Build a Camp Chair from Scratch
A folding camp chair that actually holds up, weighs under 3 lbs, and you built yourself. Bonus: canvas seat in the color of your choice.
Make Something
Projects
For the person who owns a good drill, has strong opinions about clamps, and still daydreams about building the perfect tree fort.
Featured Project
Build a Classic A-Frame Tree Fort
The tree fort is the original adventure headquarters. Before you had a mortgage, before you had a commute, before you had meetings on Tuesdays — you had a tree fort, or you desperately wanted one. Now you can build one.
This design is adapted from the classic A-frame style: strong, weather-resistant, and buildable in a weekend with a helper and basic carpentry skills. The finished fort includes a solid platform deck, A-frame roof with metal drip edge, rope ladder, safety railings, and a secret trap door.
What You'll Need
One solid tree with a trunk diameter of at least 12 inches, or two trees spaced 8–12 feet apart. Cedar or pressure-treated lumber. A drill, a circular saw, a level, lag bolts, and a helper.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Time: 2–3 weekends
Cost: $800–$1,500 in materials
Materials Checklist
- (6) 4×6 pressure-treated posts, 10 ft
- (8) 2×8 joists, 10 ft (for platform frame)
- (20) 2×6 cedar deck boards, 10 ft
- (12) 2×4 studs, 8 ft (for A-frame)
- 1/2-inch exterior plywood (4 sheets)
- Metal drip edge and roofing felt
- Cedar shingles or corrugated metal roofing
- (40) 1/2-inch lag bolts with washers, 6-inch
- (2 lbs) 3-inch exterior deck screws
- Rope for ladder (at least 20 ft of 3/4-inch manila)
- Joist hanger hardware (12 pairs)
- Post base brackets (4)
Plan & Measure
Build the Platform
Frame the A-Roof
Shingle & Finish
Add the Fun Stuff
More Projects
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Carve Your First Spoon
Green wood spoon carving is the perfect beginner bushcraft project. Two hours, one knife, and a piece of birch or basswood. Results guaranteed to be functional and slightly lumpy.
Common Questions
Project FAQs
In many jurisdictions, small freestanding or attached backyard structures under a certain square footage don't require permits — but this varies widely. Check with your local building department before you start. The answer is almost always "it depends," and the paperwork is usually worth the peace of mind.
Start with: a circular saw, a drill/driver combo, a miter saw (or a handsaw and a good miter box), a tape measure, a speed square, clamps (you can never have enough clamps), and a level. Everything else comes later. Buy quality on the drill and saw — you'll use them for the rest of your life.
For most outdoor projects: pressure-treated pine for structural elements that touch the ground, cedar for decking and rails (it resists rot naturally and smells incredible), and exterior-grade plywood for surfaces. Avoid regular pine outdoors unless you plan to seal and paint it every year.
A solid, safe, single-level platform tree fort with a roof, railing, and rope ladder runs about $500–$1,500 in materials depending on size and wood choice. A two-story fort with features can run $2,500–$5,000+. Labor, if you're hiring help, adds another 50–100% on top of materials.