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The cheap nail boxe Awards: The Best, Worst, and Weirdest Things We've Seen

Have the new crop of DIY shows got you itching to try out some DIY woodworking projects? Saturday mornings have gotten pretty exciting for the current and would be DIY'ers among us. We used to have a small handful of "how-to shows" on public television, but cable and satellite have spawned a renaissance of self-reliance when it comes to home repairs and home improvements.

For people with previous woodworking experience, some of these shows seem pretty simple. I think that can be a bit deceptive at times, especially if you are new to the power tool world. You'll notice that nary a nail or a screw is ever driven by hand. So, what are the basics when it comes to getting started on DIY home improvement?

I talk more about getting started and picking your lumber in my follow-up post: DIY Woodwork - Selecting Lumber. Remember: when you are out shopping for tools, buy the best you can afford. The best tools aren't always the most expensive but cheap tools are expensive because they will compromise your project, break and have to be replaced. The savings are in your labor, not in your tools.

To create a perfect play place, start with a generic square playhouse (plans are easy to find online) or a pre-fabricated shed, available from most home improvement stores. Customize it with some paint, a few fancy features and a little imagination. Don't forget to have a ribbon cutting ceremony and a proper transfer of keys.

For the actor or actress, you can create a stage to keep their attention for hours. Add a marquee out front, a ticket window and numbered bench Check out here seats that wrap around an elevated stage. Don't forget to add storage for those all-important props, a changing area for your star and a curtained puppet stage.

Is there a knight or maiden in your kingdom? Then you need a castle. Start with a generic square playhouse and build on a tower, complete with rising staircase. You'll need a window for Rumpelstiltskin and climbing wall up to the window. Interior decorating should be rustic with a plain wooden table and crate chairs. Top off your castle with a kid-designed crest and flags.

Princesses will adore having a Tudor style home just their size in their backyard. To your square playhouse, you'll add window boxes for planting real or plastic flowers. Find or make a double Dutch door and install a few shutter framed operable windows to let in some light. Put up floral wallpaper or sponge paint with sweet pastel paints stenciled with hearts. Add a loft accessible by ladder and your princess will be in heaven.

Do you know an aspiring fireman or firewoman? Paint your box red, install double doors for easy "fire truck" access, a proper firehouse bell and a hose. Install a pole leading from the loft to the floor so your little firefighter can slide down, uniform up and rush out to fight fires. Don't forget the firehouse mascot - a Dalmatian made of wood.

Forts are classic and still tons of fun. These are ideal if you're limited on space because forts are typically tall and narrow. Entry to the second story can be via ramp, ladder or even climbing wall. Sandboxes make great play places for short ground level surfaces. Or add a garden if your little one has a green thumb.

Tower play houses offer plenty of space for a swing, slide, pole or sandbox underneath since it stands on stilts. Try a rope ladder up to the platform or set it up next to a tree and nail wooden rungs to the trunk for a ladder.

You aren't limited to a themed play house, either. Consider these mini-home additions:

o Patios or porches

o Landscaping with dwarf trees

o Zip lines

o Balance boards

o Bridges

o Skylights and sun roofs

o Slides

o Kitchen features

o Battery operated door bells

o Milk crate chairs and climbing blocks

o Mailbox

o Curtains and blinds

o Chimneys

o Anything else your young one's heart desires.

In addition to providing hundreds of hours of glee and entertainment, outdoor play structures also add to the resale value of your home. While the investment of a do-it-yourself playhouse will usually come in reasonably cheap, it can add 75% of it's cost to the value of your home. You'll recover much of the cost and get to take with you all the fun memories a wooden play house will bring.

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