An upcycled treehouse for Henry

Ryan and Henry have been talking about building a treehouse for YEARS.

Since we moved into the barn, the two have been plotting and planning what the treehouse would look like, where it could go, and what they would do inside.

But there have been so many projects over the past few years – the barn, our new house and the rental properties. Not to mention work that had to be done to settle into our home and to clean up the property itself. It just seemed never-ending. And the treehouse just got pushed back.

But it was never far outside of their minds. And this summer, Ryan and Henry spent countless hours together working on the new treehouse together. Henry hammered approximately 14,972 nails in this puppy. It ain’t going nowhere.

And while there are still a few projects they want to finish, I thought I’d share the current state of the tree house. And when I asked Henry if he wanted to be in the photos, he was all in.

First up on the tour – his ninja line. This was pretty much the only gift he wanted for his sixth birthday, and it really kickstarted the entire structure when he received it from his grandparents. (This is the ninja line we have – affiliate link.)

As for placement – We wanted the treehouse to be within view of the house, and there aren’t any huge trees right around the house. So Ryan took matters into his own hands. He had to clear part of our wooded acreage in the past year, so he held onto some larger trunks to use for the posts.

They look authentic (because they are) and they were free (woo hoo).

Next up – they built the platform of the treehouse with deck boards Ryan had scrapped from a friend. Henry was out there the entire time “helping.” He even got his own hammer and safety goggles.

The frame of the treehouse was built out of boards Ryan had in the garage, too. 

The metal siding was upcycled from Ryan’s parents’ barn. The railings and stairs were reused from clearing some of our wooded property.

And the slide was originally on our deck at the barn.

Before we knew it, the treehouse was coming together.

A fun and quirky treehouse for Henry – with only a minimal investment. (Ryan purchased screws and the white metal trim, but most of the supplies were reused or upcycled.)

Now we just have a few more ideas to “pimp the playhouse.” But it’s a fun space for Henry and his buddies.

Although I have a feeling Ryan wouldn’t mind stealing the space for his own “man cave.” Watch out, Henry.

What do you think of our upcycled tree house?