The materials you will need include 2x8 boards, 2x4 boards, ¾” plywood, 3” galvanized screws, 1”x6” decking planks, wood siding, quarter-round molding, shingles, and roofing nails. You will need an assortment of tools including a circular saw, a jigsaw, a reciprocating saw, a drill, a level, a framing square, a hammer, a straight edge, a utility knife, and tape measure. An option is to include plexiglass to create real windows rather than open-air spaces in your playhouse.
Form a 6x8 foot rectangle by measuring and cutting your 2x8 foot boards. Cut the two side boards to be one inch short so that they can fit between the two longest boards perfectly. Use your 3” screws to butt-joint the boards together, creating an empty rectangle. To add stability to the floor, use an additional two 2x8 foot boards to create floor joists. These should be cut to fit the space running lengthwise in the center floor, making the base four boards running the distance of 8 feet (2. 4 m), and two boards on the ends running 6 feet (1. 8 m). Use your three inch screws to secure these to the sides. To cover the foundation and create the floor, measure and cut your 1”x6” deck planking to fit the base widthwise (the shorter distance). Use enough that they cover the entirety of the base, with no spaces between each board. Use your 3” screws to make sure they are completely attached. Cut off any excess boards with your circular saw.
To make the back frame, first measure the boards which will create the top and bottom. These should be cut from your 2x4 boards, and measure 7’11” so that it doesn’t overlap the edge of the floor. Then take five 2x4 boards and measure them to 3’9” so that they will join evenly with the other frames without overlapping the desired 4’ width. Attach two of the 3’9” boards to the edges of the two 7’11” boards, creating an empty rectangle, Then add in the three support beams to the center of the rectangle, evenly spaced between them to create four smaller empty sections. Create the front wall frame by doing the same process explained above in making the back wall frame. In addition to that, add a cross-board six inches below the topmost board between your choice of two studs. This will create the frame for the door. Make the side walls by taking your 2x4 boards and cutting four of them (two for each side wall), to a length of 3’9”. Take four additional 2x4 boards and cut them to be 3’4” for the top and bottom of the sides. Use your galvanized screws to attach these, creating two rectangular sides. For each side, cut two 3’9” boards to add to the center of the frames for support. Add these to the centers of each side frame and attach them with the screws. In each of the side frames, measure 9” from the top and bottom and add a board to fit between the studs here. This will create the frame for two side-windows.
Measure the ridgeboard, the board that will run lengthwise through the center of the triangle-shaped roof, to 7’11”. Cut the struts, the supportive edge of the roof, out of 2x4 boards to 14” long. Miter these to the correct angle to fit against the ridgeboard and the top of the wall frames. Create the eight rafters made from 2x4 inch boards. You will use four of each of these boards in the centers of the roof between the struts to give support to the roof. Miter these to fit the angle of the ridgeboard and the top of the wall frames. Begin by attaching the struts to the ridgeboard, and then add the rafters. Attach this roof frame to the tops of the wall frames. There should be two empty isosceles triangle shapes at the ends of the frame, above the two side walls. Cut plywood to fit the roof. You will attach shingles to the top of the plywood, so make sure the entirety of the roof frame is covered (excluding the side triangles). Screw these pieces to the top of the frame once you’ve gotten the correct measurements. Screw the rafter and struts to the frame directly above the studs to add extra support to your playhouse structure.
Screw the walls into the frame along the support beams. Mark out the space for the windows and door. Use a jigsaw to cut out these pieces, sanding the rough edges when you finish. If you chose to use plexiglass for the windows, insert them now. Finish the windows (with or without the plexiglass) with the quarter round molding around the edges.
The ten converter pipe pieces all need to measure ¾”. You will need four T’s, four 45 degree angle elbows, and ten 3-way connectors.
You may choose to use ribbons to sew to the inside of the fabric so that the tent portion can be tied on and removed to be washed whenever you desire.
To create the base and the top, cut the pipe into four pieces that measure 6 feet (1. 8 m) long, and four pieces that measure 4 feet (1. 2 m) long. Connect them into two large, separate rectangles with the 3-way connectors on each corner. Slide a t-shaped connector facing upwards on each of the four corners of the top piece for the roof to connect to. You may have to cut 1–2 inches (2. 5–5. 1 cm) off the pipe to make room for these connectors to connect to the corners. Create the support beams to form the walls. These can be cut at your discretion to meet your preferred ceiling height. You will need to cut four pieces of pipe all of an equal length. Attach them to the two corner slots at the top and bottom of the pipe, forming a large empty cube. Make the roof. To do this, cut four additional pieces of pipe the same length as the sides. Fit them together at a right (90 degree) angle, creating two large ‘L’ shapes. You will need to use the 3-way corners to fit them. Then, cut another piece of pipe 6 feet (1. 8 m) long, and run this down the center between the two L’s. Attach the entire roof structure to the base by putting them in the T-shaped slots on the top rectangle. Make sure all the connections between the pipes are strong, and you are finished with the structure!
It may be easier to attach the tent to the playhouse if you make it a little larger than the real size. This way, slipping it over the pipes and removing it for cleaning will be a cinch. Sew 6-inch ribbons to the inside of the tent perpendicular to the seams, so that when the tent is placed on the pipe-frame they can be tied on to allow movement. Cut a slit from the bottom till ¾ of the way up one of the sides to create a tent-flap style door. If you want, you can cut holes in the sides to act as windows. Feel free to use a thick, clear plastic as play-glass to fill these holes.
When you’ve gotten all the measurements done, cut the pieces of fabric out. At this point, cut out rectangular sections to act as windows and doors in the playhouse. These can be as numerous as you desire, placed wherever you want.
You can choose to cut only three sides of the door, leaving one “hinged” side attached so that the door can be open and closed instead of just an empty space. You can add clear plastic or cellophane on the inside of the box to give the appearance of windows on the outside.
Attach the four roof pieces together with glue and tape. cut out cardboard “shingles” in small rectangles or semi-circles and glue these in an overlapping pattern over the top of the triangle. Cut off any extras that go over the edge. If you want, you can use spray paint to give the roof a bit of color.
