We transformed a SHED into a TINY HOUSE guest CABIN!

     

Above- one reveal shot of the two-day, no budget flip- with Alex Eaves of "Escape The Waste"

The budget on this one was almost NOTHING- 90% leftovers and salvaged wood from old dismantled structures, pallets, and more- even some of the paint was secondhand. The video explains all in more detail, but this is a SHORT TERM-stay cabin that we built for SONG OF THE ROBIN Animal Sanctuary. They needed a place where a work volunteer could stay without using up the bed and breakfast room they have on site and need to keep things running. They might even have a treehouse rental in their future as we have been in talks before. Their meals are all vegan too, for those interested.  -Deek Diedricksen 

The place is GREAT and located in New Lebanon, NY- DO check them out. 

http://www.songoftherobin.org 

TINY HOUSE SUMMER CAMP IN VERMONT has been announced for 2025 as well! Here is THAT link to sign up. https://relaxshacks.myshopify.com/collections/all 

I'm kinda sick of "Millionaire Treehouses"- So here's a New AFFORDABLE treehouse plan set

     Don't get me wrong, some of those crazy-expensive Pete Nelson-style treehouses are total and absolute art, and I love them myself, but they lack one big thing- accessibility. I mean how many of us will ever be able to afford one of those- never mind the land they'd need to reside on. Very few of us. 

So... for all us comparatively "poor" folks who need to keep it real, here's a TINY treehouse sleeper I designed that...

-Costs VERY little

-Is EASY to construct

-Is light enough in panelized form where you could walk each piece into the woods by yourself

-Is so incredibly small that it would be easy to hide- OR code/your town won't even care about it. 

It could also be used as a tiny greenhouse, a cold frame (coldframe) for early season gardening, or as a modern chicken coop. And I'm sure there are other options or uses for it as well. 

The one shown is more of a "stilt house" than a tree fort or treehouse, but you get the ideas and the new plans lay it all out for you. 

It's all stock materials too, including the Suntuf Polycarbonate roofing that you'll use for the clear front wall. 

You can find more on Suntuf here- https://www.palram.com/us/?redirect_info=US%2Cen%2CUnited%20States

THE PLANS- click HERE 

(for fans of treehouse plans, treehouses, treehouse masters, tree forts, greenhouses, tiny shelters, homeless shelter, fort, kid's playhouse, playspace, small sheds)

TINY HOUSE SUMMER CAMP for 2025!

 After another successful completion of Tiny House Summer Camp ELEVEN, we've already picked a weekend for 2025- so mark those calendars! 

Tiny House Summer Camp 2025 will be September 13 and 14th (a Saturday and Sunday)

As always, guests can arrive on Friday-Day and set up, hang out, and even start some activities with us- AND you're welcome to camp out all the way until Monday as well. 

As always, there is a TON of hands-on, real-deal building involved. ALL skill-levels are welcome- ESPECIALLY those who have never built before. 

TO SIGN UP/MORE INFO- CLICK HERE 

Above: One of the builds we worked on this year (2024)

Where the heck has Deek been? (and Tiny House Summer Camp 2024!)

     I've seen this comment on YouTube videos and blog posts. Don't worry, I'm still here and we still have Tiny House Summer Camp in Vermont coming up- your chance to build and camp out with us on a 10 acre spread. We've been doing that hands-on weekend since 2010 and don't plan on stopping. 

BUT.... I've also become more addicted to vintage and antique bottle digging- aka "dirt fishing". It's something that has occupied some of my time with my OTHER YouTube channel. 

Just what the heck is Dirt Fishing? Well here is one little dig excursion we went on in search of 100+ year old glass bottles. I'll warn you, if you get into it, the hobby is addicting- AND one where you can't be afraid to get filthy. 

Another tiny house PALLET WOOD build for glamping (and TINY HOUSE WORKSHOP!)

     So we've been busy with a few things outside of building and filming tours. For one I'm wrapping up work on writing (and now illustrating) my 5th book. This one will be on treehouses, and will more so focus on the slightly more affordable ones. No other books really seems to hone in on that so I wanted to give those type builds some exposure- after all, we aren't all Rockefellers. $$$$ 

We're also gearing up for two FULLY HANDS-ON BUILDING WORKSHOPS this year- one on Tiny Houses and the other on Tree Houses. Come hang out and literally build with us! 

Hit the link here if you want more info, or to sign up. These workshops are FUN- action packed, and taught by multiples hosts. You're welcome to camp out for free too. One is in Vermont and the other will be in Maine. 

I've also been doing some social media and photo work for "Leigh Acres" this GREAT glamming resort and art farm in Alabama. 

Do me a favor and follow them on Instagram here- https://www.instagram.com/leighacres/

I'd hugely appreciate it. They have some very fun and creative stuff going on down there and their airbnb rentals are very inventive- one being a treehouse I build as well. Oh yeah, it's a giant robot! 

AND....yeah, we've still be building, tinkering, and cobbling. Here is a tiny little glamping rental trail that we rehabbed for Leigh Acres recently. We did quite a bit of the work with free pallet wood, as you'll see in this video! Enjoy!

-Deek

TREEHOUSE BUILDING WORKSHOP Announced! Hands-on In Maine!

