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wooden playhouse
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We show you how to make a fun garden hideaway for little ones, and suggest some alternatives you can buy
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ith summer in full swing, everyone’s making the most of the sunshine by getting out into the garden – so why not treat the children in your family to an outdoor playhouse? This tutorial shows you how to create a teepeestyle design that will encourage creative play and offer a shady spot to shelter from the sun. The teepee is made from treated timber, then protected further with outdoor paint. Little ones can get involved, too, by helping to create their own painted design. If you’re pushed for time or not a fan of DIY, we’ve also picked three flat-pack options to buy.
Top tip Add some foam matting to the floor or an oversized waterproof cushion to make it comfy and durable. You can also hang homemade bunting inside to brighten it up
SHOPPING LIST For the base ✔ 1 x 1.2m x 1.2m x 122mm chipboard ✔ 2 x 2.4m x 48mm x 48mm treated timber ✔ 50 x 50mm x 4mm screws (to fasten base to risers) ✔ Wood undercoat ✔ White gloss paint For the poles ✔ 5 x 2.4m x 48mm x 48mm treated timber ✔ Garden twine ✔ 10 x 75mm x 5mm screws (to fasten poles to base and door frame) ✔ 1.5m of 2cm thick rope For the sides ✔ 16 x 2.4m x 12mm shiplap cladding ✔ 150 x 25mm x 4mm screws (to fasten cladding to poles) ✔ Cuprinol Garden Shades matt wood paint in Country Cream ✔ Masking tape ✔ Ronseal Garden Paint in Sundial and Midnight Blue ✔ 11 x 2.4m x 46mm x 6mm timber strips ✔ 100 x 25mm panel pins For the door ✔ Waterproof canvas ✔ Dowel rod ✔ 2 x toggle and hoop Tools ✔ Protractor ✔ Tape measure ✔ Wood clamps ✔ Jigsaw ✔ Drill ✔ Screwdriver ✔ Paintbrushes ✔ Handsaw ✔ Hammer ✔ Electric sander ✔ Sandpaper ✔ Sewing machine ✔ Staple gun
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Use a protractor and tape measure to mark a pentagon on the chipboard with five 76.2cm
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sides and internal angles of 108°. Clamp the wood to a solid surface then use the jigsaw to cut the pentagon out; this is the base. Next, cut 5 x 76.2cm lengths from the two 2.4m x 48mm pieces of treated timber and screw them under the edges of the base to raise it off the floor. Apply undercoat and gloss paint to the base to reduce damp getting into the chipboard. Position the base where you want the
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teepee playhouse in your garden, ensuring all sides are easily accessible (it will be too heavy to move once the cladding is added). Use the side that faces into the garden for the doorway. Lay the five poles together on the ground
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then measure and mark a point 30cm in from one end on each. Tightly bind the poles together at that point using the twine and then lift the poles into position above the base – you’ll need two people for this step. Splay the poles out so there’s one at each corner of the base and
