Children absolutely love secluded corners where they can fantasize or play an exciting game. For this reason, children often build homemade houses from scrap materials: pillows, bedspreads, chairs. You can make your child’s leisure time exciting with the help of a DIY children’s hut.
But first, it is advisable to decide where the structure will be located: on the street or in the room. The choice will depend on the list of materials used and dimensions.
Wigwam in the house
During the cold season, a wigwam is an excellent option for games in the room. It is one of the attributes of a children's room decorated in Scandinavian style. A textile house in the form of an Indian hut can be made using:
- strong wooden twigs or slats, connected at the top with a rope, and at the bottom opened in the form of a polyhedron;
- a textile cover or fabric triangles attached to a frame made of rods.
The stability of the structure will be ensured by transverse rods attached to the bottom of the wigwam.
Such a hut will become indispensable if you use it to store numerous toys.
Construction Features
In general, the construction of a hut house follows the same pattern as the construction of other buildings. You can order the construction of a turnkey house to order, but thanks to its simple design, it can be installed manually without the help of skilled workers.
Foundation
Strip foundation
The first stage of construction work on an A-shaped house is the preparation of the strip foundation. The required area is marked on the cleared land. For convenience, it is better to use pegs and threads.
Then they dig trenches, which are located under all the walls of the future house. Gravel or crushed stone and sand are placed on their bottom. The bottom layer is carefully compacted so that there are no voids left.
After this, formwork is installed in the trenches and covered with boards 25-30 centimeters wide. Then they are laid in rubble blocks, leaving the plinth. Each layer is poured with concrete, and subsequent ones are recessed into it.
When laying blocks, you need to make a connection between their joints, changing the location of the seams on the upper rows.
The height of the foundation and blind area above the ground should be 25-40 centimeters, depending on the soil and weather conditions.
Frame and walls
Installation of the hut frame
After preparing the foundation, construction of the frame begins.
First, inclined wooden beams are marked in accordance with the selected height. They are folded on the ground in the shape of the letter A and the corners are connected with a ridge, having baited them a little. After this, the distance between the lower ends is equalized and the bolts are tightened to the end.
When all the beams are ready, they are installed on the foundation - first the outer ones, then the middle ones at the same interval. They are also first baited, then checked for verticality and secured with supports. Load-bearing floors for the second floor are also being installed.
Roof
To cover the roof of a hut, you can order any roofing material - slate, metal tiles, corrugated sheets, bitumen sheets
Slate is a wavy surface that contains asbestos and cement. It is distinguished by its strength, absence of harmful fumes, durability and low price. However, they can be damaged during transportation and are susceptible to dampness, absorbing water.
Metal tiles are shaped steel sheets that are coated with a protective layer. It makes them invulnerable to weather conditions and mechanical stress, in addition, it is characterized by its low price, safety and durability. Its disadvantages include noise during precipitation and loss of material during installation.
The best option may be corrugated sheet metal sheet made of galvanized steel. It is durable, easy to install and completely environmentally friendly. However, it is susceptible to rust and gets very hot in the sun.
The bitumen sheet follows the shape of slate, but differs in composition - it consists of cellulose fibers impregnated with bitumen. This provides corrosion protection, ease of installation and a large selection of shapes and colors. However, it easily fades in the sun and does not protect the roof from temperature changes.
To increase the strength of the roof, it is first covered with roofing felt and then with roofing material.
Interior decoration and interior
Interior of a hut house
After the frame and walls are ready, they begin assembling and cladding the facade and finishing work. The choice of material depends on the wishes of the owners and the interior design.
Wood is most often used for this - it looks beautiful and retains heat. The walls can be pre-sheathed with plasterboard - this will provide insulation and sound insulation.
In a wooden house, it is necessary to carefully consider fire safety.
After installation, the wooden boards are screwed to the frame using a drill. They should fit tightly together so as not to let in the cold and not spoil the view.
Fixed boards are primed and varnished - this will increase their service life. After this, the window frames are installed.
The floor is also made of wood. Its frame is completely covered with waterproofing and insulation so that it covers the entire surface - this will help avoid dampness.
