You guys. I can’t even tell you how insanely excited I am to share my latest build with you today. I mean, just look:
Is that not the most adorable thing you ever did see?
The tongue-and-groove planks!
The transom window!
The flower box!
Seriously. I can’t even. I am dying over here.
Dyyyyying.
I’m dead.
Okay, okay, I know what you’re thinking. I can feel you judging me with your judgy eyeballs.
You’re thinking:
“But Jen, you said ‘INDOOR’ playhouse and we are CLEARLY OUTDOORS.”
I know, I knowww.
But trust me, if you saw my house right now, you would be thanking me for sparing your precious peepers. They would literally burn out of your head if you saw what a train wreck my house is right now.
We’re about to move (again! Army life) and we are buried in cardboard boxes and crap ev-er-y-where. I have no idea how we move so often and still manage to collect SO.MUCH.STUFF. We had a yard sale right before we moved out of our house in Kentucky and when we got to our new house, we had another yard sale because we were unpacking boxes, asking ourselves, “why the heck did we move this crap across state lines?!”
I blame my husband – I am a devoted de-clutterer. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. #pinkyswear
So that’s why we had to move the INDOOR Kids’ Playhouse outside. Kinda like when it rains on your wedding day and you have to move the ceremony indoors. It’s totally like that, only the opposite. Isn’t it ironic? (see what I did there) #punny #alanis4ever!
Speaking of Alanis, have you heard her recent remake of “Ironic”? It.Is.EPIC.
Okay, enough shenanigans. Are you ready to learn how to build this stinkin’ adorable DIY kids indoor playhouse? I’ve got you covered with the free building plans!
I teamed up with my good friends at Simpson Strong-Tie® for this build. If you’ll recall, I’m a fancy schmancy Brand Ambassador. Oh, you missed the announcement? Catch up here. We’ll wait.
Building with Simpson Strong-Tie® mending plates, tie plates, and angles make this build a very easy and straight-forward project. You guys. I built this playhouse in TWO DAYS.
Basically, it goes like this: build the frame out of 2x4s. Nail the tongue-and-groove planks on and you’ve got a DIY kids playhouse. The Strong-Tie connectors make it so easy and super quick and you don’t need any fancy tools to do it – just a drill, a saw, hammer, and brad nailer and you’re good to go.
You’ll see from the building plans that I chose to use Simpson Strong-Tie® MP24 mending plates on the exterior sides of the frames so that the tongue-and-groove boards would sit flush to the frame and I used Simpson Strong-Tie® TP15 tie plates on the interior sides of the frames to add extra stability and strength.
As soon as the frame was built, I used my brad nailer to nail the tongue-and-groove planks on. Start at the bottom, with the tongue facing up, then stack the next board above it, interlocking the tongue into the groove. Shoot a few nails at a 45º angle into the tongue (as shown in the photo below) to secure the board to the frame. By nailing at the tongue, you’re able to hide the nail holes a little easier.
The reasons I chose tongue-and-groove boards over regular lumber is because 1) I love the charming look of it and 2) they’re so much cheaper! At my local Home Depot, one 1x6x8′ tongue-and-groove board costs $5.32 and one 1x6x8′ common board is $11.72. I just saved you half your money. You’re welcome.
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you’ll have seen a sneak peek of this project. My kiddos were too excited, I pretty much had to build around them. It’s a good thing they’re cute little monkeys.
Because the roof is angled, the top boards will have to be cut to fit. Hold the top board in place (don’t attach it just yet), mark the line, and cut off the excess with a jigsaw or circular saw. You’ll only have to do this for the two sides. The front and back panels are all straight cuts. Hallelu!
Once the four separate panels were built, I used Simpson Strong-Tie® A21Z angles to join all four sides to construct the house. I used 3 angles at each corner. This way, the playhouse can be easily assembled and disassembled, which is a must for military families like us.
Ta-da! The playhouse is up! Now is a good time to stain or paint, and finish the house, before adding the trim and other details. I chose to leave the wood natural and simply sprayed a few coats of clear polyurethane on the playhouse to protect the wood. I spray-painted the trim pieces white then simply glued and nailed them onto the playhouse.
Finally, screw the roof on with 1-1/4-inch wood screws driven into the 2×4 frame. I chose plywood for the roof, but wouldn’t this look cute with actual roof shingles or maybe a corrugated roof panel? Totally adorbs. You could even drape a large piece of fabric over the top for the roof, if you wanted to. You know, since this is an INDOOR playhouse.
I’m kind of in love with this tiny flower box too. I made it out of a scrap 1×6 board. My daughter picked out all the flowers for her tiny garden. That creeping jenny just kills me.
