Firehouse Playset

Difficulty

Beginner

About Project

Build a solid wood firehouse playset with these free simple easy plans! Made of solid wood, this sturdy playset will last and last!

When we brought Grace home as a brand new baby, amid all the happiness and excitement of welcoming your first born into the family, I secretly felt like I had gone to prison. Because I had been stripped of every freedom, even the most basic and essential.

The freedom to sleep, the freedom eat. The freedom to use the bathroom, to take a shower, to have an uninterrupted thought. I was no longer free, but rather held captive by a baby demanding to nurse every hour, night and day. A baby that punished me by screaming for hours if the phone rang, the dog barked, or if left with someone other than me.

The job of a stay at home mom is not filled with soap operas and naps. For me, it was survival, just making it through another endless night of walking a crying baby, another feeding, followed by another diaper change, with no end in sight. People ask me why we have not had more children, and I openly tell them I just am not strong enough to take care of a newborn again.

But this week, I feel like something even harder has happened to me. I feel like a even more basic freedom has been taken from me. I feel empty.

I have been denied the freedom to put my daughter to bed. To play with her, to hug her, to care for her. That might have been prison, but this is the dungeon.

Last week, I boarded an airplane, and I did not gate check a car seat. My daughter stayed home. I have somehow without intention become a working mom.

And I tell you, being a stay at home mom is the hardest job on earth. But being a working mom ... is the most impossible job on earth. Because we mom's, we can handle no sleep, exhaustion, selflessness, but this being away from our children is so much more difficult. My arms are definitely stronger than my heart.

Today, I am so happy to be back home. My husband and I attended the BlogWorld Conference, and had some meetings in Los Angeles last week. I thank you everyone for your patience with me, as I have not been able to keep up with comments and emails. I can't tell you how glad I am to be home, even if the temperature difference is a full 60 degrees from California to Alaska!

As the Holidays approach, expect me to focus on posting plans for toys and gift items - for those of you without children I do apologize. I'm definitely skewed toward children's projects, just because I am a mom, and my world revolves around a preschooler - but we will I promise get back to regular furniture projects.

I am so happy to introduce today a Firehouse Playset. It's only fair, after building the dollhouse!

Now for some Firehouse Inspiration!!!

image from Zillow

image from PBase

Image from New Orleans Homes and Neighborhoods

Best luck building!

Dimensions

Preparation

Shopping List

1 - 1/4 sheet of 3/4" hardwood plywood (shown in PureBond Formaldehyde Free Birch Plywood)
2 - 1x2 @ 8 feet long
1 - 1x4 @ 4 feet long

Common Materials

2 inch screws

1 1/4 inch finish nails

Elmer's Wood Glue

Elmer's Wood Filler

120 grit sandpaper

Cut List

3 - 3/4" plywood @ 15 3/4" x 15 3/4"
2 - 3/4" plywood @ 15 3/4" x 8"
4 - 1x2 @ 18 1/4" (legs)
4 - 1x2 @ 15 3/4" (side trim)
2 - 1x4 @ 17 1/4" (front trim)
2 - 1x2 @ 17 1/4" (Bottom trim)

Tools

General Instructions

Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold. Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good luck!

Instructions

Step 1

Have your hardware store cut the plywood into strips 8" and 15 3/4" wide, by four feet long as shown in the diagram. If they are really nice, they might even do your crosscuts :) Remember that the saw blade takes up space, so measure, cut, measure cut and so on to get the most accurate cuts.

Step 2

From all of the shelves, notch out the corners as shown above with a jigsaw. Sand any rough edges.

TIP: Cut holes out with a hole saw kit on the top and middle story to add a fireman's pole :) just make sure you place the holes so they don't conflict with your interior wall placement.

Step 3

Now cut the doorways out of the interior walls. You can make doorways larger or smaller to fit your child's needs.

Step 4

Mark on all of the legs the placement of the middle story. Attach legs as shown in diagram.

Step 5

Step 6

Flip the whole project upside down and nail bottom trim on starting with smaller pieces.

Step 7

Now add the longer trim pieces to finish out the bottom. You can also add wheels underneath to make the playset mobile.

Step 8

Now flip the playset back over and attach top trim as shown above, flush to bottom of top story.

Step 9

Cut desired shape out of 1x4 front/backs and attach with finish nails and glue.

Now it's time to paint and accessorize!!!

Finishing Instructions

Preparation Instructions

Fill all holes with wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed. When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces as well. Wipe project clean with damp cloth. 

It is always recommended to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure color evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.

Project Type

Toys