I wish I knew how to do this....

[nittygrittydirtdigger]

I would just love to make a few little buildings like this! I could picture one for a hen house, one for a tool shed, and one tiny one for a whimsical little frog/toad/turtle/fairy house. I found the image on facebook.

 

[MeggsyGardenGirl]

I seem to remember a picture of a chicken coop of that design on BYC and the builder wrote directions and formulas for constructing the sway back. It looked absolutely fabulous and lucky the person who has the construction know how (and patience) to build it. I'm just happy to have square and plumb!

 

[thistlebloom]

There's a local guy that makes those around here. They offered one as a raffle prize one year. He says they are at least twice as hard to make as a square plumb and level one.

His place was on last years garden tour, he had a two story kid sized one they used as a dog house. The dog even climbed the steep steps to the upper story and looked out the window! Pretty cute.

 

[journey11]

I love the porch railing made of branches. My MIL's neighbor built a "Hobbit treehouse" for his granddaughter. I will have to snap a pic of it next time I'm down that way. It's really cute!

ETA: That must be the Crooked Little House that the crooked little man lived in from the nursery rhyme.

 

[digitS']

Nitty', that is exactly the picture I gave my neighbor Ken this winter! I wrote under it "just kidding" and the 2nd page showed the drawings I have on here somewhere of the shed I'd build in his garden.

He came out the other day with the picture and waved it around looking at what I was doing . He must have thought it was pretty cute, too!

I will do some thinking about how one might be able to do that. I mean, the shed ain't plum, level and square! I should be a good candidate to build something like that! Well . . . maybe not.

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

It has a cute setting.

Mary

 

[MontyJ]

If I break out the power tools after too many Bud Lights I can build something like that, no problem! But seriously, that is some extraordinary carpentry work. Math anyone?

 

[catjac1975]

I could build it for you-I'm sure I could make it very crooked!

 

[digitS']

Upon reflection, Nitty', I don't see an "easy" way to build it. A plan would be really tough! Standing back and trying to throw it together is likely to cause some real frustrating moments . . . like, just before the entire structure falls over .

I read little book not all that long after I'd left the hinterland. For a brief moment, I was captured by the notion that I could move right back out there into a building put together with cedar shakes, inside and out. I mean, I'd built a log cabin! Something made out of shakes should be easy, right?

Well, I bet it could be easy or, fairly so. And, it isn't such a lunatic idea that the interior paneling could be something similar. Believe it or not, I have a painted wall between the carport and the garage that is made out of wood squares. I don't know what that construction was called. They form a pattern because you can see the grain - so, in a checkerboard pattern, they are turned every which way! The garage must be about 80 years old and the carport isn't all that much newer. I did put a new roof over the whole thing about 5 years ago.

Shakes may be a little difficult to find. I don't know. I understand that you can buy shingles that are only finished on one side. Therefore, they look like shakes but are easier to work with - flat, at least on the house side.

Oh the book, it is called Handmade Houses: A Guide to the Woodbutcher's Art by Art Boericke and Barry Shapiro .

Steve

 

[nittygrittydirtdigger]

Hey, thanks for the info about the book!

Yeah, I figured this would be harder than a typical all-right-angles shed to build. I mean, heck, even I can screw five same-sized boards together to make a basic box, but this! This took skill!

And, Journey, I'm with you. Those branch hand rails are charming.

Meggsy, I did a little browsing through BYC, but I didn't find that one.....yet!

I think I'll try to make the little bench on the side of the building. Now that I may be able to do.