This Tree House is solely suspended by ropes- no nails or bolts!

      I really should have officially posted this long ago, as this went public about six months back, as did some of my hosting work/episodes for HGTV, but better late than never I suppose! Things have been crazy here, but in a good way- especially with the upcoming Relaxshacks.com Tiny House Building Workshop (Hands-On) that I have coming up April 11-13th. If you haven't seen what we have in store, its just LOADED with tiny house tours, guest speakers, live demos, campfire discussions, and us all building two cabins! While enrollment is still open (before it sells out), the banner on the top of my site will give you full details….

What reminded me that I never really publicized this tree house project (one I designed, built, and hosted) was selling this tree house to a family just the other day. My yard is a virtual village of tiny structures and in-the-works designs, so a few of 'em just need to go, here and there, to make way for other tiny houses, cabins, and funky forts.

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

A Vermont Treehouse In The Snow....

Deep in the woods of Vermont......

The deck is made from ALL salvage wood, from a deck being torn down that I spotted en route to VT

I was up in the Northeast Kingdom (The "NEK") of Vermont at my camp over the weekend, and hiked out in the 18" or so of snow (tiring) to take a few winter shots of the tree house I built a few years ago for my brother Dustin. This tree shelter/fort has also since become micro-lodging for those who attend/attended my Tiny House Building Workshops, alongside the many other shacks, cabins, and tiny houses on the property- all of them off-grid, and none of them accessible by road.
     If you're looking to attend another one of our 3 day, 40-contact-hour, hands-on, building workshops, our next one will be April 26th-28th, in Wilmington, NC- its gonna be fun!!! kidcedar at gmail.com if you'd like to sign up.
     Below is also a video tour of this tree house/tiny shelter....a similar concept sketch layout is in my book "Humble Homes, Simple Shacks".

New Porcupine Damage.....

All photos by Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

Bye-Bye To "The Boxy Lady" Micro Cabin/Shelter

Bye-Bye to "The Boxy Lady".....

Photo by Bruce Bettis

My micro-cabin/shelter "The Boxy Lady", which won a "Best In Show" Ribbon at Maker Faire 2010 in NYC, visited a CT libary for a speaking event, was on display for weeks in the seaside town of Scituate, MA, has a cameo in the upcoming horror film "Slew Hampshire", and was MY FIRST mini-feature video for "Tiny Yellow House" for Make Zine, now has a new owner.

I'm slowly selling the tiny cabins I have, to make way for (with the proceeds) several NEW projects and designs that will be the subject of upcoming videos for my DIY youtube series. You can subscribe to my channel by going to www.youtube.com/relaxshacksDOTcom  I have SIXTY FOUR videos up there now- all DIY and Tiny House/Cabin related.

Soon, "The Gypsy Junker" cabin will be up for sale, as well as "The GottaGiddaWay". The money from these might also go towards an eventual Shipping Container Tiny House Project- as I've long been obsessed with the idea/concept.

Anyway, here is an older video, when I was younger, and had quite a bit more hair....

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

A tiny, tiny escape house/tree house for monks....

A Couple Of Tree House Building Pointers...

A monk's tiny tree house- with permission from the publishers

This one's been featured in one of Pete Nelson's tree house books, and in another one or two, and I've always loved the look of it. Note the very simple stairs, the roof hatch, and beneath the cabin, what I imagine to be a storage bin, accessed through a floor hatch within the hut. I've looked for more info on this little shelter time and time again, but never can find much- just that its in the Berkshires in MA (and debatable, from sources, at that), part of a monastery retreat that used to feature/house a few dwellers and tree houses, and that as of more recently, only one man was left at the compound, and he only used this place occasionally. Man, I'd love to visit.

WHAT I WOULDN'T DO (as I've built a half dozen tree houses or so): It looks like the support girders are merely 2 by 4's, probably not treated ones too (although you can get away with that in some cases/applications). I see that they've backed up each attaching point with a 2 by 4 scrap beneath it (a good idea)- but again, I'd use something heftier, and would use carriage screws or bolts, not mere nails (they're bound to eventually pull from their anchored positions).

Two of the trees they've built off look about only 4" or so in diameter too- which I'd stray from, if possible- although, they are two of four trees holding this place up, so in that case, its probably fine, and perhaps we're dealing with a very petite monk here.

If possible, I personally TRY to only use trees that are 10" in diameter, but in some cases you're forced to work with what you're given. 

 

 -Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

FIVE tiny houses/off-grid cabins in Vermont- VIDEO TOUR

Here's another video I pieced together recently, showing FIVE cabins/tiny houses/guest huts (one of them a tree house) that I've designed and built up in Northern Vermont. Two of them were built as part of a hands-on workshop I had there over the summer. It was a blast, and I'm sure we'll have another.

Speaking of which, our next tiny house building workshop, where we'll all build a tiny guest house TOGETHER, will be April 26th-28th, 2013, in Wilmington, NC- a THREE DAY course, loaded with guest speakers, demos, and more! CLICK HERE FOR INFO.

ALSO, THERE ARE JUST A FEW DAYS LEFT to pick up a signed copy of my book "Humble Homes, Simple Shacks", get some FREEBIES with it, AND have a ONE in TWENTY chance of winner some other AWESOME TINY HOUSE BOOKS as well! CLICK HERE for that.

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

A marsh-side TREE HOUSE in Scituate, MA

This particular treehouse is in Scituate, MA- what a spot!

