
The plans and instructions with pictures included, are on successive pages.
Use the menu at the top to jump back and forth as need be.
Hello there,
First of all thanks for posting the plans for this project on the web for all to use. The friends kids love it when they come round for the garden parties etc.
It is quite a lot of work and took me a whole week to complete, after all the parts were delivered. I was working approx 8 hours a day for 7 days. It is a good idea to make sure all the tools you require are sharp and in good condition so that you don’t have to stop in the middle of a cut etc.
The one point I would like to highlight is that the 90mm cut in the end panels for the lower roof sections doesn’t take into account the 18mm of board that forms the lower roof section.
To clarify. If you measure up 130mm along the vertical edge of the end panel and join this to a point 930mm to the right of the vertical edge, it will be the correct distance from the parallel line drawn from the lower left corner. Those calculations will work out correct. The parallel lines will end up at approx 108mm apart.
What is incorrect is the number shown on the drawing stating that the parallel lines will be 90mm apart. When constructing the playhouse you will be using a 90mm piece of lumber screwed to a 18mm piece of plywood which means the parallel lines should be approx 108mm apart.
I have got some pictures attached here and will be completing a blog about it at http://www.bunglesmate.co.uk/blog/2014/10/04/saturday-27th-september-2014-playhouse/
Hi, I built the plywood playhouse from these plans: https://www.buildeazy.com/plywood-playhouse/ Just finished a couple days ago.
I don’t recommend this project for someone with no prior carpentry experience as there are a number of cuts that require angled mitre cuts and some of the plywood cuts are really long. The instructions were fairly easy to follow with only a couple of dimensional hiccups. Foremost, the side walls, using standard 4×8 plywood, do not quite reach the lower roof. I didn’t have to trim that edge to fit the slope, which was kind of a relief. However, there is about a 1″ gap. Everything else worked pretty well and I love the design. Here are some other changes and comments:
– I used 5/8 plywood on the roof/ceiling to save some money and because 3/4 everywhere seemed a bit overkill. You could run a truck into this thing and the truck would break first.
– I didn’t have a workshop space with a tall enough ceiling to finish initial construction inside, so I had to finish installing the roof on-site. This was no problem except for the painting. I definitely recommend painting this thing in panels (per the plans) instead of assembled like I did.
– I skipped the plexi windows because they seemed like the one afterthought in the design, plus I thought it would be better to maintain air flow and keep it cooler inside. We’ll see how that works out in the winter. I may change my mind.
– I used one of the scrap pieces of plywood to make a little desk in the back corner.
– I used a router to round most of the plywood edges. They seem less splinter prone this way and seemed to take paint better.
Here are a few pictures.
Thanks for the plans and your website. My 3-year-old son loves it and it’s big enough to keep him happy for years!
Ben Malouf