I all started with, “Mum, can I please have a tree house for Christmas?”
Now, there were a few options I had at that moment.
- No Darling.
- Yes Sweet heart… I will purchase one like any normal person does. However, we don’t have a tree! Might need to make it a cubby house.
- Yes baby girl….mummy is going to make it with her bare hands and it will be a tree house like you’ve never seen before!
Do you see where this is going???
You know me so well…. of course I ran with option 3!!
It all began with my paper and pencils. I must admit, my artwork has REALLY improved! I’m almost tempted to show you the initial concept! Then a little bit of research. I lie, it was a lot of research. I am quite determined but not impulsive. I’m a researcher as I fear things ending in tears. Before I knew it, I was full swing into tree house building mode!
It all started with creating a tree. Hmmmm… what’s round, long, strong…oh and hollow would be good too?! That was when the lightbulb moment happened…. a 1 tonne concrete storm water pipe!! Doesn’t that spring to mind for eveyone?! Lol! As it was being craned over my front wall..I relised there was no turning back!
At this stage, I was feeling very excited about my latest project.
Clearly starting to relise the task at hand but trying to keep a sense of humour!
Little did I know at that stage how long it was going to take to paint!
So it turns out I did get heat stroke!!
It took me 16 hours to paint using 2 types of brown paint from Dulux. I just so badly wanted to get it done but it was soooo hot and so time consuming!!!
A quick recovery and it was on to building the platform for the fort. The platform was designed to be approx 1700 x 1700 as I had two spare panels of glass pool fencing left over and I wanted to incorporate the glass in the main viewing areas. Basically where we wanted her to be able to see us and we could see her. The other two sides were framed up allowing for an entrance/exit point at the top of the stair wall and a second frame that was as per the specs for the spiral slide. Unfortunately the climbing wall arrived but not the spiral slide, so we just cladded it on the internal side so that when the slide eventually arrives (stay tuned) we are prepared for it.
I could not look at another paint brush. I swear, I will never wear make up again because the make up brush brings back traumatic memories of painting!!
I went to Mitre 10 and bought 6 cans of green spray paint. I then went to Whitworths which is a boating and marine supplies store and purchased some marine grade carpet. Just so you know, you don’t put the carpet down with liquid nails, it has its own special flooring glue.
I had ordered a large camo net online and cut it into sections and just used a nail and hammer to attach it. The nail heads had to be quite big so that the camo net wouldnt just pull straight through the fixing.
I bought fairy lights to wrap around the base of the tree and these cute litte butterflies. When it’s lit up at night…it really looks like a tree! Pretty sure I saw an owl sitting on it the other night!
Well… did it go to plan….NO…. did I blow the budget….YES….was there a little bit of carnage along the way…you could say that….
BUT!!!!!!
I don’t know about you…….but I love it!!! x