You can additionally lay layers to retain heat and steam. The prepared surface is covered with primed boards, plywood or chipboard.
The interior of the house can be decorated in any style, but you need to take into account its size. It is best not to dwell on the abundance of small details and unnecessary accessories, so as not to clutter up the space. Minimalism - hi-tech, contemporary, eco-style - will fit perfectly into the hut
To create a feeling of comfort, you can use elements of classic style, vintage, Provence, as well as grunge, loft, boho. In this case, you need to choose the right color scheme and combine them harmoniously so that the interior looks holistic.
Good lighting will help to visually expand the space in a hut house. It is better to install point light sources, achieving emphasis on certain areas of the room. In small rooms, it is better to give preference to a light color scheme with a few dark or bright details.
Zoning will help you use space wisely - it is achieved by arranging furniture, color schemes and combining styles. Thus, one room can serve several functions. Built-in functional furniture will help save space.
House - tent
If the area of the children's room does not allow placing a hut on the floor, you can make a removable awning over the child's bed. This option will allow him to independently turn his sleeping place into a play area.
As a frame, you can use narrow bent metal-plastic tubes connected with tape. Textiles stretched over tubes will serve as a roof in an improvised tent. The homemade house is easy to install and fold without the help of adults, which children will certainly appreciate.
Layout
In most cases, an area of 6x6 m is chosen for a country house. Housing of this size was built in the USSR until the 80s of the last century, as evidenced by reference books on the design and construction of houses of that time (scans of some publications are posted online). Due to the small usable space of the hut house, special attention must be paid to the layout. When designing, the following points are taken into account:
- The layout of the first floor must include a vestibule or a small hallway. The airlock will help protect your home from cold air.
- On the ground floor there is a living room, kitchen and bathroom (due to lack of space it often has to be separated). A popular studio option is when the kitchen and living room make up one space, and also serve as a dining room.
Ground floor studio space Source pinimg.com
- It is extremely important to choose the shape of the staircase correctly and position it with minimal loss of space.
- The second floor is designed for one or two bedrooms. Since sloped walls reduce usable space, it is important to make the most of it. The easiest way to do this is by placing built-in storage areas (cabinets, shelves, closets) along the roof slopes.
- Since the project is being created for a summer cottage, it is complemented by a terrace or porch, spacious and comfortable enough to provide enough space for evening tea parties.
Second floor design Source wowowhome.com
Cardboard version
For kids you can make a small house out of cardboard. Among the advantages of this design:
- quick installation;
- ease of manufacture;
- an opportunity for a child to show creativity and do their own interior decoration using paints and pencils.
Parents just need to use a couple of large boxes, scissors, glue and tape to give the house the desired shape. Following your child's imagination, you can build princess castles or fortresses for a knight. And it doesn’t matter that the structure is fragile. This is more than compensated by the pleasure of creating and playing it!
Tent
This type of structure is erected using fresh poles. They must be extremely long. Subsequently, they are subjected to careful processing. All excess, including branches and leaves, is removed using a hacksaw or any other tool.
The design should be cone-shaped. It is better to cover the upper part with some vegetation to provide thermal insulation. If you want to be able to make a fire right inside the room, make the latter as large as possible.
Don't forget about the hood. Be sure to leave a hole in the ceiling so that all negative fumes and smoke escape there. Keep the fire as small as possible. Do not use any firewood other than one that has leaves. They do not produce sparks, which means you will protect your building from fire.
Shelter in a recess
This structure is a hybrid of a hut and a dugout. Try to find a medium-sized hole in the forest or make a hole yourself. At the top of the future structure you will need to place various branches that will provide you with warmth. And in the interior, cover the walls in the same way. This should be done if you don't have a sleep bag.
The erection of this building is very convenient. You will only need a few hours of free time and a minimum number of items, and in return you will receive reliable protection at night, as well as at sub-zero temperatures. Master the construction of huts at home so that you don’t have any problems with it in nature!
