How to build a wooden outdoor playhouse from a wood kit

Using a wooden playhouse kit to build an outdoor playhouse is becoming a popular idea in wood crafting. A kit usually comes with wood materials and instructions and some include a wooden outdoor playhouse floor.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• wood 2x4's, 5/8 inch plywood, and pressure treated 4x4's
• cordless drill
• hammer
• utility knife
• hook knife (shingles)
• chalk line or laser

1. First, sand each piece of plywood, even if from a kit, all over again to avoid getting wood splinters while you are building the outdoor playhouse.
2. Then, lay the three pieces of wood side-by-side on a flat surface with their sides touching and the bottom and top edges lined up evenly. Measure the length from top to bottom where the pieces of plywood meet.
3. Divide the length by four, and mark the wood at each of these three intervals. This length will be the height of your finished playhouse, so make sure this is the height you want before moving on to the next few steps.
4. Screw in metal hinges at each of the places you have marked on the plywood. There should be three hinges at each seam. These hinges connect the outside pieces of plywood to the center piece.
5. When you stand the outdoor playhouse up, both sides should fold from the center to form 90 degree angles. Check your instructions carefully if using a wooden playhouse kit.
6. Now you are ready to paint the wooden playhouse and add details. Paint the wood the color you desire on all sides. Add additional colors for details at this time if you want. If you want the surface of the wood playhouse to be withstand the outdoor elements, varnish the surfaces instead of painting. To create peep holes, just drill holes through the wood at various heights.
7. Stand the wooden playhouse on a flat outdoor area and keep it stable by placing heavy rocks or concrete blocks around the base on the inside and outside.

Tips & Warnings

• Some wood playhouse kits can be ordered with a floor and some without
• Use pressure treated runners to build desired children's heights
• Always sand any wood, even if purchased from a kit, to avoid splinters