     Yes, it's been awhile, but because so many have asked, we're doing another treehouse-focused hands-on workshop in Maine (outside Augusta) in August. Hit the link for more details and to learn a bit about what we'll cover! It's going to be FUN! 18+, unless you sign up with an adult. Camping on site (if you wish to). 

Taught by Derek "Deek" Diedricksen, former HGTV host ("Tiny House Builders") and author of the bestselling book "Microshelters". 

If you haven't done much building before, this will be a great workshop for you and much of what is taught will parallel many of the principles of tiny house construction too! So you'll be off to a great start in both fields. 

SIGN UP LINK- CLICK HERE

Spaces are limited (we're only accepting 20 students) so don't sleep on this one! 

Come swing a hammer with us and learn a ton from the pros! 

Look Towards Simplicity- When Tiny Houses Are Getting Overcomplicated....

     I hear the chatter more and more often- "Have Tiny Houses gotten too complicated? Too high end?". In a way I feel that they have and I've felt that the scene has changed quite a deal from what it once was ten or twelve years ago. Perhaps that is a discussion for another time. And SIMPLICITY and vernacular design is certainly something we'll focus on at Tiny House Summer Camp in September (It's fun!!! Join us!).

                                    Link to this year's "Tiny House Summer Camp" HERE 

In any case, in the sub-genre of "sheds as tiny houses" I came across this builder recently and thought that this cabin design of theirs was not only pretty darn sturdy looking, but was also a simple (yet large enough) footprint or floor plan that could be rather conducive towards a workable tiny house. So for all the shed conversion fans, here ya go! 

Check out the video overview they sent us, and let us know your thoughts in the video comments.... 

This SMALL HOME is perfect for a family (and TINY HOUSE SUMMER CAMP!!!)

     On a recent jaunt to NY to build a tree house that was to be photographed for a book I'm curently working on for my publisher, we had the pleasure of staying this airbnb tiny house, or "Small house", rental in the woods of NY near the Catskills. In this video we give you a full walkthrough of the place and talk about some of its features and its very simple, yet effective, layout. You might be able to grab some small home layout ideas from this one! 

And don't forget that TINY HOUSE SUMMER CAMP TEN(!) is coming up- you chance to camp out with us (or you can stay in a local hotel/motel), build, hear from guest speakers, witness live demos, tour tiny houses, and more! 

Upcoming Workshops:

Sept 15-17th- Orleans, Vermont 

November 18-19th- Yucca Valley, California

These are BOTH hands-on- you'll learn by doing! They're always fun! 

CLICK HERE for more....

Tiny House Summer Camp TEN in Vermont- Come build and design with us! Sept 15-17th

TINY HOUSE SUMMER CAMP- Sept 15-17th, 2023- YEAR TEN!!! Yes, you'll ACTUALLY be building and designing with us! Click HERE for MORE DETAILS and to SIGN UP! 

Orleans Vermont- THREE DAYS (we'll catch you up if you can only make two). All on a ten acre off-grid spread! 

Multiple hosts- all hands on- camping (if you'd like (free)), tour tiny houses and tree houses, and more! 

Hosted by Deek and Dustin Diedricksen (former hosts, designers, builders for HGTV and the DIY Network). 

---------------------------

THE CAT ART (Reused Vinyl Sleeves)- They are $40 each. 

Or $550.00 for the gallery of ALL SIXTEEN (if still available)

If you're here because of the CAT ART at Red Eye Roasters in Hingham, MA- here is what we have left. We will X-out each piece as they sell. 

A list of what piece sells to who/whom will be given to the shop, and WHEN the pieces come down (the showing ends), they will be available for pick-up at Red Eye Roasters. You will be notified by email. Make sure you include your ACTIVE email. 

I can also MAIL them for an extra $12 for packaging and postage (anywhere in the US). You must add the $12 to the price of the piece. 

Check out my other art on Instagram too- @DeekDiedricksenArt

I AM available for custom work as well- kidcedar@gmail.com

Desert Builder uses "Dirt, Sticks, and Salvage" to craft his Tiny House Creations

Want to get a glimpse of a few building practices and approaches you might never have considered when building your tiny house or off grid homestead? Check this one out- its loaded with a tours of not one, but SEVERAL desert builds- and all ones that were built from, well, local dirt, sticks, and upcycled materials. 

Meet Richard Ward from Terraform Together based out of Bisbee, Arizona. Richard, a longstanding dweller and member of the tiny house scene, has been hard at work on his off grid desert property that he purchased only a few years ago. As you'll see in this video, with the aid of some friends and willing students, Richard has created quite the desert homestead- one that includes (as you'll see in this tour) several earth built structures, and even a buried school bus guest house that serves as a student dorm. If you're into hyper adobe, earth bag building, solar power, mud construction, or looking to learn the ways of "building with what you have on hand", this one might be up your alley. Richard is very immersed in the world of reuse, salvage, and employing secondhand materials into his work, and you'll see plenty of that here! This video might give you a few ideas for your own builds, off grid homes, bug out shelters, budget building, tiny homes, Cobb building, and for desert living in general (reuse, recycling, repurposing, and salvaging in dwellings and buildings) #offgridliving #offgridhome #deserthomestead #homesteading