By the way, that’s apple juice, not alcohol, in that tiny wine glass. What kind of monster do you take me for? #motheroftheyear
If you’d like to convert this indoor playhouse to one that is suitable outdoors, I would recommend using exterior-grade plywood and finishing it with several coats of exterior-grade polyurethane. You may even want to use cedar or redwood, since those wood species are naturally resistant to decay. Also, I’d replace the roof with one that is suitable for outdoors.
Aren’t these circle windows cute? You could certainly build a normal window, but who wants normal? I think the circle windows add a sweet touch of whimsy.
Enjoy the little things. Hahaha… get it?
It’s funny because this is a little house for little people and the sign says… okay. You get it.
Speaking of little, get a load of this guy. This is Watson, our giant Rhodesian Ridgeback. I suppose when the kids get tired of this playhouse, we could convert it to Watson’s dog house. It’s a two-fer. #winning
He looks larger than life next to this tiny house. Let’s film our very own reality show and name it: Tiny house. Giant dog.
My kids are absolutely in love with their new playhouse. They love having picnics and story time in here. Maybe we’ll even camp out in here one night.
Yeahhh… probably not. My idea of ‘roughing it’ is staying at a hotel with no wi-fi. #firstworldproblems
My son wanted to wear the most obnoxious thing he owned. They went to the zoo earlier in the day and he said he wanted to wear this outfit so that Daddy would not lose him.
Oh, look. He succeeded.
What do you think? Do you want to build your very own DIY Kids Indoor Playhouse?
Okay, so let’s talk numbers. This project cost me about $250 in building materials and took 2 days to build. Not too shabby, right? You can totally knock this out in a weekend. Be sure to download the free building plans so you can build your own DIY Kids Indoor Playhouse!
If you’re interested, here’s a source list:
Preserved Boxwood Wreath / Carved Wood Stool / Basket Side Table / Upholstered Chairs
Enjoy the Little Things Banner / Welcome Mat / Teal Ceramic Planter / Orange Ceramic Planter
Be sure to PIN IT so you don’t forget it!
*This post contains affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here. A huge thank you goes to Simpson Strong-Tie® for partnering with me on this project. All efforts, opinions, giant canines, and happy children are my own.
My husband just finished making this for our grandchildren .Super easy instruction to follow! We added shutters on the front and side windows and a Dutch door with using two pallets as the base for a floor.The kids are loving it
Thank you for your comment, Janice! Your playhouse sounds darling – I love your modifications!
Do you have a link to a picture of the modifications you made? I’d love to see! I’m hoping to make a playhouse for my daughter’s birthday.
Do you have a pic of your playhouse with the modifications?
hi
kudos to you and this amazing thing a beauty. can’t believe you are not keeping it. however, it seems to good to be true that you did it so easily! are you sure??? am wanting to buy a pre-fab house, but haven’t heard the best reviews and read those are a headache to assemble. so why not try this DIY and have a super cute outcome rather than the pre-fab ones? i need mine to be outdoor only. any tips on making it durable and long lasting? thank you!! you’re awesome- i may try it.
Hi Dani,
Thanks for your kind words. I’d recommend building with solid wood – cedar or redwood is a good choice for exterior projects because those particular wood species are naturally resistant to decay. Also, I’d suggest applying several coats of an exterior-grade finish to protect it from the elements. Hope that helps – good luck with your project!
thanks for your response. i actually just saw this info embedded in your step by step details. i must have missed it. if you have any tips for a first timer- i’d appreciate it!! thanks and carry on with all your creativity- i love it!!!
I have a question about the wood screws you used. The materials list says to buy 2″ wood screws and 1 1/4″ wood screws. Where did you use each of these sizes of screws. Also, the standard wood screws I saw at the hardware store seem to be too fat to fit through the holes of the Strong Tie plates. Do I need fairly narrow screws? Wouldn’t a 2″ wood screw go all the way through the 2×4? That seems super long. If you could direct me to the screws you used it would be much appreciated! So excited to work on this project. I bought all the 2×4’s yesterday and am hoping to start building the frame today.
Awesome! Strong-Tie makes great screws so I’d recommend you take a look at their vast selection of hardware. Most of their screws are made so that pre-drilling isn’t necessary too, so it eliminates a step! I think the screws are #9 or #10 screws – they should be skinny enough to fit through Strong-Tie connectors. Best of luck on your build – can’t wait to see your DIY playhouse!
I haven’t found where you actually use the 2” screws. All the screws for the Simpson ties require the 1-1/4” #8 screws.
#8 1-1/4″ screws worked for me. However, I didn’t see any steps that would have used the 2″ screws. And yes, I believe the 2″ screws would have been too long for the 2.x4s.
Oh, one more question. When I cut the pieces with 5 degree angles, is the measurement for the long side or the short side? Or, in other words, do I angle away from the perpendicular measurement line into the scrap side or into the measured side?
