Share your homemade playstand, treehouse or dollhouse

[Grayson's Mom]

I'm thinking of Christmas early this year. DH and I want to make something for our girls. We just can't deside if we should make a (Waldorf inspired) playstand, treehouse or dollhouse. At the moment I am leaning towards a playstand or treehouse. I am new to Waldorf. I love all the Waldorf toys!! I am realizing more and more that we have too many noisy plastic toys that do nothing to support imagination. I want some more open-ended toys. Anyhow, would you share your homemade playstand, treehouse or playhouse? Which do you think the girls will get more out of? What do you recommend. Pictures/ Links/ Instructions would be great!! Thanks!!

[deditus]

This play kitchen on craftster isn't the prettiest, but it is recycling at it's best:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=142233.0
Other kitchen, playstand:
http://familyfun.go.com/decorating-i...02_proj_kitch/
http://www.waldorfhomeschoolers.com/canopy.htm
http://www.waldorfhomeschoolers.com/playstands.htm
List of toxic woods:
http://old.mendelu.cz/~horacek/toxic.htm
Playstand and sand & water table:
http://www.ericsprojects.com/

[Grayson's Mom]

WOW! Great Links! Thank you. Anyone have pics of their own projects?

PS - I especially love the Waldorf Homeschoolers page!!

[splotchy1]

Love that first recycled kitchen link!

[tinasquirrel]

Wow, that play kitchen idea is amazing!

I'm considering making my boys a play treehouse for Christmas. I'm not sure I have the skill though and might just end up buying one! I haven't found any plans or anything yet, but I was just planning on using a picture from a store-bought one as inspiration. I did hear you can buy the wood floor pieces at Michaels? But I might have misunderstood. I'd think the vertical supports could just be salvaged from the woods! Although, they are usually made from Cherry and the like, so not sure. I've just started to think about it, can you tell? LOL.

Something like this:
http://www.threesisterstoys.com/p-18...treehouse.aspx

[Lilcrunchie]

DS's isn't totally finished yet (still need to add the greenery and some little details/accessories) but we used the prebought wood slabs (bark and all) from AC Moore (using the 40% off coupons obviously ) It would have been cheaper to find/make those, but I was a little worried they'd split. The preformed pieces were back in the plaque section. DH found two sturdy tree limb pieces and used those to make two sides (you can also just do it with one, but our 2 "floors" span two the space between two trunks. Like an "H" with two horizontal/middle sections. We have a lot of cedar around so DH used that I think.

DH added little "steps" that wind up the side by drilling holes and putting in (and gluing) dowel rod sections.

I want to get some eye screws and using the two holes from that make a little hammock, and maybe a swing as well. DH really enjoyed making it for DS, but he's not that into it yet.

ETA: DH made DS playstands with canopies last Christmas. I'll see if I can post pics sometime to this thread, but it might be for like a week (getting ready to head out of town). Those are played with a lot.

[isaberg]

I love that sand and water table plan! I wish I'd had it a couple years ago when I was trying to build something. My only question is, what do you use for the tub? I've never been able to find anything.

I just finished a playstand yesterday, and I was so happy with it! Minutes after the pictures were taken, however, a certain little person drew all over it (and the not entirely dry finish) with dark orange chalk. : I haven't gotten it all off yet. But at least I have a picture to remember it by... Sniff...

http://flickr.com/photos/25995446@N00/1381763679/

[Grayson's Mom]

WOW! Awesome playstand, isaberg!! Where did you get directions? Or did you just wing it? I'm in awe, and so jeleous of your skills!

[isaberg]

Thanks! It only took me two years to get around to building it, and I still have the other one left to go. I'm not good enough to wing it - the plans were from playstandplans.com, and were very clear and good for beginners. I did find one error, but my plans are at least a couple years old, and they may have fixed that. Otherwise, it was very simple to construct, and took perhaps four hours of work including a quick sanding to round the corners. The canopy, especially, looks really elaborate and flashy, but there's just not really that much to it. You cut a curved shape out of an 8" board and drill holes in it for dowel rods. That shape, though, is the reason that it's so nice to have a pattern....

I think a playstand might be a really good first woodworking project, if it was made out of inexpensive pine, especially since the kid isn't going to complain if it isn't perfect. :-) The only tools you need are a jig saw and a power drill, and sandpaper (and basics like a measuring tape and pencil). A table saw is nice, but not necessary. You could buy the tools and the wood, and it would still be cheaper than buying the playstands new.

[KJoslyn78]

can i ask what the mistake was? i've considered getting those plans... you can PM me if you would rather do that

[isaberg]

Not a huge mistake, just confusing...

The written plans told me to cut a 12" board into a 10" board for a shelf and a 1.5" board for the top brace that the canopy goes off of. (FYI - a 12" board is actually 11.5" standard.) But when you go to look at the drawn pattern, the top brace is 2.5" wide, and the screws holding it to the sides should be 1.5" apart. The 1.5" board would be too small to hold the canopy up properly. Does that make sense? I think a standard 4" board might even work, and then you wouldn't have to do any lengthwise cutting.

Again, they may have fixed that in newer editions, I don't know. And that was the only mistake I caught.