The Internet is full of galleries of DIY projects for basement bars, gaming rooms and home movie theaters, but the ones that inspire the most envy are the amazing tree houses, playrooms, bunk beds, gifts and more that crafty parents make for their kids—because they'll make you wish you were their kids. The DIY forum on reddit is an amazing repository of all kinds of amazing craftiness, including these amazing projects to give kids a magical childhood. Here are 15 of the most impressive creations parents have carved, nailed, welded, painted, and glued together for their offspring.
(If you are on mobile, tapping directly on the picture will take you to the next one in the gallery.)
1. Ignore the awesome in-home slide (that was the kids' 2013 present), and watch user possumism fulfill his girls' request for a "Hello Kitty" and "dragon" computers:
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2. When Janku had to figure out what to do with the dying tree in his backyard, he was finally able to fulfill his daughter's request for a clubhouse, resulting in something you could call an elven gazebo.
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3. Proving a kid is never too young to get a hand-crafted (or laser-crafted) gift, lumpytuna carved these wonderful alphabet blocks (covering way more than just the alphabet) for her godson. She also makes stuff for adults at Obscenerie.com.
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4. This dad, ConnellyPhoto will forever be a hero to his daughter for making her the ultimate Captain America shield.
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5. If this treehouse looks impossibly good, take comfort in the fact that the guy who made it goes by TheTreehouser online and DIYDad on YouTube. He's even got tutorials on how to make your own.
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6. It's been featured on Someecards before, but Trey Bagley's Harry Potter-inspired clock that shows where everyone in the family is at any time (like the Weaselys) is too cool not to be on this list. It uses the location data from the 6 family members' phones to light up the LED indicators on the clock face.
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7. Another entry that's been written about here in the past is this kitchen playset that a crafty couple made for their son, which sparked a nasty backlash from Internet trolls (and kind support from others).
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8. When Dare Stevens, a filmmaker and parenting book author, found out he had skin cancer, building a "backyard paradise" for his daughters kept him positive during treatment. (Click through the 99-image gallery or watch the timelapse video.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbKP-A2q0VQ9. This dad made sure his toddler would grow up to be a proper nerd by making her a Star Wars speeder-bike rocking horse. (Fast forward to 0:52 to see the finished product.)
https://youtu.be/NkL7DrGZtAg10. Here's another awesome project from The Treehouser: turning his daughter's elevated bed into a groovy VW bus-themed playhouse. There's even another tutorial. He says this whole thing cost about $100.
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11. Maybe the most impressive entry on this list, radamshome's daughter requested a "Fairy Tree" for her bedroom, and the result is better than anything you've ever seen at F.A.O. Schwartz or Disneyworld. Read more here.
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12. Relatively new dad BadSmash4 figured out how to keep his daughter entertained and keep her away from things she shouldn't be touching by creating an incredibly stimulating activity board that also teaches shapes and color. It was a first birthday present. (Here's another great example.)
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13. Another first birthday present, stellar mom pippx turned her son's ceiling fan into a glow-in-the-dark constellation map, and a glowing Earth when the light is on.
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14. Starting from your standard plastic playhouse, captainpsp turned it into the most exclusive clubhouse in the neighborhood, only accessible via tunnel (which has a ladder, although it's not visible here).
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15. Finally, bennyboy1337's customized nerf guns turned his kids into soldiers of the First Order (or Imperial stormtroopers, but there's a good chance these kids are fans of the newer stuff).
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Related: These epic DIY Slip 'N Slides will put your childhood to shame.
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