Traveler's hut
Older children can make their own structure from available materials: ropes, sheets and pegs. To do this, it will be enough to perform the following steps:
- stretch a rope between the trees;
- throw a sheet or blanket on top;
- Stretch the edges of the blanket and secure it to the ground with wooden pegs.
Such a house, made with your own hands, will give your children double pleasure. Blankets or pillows will add comfort, and thematic attributes will help you feel like a hero of a fascinating story: a flashlight, binoculars, a flask and a backpack.
Gable structures
A good protected option that allows you to relax in greater comfort or store things inside. The technology that allows you to build a hut from boards of this type does not differ much in detail from the previous version. The difference is that long poles on both sides are placed at an acute angle to the top beam. To better retain heat, the entrance to the structure should be partially covered, and the back half should be completely covered with branches, twigs and leaves.
It is worth noting that only a structure with a decking thickness of 20 cm or more will help provide shelter from heavy rain, otherwise moisture will pass through the walls and roof. The use of an awning or plastic film in such a situation will be more than justified. Draining water can be drained using small grooves along the side walls of the hut.
Dream tent
Young ladies will love a summer house in the form of a tent. To build it you will need:
- gymnastic hoop;
- a long piece of fabric or sheet;
- rope for fastening.
The basis of the structure will be a hoop, and the walls will be a long fabric attached to it. The hoop is suspended from a tree branch with a rope at such a height that the edges of the fabric reach the ground. The roof can be made from a separate piece of fabric, sewing it to the hoop around the circumference. In this case, to hang the structure it will be enough to use a strong ribbon sewn to the center of the dome.
Advantages and disadvantages
Hut houses have their advantages over standard buildings, but their owners will still have to face some difficulties.
Advantages
The advantages of hut houses relate to both their appearance and functional features.
- Huts attract with their appearance, architectural design and design, so they are ideal for young families, people with creative thinking, and those who are tired of typical buildings. However, they will also appeal to those who love comfort - such houses have a special atmosphere and contribute to comfortable rest and tranquility
- The universal look fits the house into any landscape - in the forest, in the garden, in the countryside, in the private sector. It will look contrasting to conventional buildings and harmonize with natural elements
- The simple design reduces construction time and saves on materials. If you have the necessary tools, it can be built by hand in a short time. Also, for a small building it is not necessary to make a volumetric foundation - you can get by with a strip foundation located only under the walls
- A gable roof is suitable for regions with high rainfall. It will not accumulate moisture and will protect the soil near the foundation from erosion
- Huts fit well into a small plot of land. They have compact shapes and make it possible to design a beautiful home without taking up a lot of space. Such buildings do not provide much shade, so they do not interfere with plants, and the triangular roof will allow trees to grow
A large number of varieties of designs and interior layouts provide ample space for the implementation of ideas and make it possible to create a house that ideally meets all the needs of its owners.
Disadvantages and possible difficulties
A hut as a country house has a minimum of disadvantages, but if you adapt it to a place of permanent residence, you will have to face difficulties:
- low thermal insulation and frost resistance
- loss of usable area due to narrowing
- the need to buy non-standard materials
- a small number of ready-made planning projects
In general, the disadvantages of a hut house can be compensated for by a high-quality layout.
A hut house is an excellent original solution that will look good in combination with any landscape. It is a quiet corner conducive to peace and relaxation. The simplicity of the design greatly facilitates construction and saves time and materials, and the result is surprising in its appearance and functionality.
Video: Hut House using Frame Technology / A-frame house / Country summer house
Hut House using Frame Technology / A-frame house / Country summer house
Hut house (A-shaped house): projects, dimensions, layout, advantages and disadvantages | (75+ Photos & Videos)+Reviews
"Living" house
Lovers of adventure and wandering will be delighted with the “living” hut. Long flexible branches will help make a child's dream come true. Having acquired a sufficient number of them, a circle should be drawn in the space allocated for construction. Then everything is simple: the branches are dug vertically along the outlined circle with thin parts upward. Inclining the resulting structure in a conical shape towards the center, fix it tightly enough from above.
By planting climbing plants around the perimeter of the frame, you can make a “living” hut that will delight its young inhabitant every season.