Is the 5 degree angle cut on the ends to account for a 10 degree slope on the roof? What I’m reading is that each board gets a minus 5 degree for each board between the back wall and the side wall so the angle of attachment will be 80 degrees and plus 5 degrees for each board between the side wall and the front wall so 100 degree attachment. Is that correct? If that is correct do I just cut off a 3.5″ (width of a 2×4) x 0.3″ triangle at the end of the vertical support, using a circular saw?
One more question- is there any issue with making this structure a foot taller/wider/deeper? Thanks so much!
There is a guy near me that is selling some old tin roofing from a barn, think that could work for a roof? I am thinking about putting this outdoors! Welcome to
TX by the way!
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you! I don’t see why the tin roof wouldn’t work for your project – I bet it will look super cute!
I’m looking at this with an eye toward a chicken coop. Thanks for the plan.
We’re just about finished with the playhouse. It looks great and I’m so grateful for the plans! I’ve noticed that it seems a few measurements and instructions may be wrong. For example, on your house, the front window is 5 boards tall. The door is 9 boards tall. But on the plan diagram the door is only 8 boards tall and the window is 4 boards tall.
One question – how did you attach the transom window trim? Is it nailed from the top or bottom or just glued?
We’re painting yesterday and tonight and hoping to present it to our daughter for her birthday tomorrow. I’ll share pics of the painted finished product. Thanks again.
Thanks for your comment, Kathryn. Yes, I believe I did end up deciding last-minute, as I was building the playhouse, to make the door and window bigger.
I attached the transom window trim with nails and glue.
Can’t wait to see yours! Thanks again!
Here it is. Thanks again for the plans. She loves it. I know she’ll get a lot of use out of it for years to come.
https://goo.gl/photos/ZvJtHrYad3HdLtnA9
Wow, it turned out absolutely adorable! Cute baby too! 🙂 Thank you for sharing Kathryn!
We had some issues with the measurements as well. Sometimes the width of the timber wasn’t taken into account and we had to make slight adjustments. Read through and check overall sizes before you cut your timber
This is adorable! Thank you for sharing your plans. Can you share how much this project cost? Or at least the lumber costs?
Thanks Laura! I mentioned it in the post – the project cost about $250 in materials. Hope that helps!
Magnifique cette petite maison est si jolie et vos enfants sont si mignons… J’aime aussi votre décoration et les coupes de fruits frais… Avez-vous pensé à la peindre comme les maison Scandinaves ? Meilleures salutations de Suisse
I love your design on this playhouse!! I am planning on building it this weekend!
quick question – what are the 2″ screws for? I’m assuming all the plates use the 1 1/4″ wood screws so I wasn’t sure where is would use the bigger screws. Thank you!
This could easily be used as an outside playhouse, right?? Making sure I’m not missing something!
Hi Bevin,
Yes – I mentioned how a few small changes can convert this indoor playhouse to an outdoor one within the post.
So I saw the suggestion to use cedar instead of plywood for outdoor use. But I can’t seem to find any tongue and groove wood that isn’t plywood…. am I crazy?
Hi Pam,
The tongue-and-groove boards are actually solid wood, not plywood. The roof on this indoor playhouse is made of plywood – if you’re going to build an outdoor playhouse, I’d use roofing shingles instead. Hope that helps!
That is soooo adorable!! I was in search of a DIY playhouse for my kids and came across this on Pinterest. I would hope that if my husband and I decide for sure to build this exact model that it would come out just as beautifully like this one has came out. But I’m not sure how ours will turn out since it would be our first time ever building something this massive. Great article piece.
Hi Jen, I’ve been crushing on this for months now and am getting ready to build for my sons birthday! I have 3 rough and tough boys and am concerned about the stability of the T&G boards next to the window edges as it doesn’t appear they have any framing behind them. Does the 1×2 trim reinforce them sufficiently or would you recommend additional framing? You do beautiful work – I’m in love!!
Hi Rebekah,
The trim does provide stability for the T&G boards but the boards themselves are rather sturdy because of the tongue and groove construction. However, if you feel that you need additional support as you’re building, there’s nothing stopping you from adding additional braces on the inside. Hope that helps!
Is there a plan to follow or supply list provided or one to purchase? I didn’t see one but wasn’t sure if I missed it. This is so adorable and I would like to start building one this spring!
Hi Amanda,
Yes, here is a link to the plan: https://jenwoodhouse.com/plans/SST-Kids-Indoor-Playhouse.pdf
I just wanted to say thank you so much for this wonderful tutorial! I am just finishing this house – only the trim left to go! It was my very first woodworking project and in the process I learned to use a circular saw, mitre saw, jigsaw, and brad nailer. I have always wanted to build a playhouse for my kids and am so happy I overcame my fear of power tools. You are so inspiring and my kids and I have you to thank for many happy hours of building and playing!
Thank you for your sweet note, Michelle! I’m so happy to hear this – and way to go on overcoming your power tool fears! Hope your kiddos enjoy that playhouse for years to come!