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19 DIY Tree House Plans for Kids & Adults You Can Build Today (with Pictures)

Treehouse

Treehouse

If you were lucky enough to have a tree house as a child, it was probably your secret retreat, a special place you could go when you wanted to be alone. When you have kids of your own, it’s natural to want to share that special place with them by building them a tree house.

But there’s no reason why a treehouse should only be for the kids. In fact, we’ve got 35 sets of plans here that are perfect for kids and adults. You’ll find a great mix of different designs that you can follow as they are or alter to better suit your needs and desires.

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The 19 DIY Tree House Plans

1. DIY Tree House with Climbing Wall- repurpose and upcycle

DIY Tree House with Climbing Wall
Image By: repurpose and upcycle

You’re already going through all the effort of constructing a tree house, so you might as well make one that the kids will love. Try adding a small climbing wall for some versatility and fun.


2. Dead-Simple Tree House- apartment therapy

Dead-Simple Tree House
Image By: apartment therapy

If you want the simplest design that you can easily construct in a few hours or less, look no further than this dead-simple tree house. It’s basically just a platform with natural ladder rungs to reach it, but it will do the trick. No one said your tree house has to be fancy.


3. Play and Exercise Tree House- Wellness Mama

Play and Exercise Tree House
Image Credit: Wellness mama

We’ve already seen a tree house with a climbing wall, but this one takes that to a new level. Your kids need some pretty decent climbing skills if you’re going to have them playing on this oversized climbing wall tree house.


4. Multi-Level Backyard Tree House- Bea fun mum

Multi-Level Backyard Tree House
Image Credit: Bea fun mum

There’s no roof on this tree house, but it’s still a pretty extensive design. There are two platforms set at different heights with multiple ways to make your way up or down to the ground level.


5. How to Build Your Own Tree House- Family farm experience

How to Build Your Own Tree House
Image Credit: Family farm experience

Building a tree house doesn’t have to be difficult, but it can be daunting. If you’re feeling intimidated, watch this tree house get put together and follow the same steps to build one for yourself.


6. Low-Budget Tree House- Heatheredness

Low-Budget Tree House
Image Credit: Heatheredness

A really nice tree house doesn’t have to cost much to build. This one was assembled for less than $250, making it affordable for even modest budgets.


7. Three-Branch Tree House Plans- Instructables

Three-Branch Tree House Plans
Image Credit: Instructables

To build this tree house, you’ll need two or three trunks that are growing very close to each other. It’s made from pressure-treated lumber and might take you several weekends to build. The roof is made from a simple tarp, so it’s weather-resistant, but certainly not weatherproof.


8. Superdad Tree House- Homecrux

Superdad Tree House
Image Credit: Homecrux

Making your kids an awesome tree house puts you directly in the nomination for dad of the year in your kids’ eyes. So, follow these plans and tips to build your kids the tree house you always dreamed of.


9. Build Your Own Tree House- Kristen duke photography

Build Your Own Tree House
Image Credit: Kristen duke photography

This open tree house uses the canopy of the tree at its center to provide respite from the elements. It’s a wide-open design with fence railings and a simple staircase for entry.


10. Popular Mechanic’s Tree House Building Guide- Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanic’s Tree House Building Guide
Image Credit: Popular mechanics

This treehouse building guide from Popular Mechanic’s will make it easier than you might believe to construct your tree house. Just follow the steps they’ve laid out and your tree house will be put together in no time.


11. Sahale Tree House Plans- apartment therapy

Sahale Tree House Plans
Image Credit: apartment therapy

Sometimes, you just want a tree house that makes everyone jealous. If that’s you, then these plans for the Sahale tree house will help you build a tree house that everyone will be in awe of.


12. WikiHow Tree House Plans- wikihow

WikiHow Tree House Plans
Image Credit: WikiHow

From picking the proper tree to constructing your new tree house, this WikiHow article will cover everything you need to know to construct a tree house of your own.


13. Simple and Sweet Tree House Plans- yea dads home

Simple and Sweet Tree House Plans
Image Credit: yea dads home

With material lists, 3D sketch ups with dimensions, and pictures of the build process and finished product, these tree house plans make it very simple to recreate what you see and build a simple but effective tree house.


14. Custom DIY Tree House Instructions- kadmiels.hubpages

Custom DIY Tree House Instructions
Image Credit: kadmiels.hubpages

We’ve covered some rather elaborate tree house designs so far, but this custom DIY tree house is definitely near the top of the list. It’s a sight to behold, and if your friends find out about it, they’ll only want to hang out in your tree house from now on; never your real home.


15. Water-Resistant Hanging Wooden Tree House- design boom

Water-Resistant Hanging Wooden Tree House
Image Credit: design boom

The most unique thing about this tree house is how it’s mounted to the tree. Rather than being nailed, screwed, or bolted, this tree house is lashed to a very thick tree with straps. It’s made with water-resistant panels, but the only things we can really think about are those lashing straps!


16. Building a Tree House: Video and Plans- Youtube

With hand-drawn plans and a video walkthrough, you should be able to build this tree house with relative ease. The video is short and to the point, but you’ll see most of the steps required to carry out this project yourself.


17. Modern Tree House Build Walkthrough and Plans- ana-white

Modern Tree House Build Walkthrough and Plans
Image Credit: ana-white

These walkthroughs are detailed enough for you to easily follow along while building a tree house of your own. This design is simple but elegant. It’s meant for kids, but you’ll probably want to spend plenty of time up there as well!


18. Hand-Drawn Plans for an A-Frame Tree House- outdoor life

Hand-Drawn Plans for an A-Frame Tree House
Image Credit: outdoor life

They’re a bit convoluted, but these hand-drawn plans will help you build an awesome A-frame tree house. All the measurements and dimensions you need are there, but you’ll have to deal with small and unclear handwriting that must be deciphered.


19. Kauri Tree House Plans- tree house guides

Kauri Tree House Plans
Image Credit: tree house guides

To build the Kauri Tree house, you’ll need a tree with a trunk that’s between 12 and 20 inches in diameter. The finished treehouse has a total of 64 square feet of floor space, including 40 square feet of an enclosed area.

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Conclusion

You’ve got many choices to pick from. They range from utterly basic to exceptionally elaborate and every level in between. Build the treehouse of your dreams or just a basic platform that provides a place where you can relax and enjoy the fresh air. After all, we all need to get outside more, and with a treehouse as nice as these, you and your kids will want to spend far more outside in your treehouse than inside your home.


Featured Image Credit: fietzfotos, Pixabay

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