A playhouse for a child is not just another toy or whim. A personal space in the form of a hut will allow children to develop their imagination and enjoy exciting games, and older children to dream.
photo: depositphotos.com/zuzulicea, avk78, iriana78, nkrivko, zuzulicea, tan4ikk, iriana88w, tory
How to choose the right place?
A person, being in the wild, very carefully chooses a place to build a temporary shelter. It is prohibited to build a hut near mountain rivers, in lowlands, in open clearings near single trees, under rocky slopes, etc.
At the dacha, of course, choosing a place is much easier. Usually the structure is placed near fences, trees or dense plantings to protect the inhabitants of the hut from drafts. It is desirable that children can easily reach their shelter without going far into the garden. A caring parent's heart will tell you where it is best to make a hut house for your beloved baby.
Useful tips
To make your hut more comfortable and stable, we bring to your attention a few small tricks that will help you with this:
- Use a battery-powered flashlight to illuminate your indoor space. It must be placed on the “ceiling” or floor.
- Using pillowcases and towels, seal any cracks.
- If it gets hot, you can place a portable fan nearby.
- Pretend and fantasize. This way your game will be much more interesting.
- Use a pillow or cardboard box instead of a door.
- You can also use chairs, cushions and boxes to divide the fort into rooms.
- To make your fortress last longer, take lightweight blankets and sheets.
- For construction, try to use those items that no one will need in the near future.
- The hut is best placed in the center of the room. Avoid places near a door or window.
- Do not use breakable or fragile items. In addition to damaging them, they can also be harmful to your health and injure you.
- Avoid using plastic sheets as they give off an unpleasant and sometimes toxic odor.
- Do not turn on light bulbs inside. They can become hot, creating a fire hazard.
- Be careful with large objects.
- Don't create a big mess, as it will take a long time to clean up later.
- Always build a hut together with friends, because it is much more interesting.
Useful tips
To make your hut more comfortable and stable, we bring to your attention a few small tricks that will help you with this:
- Use a battery-powered flashlight to illuminate your indoor space. It must be placed on the “ceiling” or floor.
- Using pillowcases and towels, seal any cracks.
- If it gets hot, you can place a portable fan nearby.
- Pretend and fantasize. This way your game will be much more interesting.
- Use a pillow or cardboard box instead of a door.
- You can also use chairs, cushions and boxes to divide the fort into rooms.
- To make your fortress last longer, take lightweight blankets and sheets.
- For construction, try to use those items that no one will need in the near future.
- The hut is best placed in the center of the room. Avoid places near a door or window.
- Do not use breakable or fragile items. In addition to damaging them, they can also be harmful to your health and injure you.
- Avoid using plastic sheets as they give off an unpleasant and sometimes toxic odor.
- Do not turn on light bulbs inside. They can become hot, creating a fire hazard.
- Be careful with large objects.
- Don't create a big mess, as it will take a long time to clean up later.
- Always build a hut together with friends, because it is much more interesting.
Building a wigwam or hut in your home is a very simple task. Absolutely all items can be used. The most important thing is to approach the process with enthusiasm and imagination. Build, create, invite friends, have fun and benefit!
Interior arrangement
It is worth noting that any hut should not only hold up well under the influence of weather conditions, but also be very comfortable inside. This requires certain improvements:
- The floor must be covered with straw or dry leaves.
- If the hut is being built in the backyard, then you can lay a blanket or any mattress on top of this layer.
- A curtain should be installed at the entrance, which is made of any dense material. In this way, you can not only insulate the structure, but also block the path of various insects.
- If the hut is made in the summer, then the dense material can be replaced with regular tulle, which will allow air to pass inside.
- To ensure there is always light in the hut, you can attach a lantern to a string.
Method No. 1
This is the most standard way to build a “halabud”. But if you approach the process creatively, you can make a complex version of such a structure:
Prepare all the pieces of furniture that you will use for construction.
- Arrange chairs (or other pieces of furniture) in a circle so that they do not fall on you during your stay in the finished hut.
