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How to Make Your Own Playhouse for Cheap

Playhouses spark the imagination in children by giving them a miniature space to play. However, most premade playhouses are costly. Construct your own playhouse with inexpensive as well as free materials to save money. When your child is not playing, you can put the playhouse away until future use to save space. Encourage your child to assist you in decorating the playhouse to give him a sense of accomplishment and pride in his play space.

Things You'll Need

Table
Flat bed sheet
4 yards felt
Straight pins
Sewing needle and thread
Sewing machine (optional)
Scissors
8-by-11-inch felt, assorted colors
Used baby blankets, towels and clothing (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Designate a rectangular or square-shaped table in your home to use as the base of the playhouse; you can remove the playhouse when not in use.
- 2
  Spread a flat bed sheet that is wide enough to cover the top of the table on the table, such as a twin size for a card table or a full size for a dining room table. Place 1 yard of felt so that it covers one side of the underneath of the table while the bottom edge of the felt touches the floor. Pin the felt to the sheet along the top edge. Repeat this with the other three sides of the table.
- 3
  Sew the felt to the sheet along the guide of the straight pins; you can remove the sheet from the table before sewing the felt and sheet together, if desired. Use a sewing machine, if you have access to one, or a needle and thread; consider that the stitching will be more durable with a sewing machine. Remove the straight pins after all of the sides are sewn.
- 4
  Identify one of the sides to be the door of the playhouse. Cut the sides of a 2-foot-square out of the felt that uses the bottom edge of the felt as the bottom of the square; do not cut the top side of the square. Open the door by lifting the square flap.
- 5
  Cut a 1-foot-diameter circle in the center of the felt on the remaining three sides of the clubhouse.
- 6
  Use brown felt to cut out three 11-by-2-inch rectangles. Sew the rectangles horizontally 4 inches beneath each of the circular holes either on a machine or by hand; these will become flower boxes. Cut 12 4-inch-wide flower shapes, such as daisies or tulips, out of felt in bright colors, such as red, purple and yellow. Sew four flowers on each side of the playhouse in between the circular windows and the flower boxes.
- 7
  Cut additional decorations for the playhouse, such as a mailbox, doorknob or trim work, according to your preference with the felt sheets. Make decorations for the playhouse out of used baby blankets, towels and clothes instead of the felt sheets, if desired. Sew the designs in place either with a machine or by hand.
- 8
  Remove the clubhouse from the table when not in use. Fold the playhouse for storage.

Childrens Toys