See this adorable vintage-style two-story backyard playhouse from the 1960s

A dream-come-true backyard vintage playhouse (1962)

A picturebook house where she can go, where nobody ever says “No,” a hideaway where she can play, and dream of castles and kings, and palaces and princes and things.

It’s a hearts and flowers, little girl’s dreams-come-true playhouse you can build in your own backyard

Any little girl whose daddy builds this playhouse will see the magical land of make-believe come true right in her own backyard. It’s a real house, with a Dutch front door and hearts and flowers dormers and a white picket fence.

It’s a 5’6″ square, and 11′ high to the peak of the roof, and is topped off by two chimneys (just for decoration). Inside, it has a pretend fireplace and a real ladder to climb up to the second floor. It is planned for what a little girl likes to do best: play grownup in a home of her own.

The original house was built by an artist for his two young daughters; now, our Woman’s Day Workshop has made complete plans and specifications to show you how to build a similar two-story play house, or a simplified one-story version.

If you know how to use a hammer and saw and paintbrush, and are willing to wield them on long summer evenings and weekends, you can build it yourself. The materials are available at your local lumberyard or hardware store at a cost of about $275 for the two-story, $175 for the one-story house [Note: 1960s prices].

You start with a simple cement-block foundation, then lay the 44″ tongue and grooved flooring. The framework is mostly 2″ x 3″s and 2″ x 4″s; the walls and roof are 1/4″ plywood.

You build the front and back walls flat, then attach them to the first floor; next, build on the side walls; then the second floor; then put on the roof and add the chimneys, of 14″ plywood painted to look like brick.

MORE: Vintage playhouses & forts: Old-fashioned fun for kids

For finishing touches, you trace our hearts and flowers onto the dormers, build the picket fence and windowboxes, paint the house, plant the flowers.

When the house is about ready for its new owner to move in, she will offer a womanly suggestion on what color to paint the living room walls. In fact, she will probably take over from here, and woe to the father who offers any un-asked for advice. After all, it’s her home.

One story version of this vintage playhouse

The one-story play house is easier and less expensive to build, and almost as much fun to play in. Here a little girl can dream the same dreams, entertain the same friends and tell the same secrets.