- If you have one large blanket that is large enough, then simply cover the chairs with it. Otherwise, you can use several blankets at the same time. To do this, they must first be fastened with pins, clothespins, paper clips or other fasteners.
- Create a doorway. To do this, simply leave an open hole in the front or back of your structure.
- Place books or other heavy objects around the edges to prevent the structure from falling.
- Write the name of your makeshift house or party on a piece of paper and post it near the entrance.
- Throw bolsters and blankets inside. Bring a couple of flashlights, an MP3 player or laptop.
That's all, the hut is ready! Now you can safely call your friends and invite them to visit.
Other ideas
Triangular tent
You can quickly build a hut in the form of a triangular tent with your own hands in a couple of hours. To work you will need:
- several planks;
- construction stapler;
- flooring;
- covering fabric.
The slats are connected to each other in the shape of a triangle - this will be the frame of the structure. It is covered with fabric; preference should be given to waterproof fabric - to protect it from rain and wind.
If you plan to build a house inside an apartment, then you can use any fabric. Next, all that remains is to prepare the flooring and come up with the decor of his new shelter together with the baby.
A triangular house can also be built from branches. In this case, the basis of the frame will be thick and small shoots of trees - most often they use those that remain after filing fruit and berry bushes and trees, but you can prepare them yourself in the nearest clearing. To make the hut neat, you should draw a circle and dig the thickest branches around the circumference with a slight inward slope. At the exit, the structure should take a cone-shaped shape.
Make sure the structure is strong, and then reinforce it with small branches. At the last stage, all that remains is to lay the flooring and invite the baby to play.
Wigwam
To build a wigwam-type house, you need to build a frame with 6 sides
It is important that the height of the structure is twice the height of the baby. This frame looks like a cone - the sticks are fixed in a circle with an intersection at the top point
Fixation is performed with twine, alternately tying the frame elements to each other. For maximum strength, 2-3 knots should be made on each support or nailed with small nails.
To make the supports more decorative, it is better to varnish or paint them; after this treatment, the material becomes resistant to moisture. If the hut is being built on the street, then several additional slats should be nailed along the perimeter between the boards - this will strengthen the structure and create additional protection from the wind. When organizing a play space indoors, this is not necessary. You can use a rug, blanket, warm blankets and pillows as flooring.
This Indian wigwam turns out to be very strong and practical. The kids will be happy to furnish it at their own discretion and spend time playing games and chatting with friends. You can put up such a wigwam both in the apartment and in the yard.
From hoop and fabric
From a hoop and scraps of material at home you can make a very light, removable hut; you can hang it in your apartment or take it with you on a trip. To work, you will need a small hoop, nylon threads and canvas for a canopy; it can be sewn from leftover curtains and pieces of fabric. The fabric should fit snugly to the ground/floor, so select the length in advance before fixing the fabric. The total height of the structure should be 1.5-2 times higher than the height of the child, so that he can move freely inside the structure.
First you need to form a mount. To do this, four pieces of string are tied to opposite ends of the hoop and connected to each other. Then the canopy is secured with clothespins, not forgetting to leave space for entering the shelter.
The hut is ready - all that remains is to hang the tent from the ceiling hook if the hut is installed inside the apartment, or to a tree branch if the yard is chosen for games.
In order for children to enjoy their games, it is extremely important that the structure is not only durable, but also comfortable inside. This will require some improvements
- The floor should be covered with dry leaves or straw, and it is advisable to put a thick blanket on top.
- Attach a curtain at the entrance; it can be made of any material. In this way, you will block the path of annoying insects and additionally insulate the structure. In hot weather, you can use simple tulle - this will allow air to flow inside.
- So that the baby can play in the house in the evening, you can hang a small lantern or even a New Year's garland inside.
The huts are interesting designs. You can relax in them during a hiking trip or give them to children as a play area. A little practice - and all questions about how to properly build a hut will completely disappear. Rest assured that after a few tries, you will surely be able to build the perfect children's shelter.
To learn how to make a wigwam for a child with your own hands from scrap materials, see the following video.
