DIY Backyard Treehouse

It all started with an idea to give our kids a fun place to hang out and play during the initial Covid stay-at-home order. We were spending most of our days in the backyard and with the kids unable to see friends or attend school in-person, we wanted to do something to lift their spirits.

We had always felt like there was an empty corner of the yard with a large tree that would be perfect for a Treehouse! My husband hasn’t ever built something like this but it turns out he is pretty darn crafty and handy!

He bought THIS BOOK called “Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Treehouses, 2nd Edition: Design & Build Your Kids a Treehouse” and it truly helped with every step-by-step of the design and build of our DIY Treehouse. It was very easy for my husband to pick and choose the tutorials and examples from the book that would work for our space.

He started by cementing in posts and building a platform around the tree.

A post was added to the back corner after these photos were taken. We needed a bit of help digging and cementing that one in! The platform/flooring is extremely stable!

I love that the kids got to see Daddy building something like this from start to finish. And they got to help along the way! We feel like they truly got to learn some valuable skills during this process.

So excited that the platform is done!

Now they get to help paint! We chose a color called November Gray by Valspar. It’s an exterior waterproof sealer/stain.

The walls were built individually and then lifted onto the platform and secured in place. He used cedar planks that clicked together. I believe most all the materials were purchased at Home Depot. Lots of trips to Home Depot!

I ordered the windows off of Amazon. They are shed windows and come in various sizes!

Had to include a doggy door ramp for our pup Max!

The porch and railings turned out fabulous! We got solar light caps for the railing posts and also solar porch light for over the door! Those were all pretty inexpensive additions we found at Home Depot.

I didn’t get a good picture of the roof but we ended up going with a tin roof. It came in two big sheets and was easier to install than wood and shingles.

We have a turf putting green that sits right in front of the tree house (we all love to golf!) so you are seeing a golf ball washer and golf club washer attached to the front post. We also put a pulley system and attached it to the side!

At one point during the summer, Zoe got to have her girlfriends over! This was before the second wave of Covid hit California.

Hard to tell in the picture but there is also a peep hole in the front door!

Here is a view of the inside! We set up a chalkboard for the kids and moved a small kids table and chairs into the treehouse that had previously been in Zoe’s room. I definitely need to crochet a rug and some curtains at some point!

I love the way it lights up at night!! All solar power!

We took our 2020 family photos in the treehouse using a tripod and camera timer!

Happy kids!

Hope you enjoyed a little peek at our Covid Construction Project! We are all enjoying this DIY Backyard Treehouse during this crazy year.