As many of you know, my Relaxshacks.com blog is pretty eclectic and not just about Tiny Houses- not only does tinyhouseblog, tinyhousedesign, and tinyhousetalk (and many others) kick-butt at that in coverage, but, well, I've got tiny shelter, house, cabin, fort, and overall-structure A.D.D.- so I can't help myself. One look at my "Humble Homes, Simple Shacks" book, and you'll get the idea- lol.
Anyway, I am ESPECIALLY fond of tree houses and tree forts too! So, I couldn't resist sharing this one, as I continue to take, and search for photos for my upcoming book on the subject (tiny houses, cabins, tree houses, playhouses, and more!). If you have any photos, as always- kidcedar@gmail.com.


PS- after our April 26th-28th Hands-On Tiny House Building, Three Day Workshop, in Wilmington, NC- I just may schedule a tree house building one in MA- we'll see....one step at a time.CLICK HERE FOR INFO on that workshop....

A-frame Treehouse/Tiny House/Shed Office Part 2

This is NOT what we'll be building in Wilmington, NC- April 26th-28th at our HANDS-ON Tiny House Building Workshop, but I WOULD like to build another one of these up on my Vermont Land, perhaps as a future tree house building workshop, where, in groups, we build a guest hut, OR TWO..... we'll see....

Anyway, here's another shot of something I've been working on....problem is, here in New England, when it gets cold as all "get out", outdoor work tends to slow to a crawl, or a complete stop- paints and caulks don't cure, fingers freeze, and windburn (not fun) is always inevitable.
    Again, this is a simple A-frame, but one that was intended as a small art office, and one that could easily be built in a tree, as a tree house, even a hut for guests, as its so light in weight. As for the rest of it, I can't really show you for awhile, as its not quite done- what you see is only a third of the whole project.

Eventually, alongside the work of FIFTY or so other builders, and designers, this one will be showcased in yet another book I've been working on. kidcedar@gmail.com if you'd like to submit your work.

And, with the Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Festivus season around the corner.....check out my "Humble Homes, Simple Shacks" book- MADE and PRINTED IN THE USA- I made sure of it when I signed the book deal- and the book cover proudly displays that fact. I'll soon be selling signed copies, with a bonus gift to each who order one- more on that soon....

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

Lynn Knowlton's Recycled Material Tree House/Tiny House Getaway

NOTE: For all you tree house fans out there, the next cabin/tiny house design we're tackling, and actually building, is a design also double-intended for possible tree home use because of its light weight, paneled/pre-fabricated construction (we'll do it all on site- from scratch), and ease of set-up. We'll be working on this project as a group in WILMINGTON, NC, April 26th-28th, as part of another Relaxshacks.com Tiny House Building Workshop that I'm hosting. Steven Harrell of tinyhouselistings.com will also be co-hosting this event. Many guest speakers are also soon to be announced. CLICK HERE for details and to sign up....

Made almost entirely from recycled materials by Lynn Knowlton, and located outside of Toronto, this tree house/tiny house in a tree serves as a getaway, entertaining spot, and guest quarters, but it could also make for a very nice all-around tiny house/actual home as well. I especially love the attached slide, and the simple awning-style windows.

Again, for my upcoming follow-up book to "Humble Homes, Simple Shacks", we're looking for some owner-built (or photos of those you took) tree houses, forts, tiny houses, shacks, shed offices, and more- email them to kidcedar at gmail dot com, and you just might end up showcased (and credited, of course!) in the book.

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

NEW VIDEO (and MORE!)- A Vermont House with a Waterfall UNDER IT!?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL! And to those who don't celebrate it, well, "Happy Day!", or something to that effect.....

A FEW THINGS in this post.....
First, an outtake/page of a "Tiny Turkey House" that never made the cut for my book "Humble Homes, Simple Shacks"- we just didn't have the room....maybe next time (alongside dozens of others I haven't used).

NEW WORKSHOP ANNOUNCED!

Also, we announced our TINY HOUSE-BUILDING WORKSHOP in WILMINGTON, NC- April 26th-28th- THREE DAYS OF HANDS-ON BUILDING, and MORE- if you want full details- click HERE

That said, here's both a new mini-video (one shot a year or more back), AND an old one as well.....

A HOUSE WITH A WATERFALL UNDERNEATH IT! No, Its not Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" House.... I have long wanted to do something like this in Vermont (future workshop?) with a tree house build over a stream in the woods- I have the permission, materials, and desire, its TIME I gotta get a grasp on. Maybe in Fall 2013- we'll see....

And an old one. I like to post old videos with each new one, as with an ever growing/changing readership, many people have missed the old videos from "wayyyy" back......

ABOVE: A tour of the "Seattle Tiny Homes" Tiny House On Wheels that I shot while I was in Seattle with The Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.....

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen

A VERY Funky Chicken Coop as a Tiny House? (and a tiny house)

 Love the look of this one- the work of Matt Wolpe from justfinedesignbuild.com, based in San Diego. I built something semi-similar recently (for kids), called "The Lollipop Fort Of Death" (since it looks see "teeteringly" dangerous (its not)), but I like the lines and look of this one very much so. A look/design like this COULD be enlarged and made into a tiny backwoods cabin or small house/retreat/shelter- a galvanized steel girder, sunk deep into cement, or a massive n' sturdy wooden pole would be needed though. Great work Matt! His tiny house, shown below, is also for sale!

More on Matt and his own tiny house at www.oaklandtinyhouse.blogspot.com

Inside Matt's Tiny House....

-Derek "Deek" Diedricksen