DIY Books ~ by David and Jeanie Stiles

~ in association with Amazon.com

Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build

This paperback book, by David and Jeanie Stiles, shows how average "do-it-yourself" families can easily and affordably bring to life a "Hobbit's Treehouse," a "Pirate's Playhouse," or a "Crow's Nest" in their own backyards!

There are a lot of books out there filled with enchanting photos of elaborate treehouses and playhouses built by professionals and costing tens of thousands to build.

For the rest of us, there's bit of elbow grease, a lot of imagination, a trip to the hardware store ... and Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build.

Paperback: 144 pages
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Publisher: Gibbs Smith; 1 edition (August 10, 2006)
ISBN: 1586857800

Tree Houses You Can Actually Build

~ Weekend Project Book Series

Tree houses capture the imagination of the child in all of us, and they have never been more popular than they are today.

This inspirational yet thoroughly practical guide shows even the most inexperienced weekend carpenter how to design and build a lifetime of memories for the entire family.

With more than 200,000 copies of their popular Weekend Project Books sold, David and Jeanie Stiles have become America's First Couple of do-it-yourself woodworking.

In Tree Houses You Can Actually Build, they explain basic building procedures through clear, simple instructions and non-technical line drawings that illustrate every step of the project, from the earliest sketches to the final cedar shingle.

The authors outline five basic designs that can be adapted to virtually any set of conditions, and throughout the book, they emphasize safety for both adults and children.

In addition to line drawings, the book contains a section of full-color photographs highlighting a variety of tree house projects, plus helpful building tips based on interviews with their owners.

About the Author

David Stiles, a recipient of the ALA's Notable Children's Book Award, is a designer/ builder and illustrator who has written ten books. His playground designs have won two awards from the New York City Planning Commission. Jeanie Stiles has co-authored six books with her husband.

Paperback: 128 pages
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Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co; (May 26, 1998)
ISBN: 0395892732

Sheds: The Do-It-Yourself Guide for Backyard Builders

Award-winning designer David Stiles helps you think through the issues involved in shed design, such as use, cost, placement and "degree of difficulty."

Following a chapter on construction basics, he guides you through each step of building a simple 8 x 10-foot shed -- from foundation to cupola and everything in between.

This core chapter includes a material list, step-by-step illustrated instructions and a daily labor schedule, as well as new information on timber framing and moving your shed to a different location.

Rustic Retreats: A Build-It-Yourself Guide

This is a delightful book that promises to deliver loads of fantasy and fun for anyone in need of a rustic place to rest, relax, and retreat from the speed and stress of modern living.

The Stiles provide more than 20 step-by-step plans for low-cost outdoor buildings, among them a grape arbor, a hillside hut, a water gazebo (floating!), a log cabin, tree houses, a wigwam, a garden pavilion, a yurt, and a river raft.

A bit of individual creativity can make any of the plans described and diagrammed into unique personal statements or fantasies.

Many of the plans are so simple they can be built in a few hours or in less than a day, and most do not require high levels of carpentry or building skills (though all will be useful as "learning projects" for the uninitiated). If you built forts as a kid--or wanted to--here's your chance to play at it again as an adult!

Paperback: 160 pages
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Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (January 7, 1998)
ISBN: 1580170358

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