A stick house may not have been a viable option for the Three Little Pigs, but I’ve been dreaming of one for my own backyard. It all started when I happened upon a “twigwam” on Pinterest. Delighted, I started looking for other woven branch structures. That led to the discovery of a whole world of natural playhouses, all sturdy enough to endure plenty of huffing and puffing (and wind and rain, too). Here are five favorites, from simple to fairytale deluxe.
Willow Teepee
Above: The Brampton Willows Willow Teepee is available in three sizes; £335.00 to £565.00.
Brampton Willows, founded in 1988 and based in the Suffolk countryside, is known for its exquisite willow fences, but it also makes a few garden structures, including this simple but durable teepee for children. Adults may want to consider the Willow Nest, an egg-shaped shelter with an oak base and handmade, natural feather-filled mattress.
Outdoor Thicket
Above: Cheeriup’s willow structures range from simple domed Fledgling Thickets, $1,700, to the substantial OG Thicket Hut, $3,200, shown here with a cedar plank floor, diminutive door, and hook (for hanging things, such as a broom).
Wanting to create “a natural and enchanting play space” for her young daughter, Kelly English ended up founding Cheeriup of Minnesota, a specialist in what she calls Thickets. English uses native wild willow, which she harvests and preps herself, and says it takes her from three to five weeks to produce each thicket: “It’s a simple idea, a house made of sticks, but there’s actually nothing simple about the process of creating them.” She is currently accepting pre-orders for 2025 to 2026.
Willow Pod
Above: The Willow Pod by Willow with Roots is available by commission.
Willow with Roots is a mother-daughter team in Worcestershire who grow their own willow, hold weaving workshops, and sell their wares—think lamp shades, baskets, and trays—via an online shop. They also do bespoke work, like the otherworldly Willow Pod, above.
Dreaming Spires Playhouse
Above: Needham’s largest construction, The [product id=”960780″]Dreaming Spires Willow Playhouse[/product] ($3,285) is scaled to accommodate parents as well as kids: it’s 8 feet wide, 3 feet deep, and 6 feet tall. She also makes [product id=”960776″]Onion-shaped Dens[/product] that start at $767).Judith Needham of Surrey, England, is another willow weaver who makes her own designs (including baskets), and came up with her first playhouse for her own daughter. Needham’s willow comes from growers in Somerset, England: “It’s grown specifically for basket making; the method of cultivation, rather than the variety, is what makes the material suitable for weaving. The technique is called coppicing—each plant is cut right down to the ground during harvest in the spring leaving just a stump. New growth quickly springs from the trunk. These stems are long, thin, unbranching, and very pliable. Some plants are left to grow for two or three years to yield ten-f00t-long stems, which is what I need for playhouses, but most are cut annually making it the ultimate sustainable crop.”
For twig playhouses that are left outdoors, Needham recommends applying an annual coat of linseed oil, and says with this protective finish, they should last for six to eight years. Most of her customers are in the UK, but to date, she’s also shipped playhouses to the States.
Hocus Pocus
Above: Chapel Hill, NC-based environmental artist Patrick Dougherty roams the country creating elaborate, site-specific woven sapling installations.
One of his specialities is play constructions, most of which he builds on the grounds of museums, art centers, and colleges, but on occasion, Dougherty accepts private commissions. One such is Hocus Pocus, shown here, a willow structure at Bittersweet Farms in Ennice. NC. Photograph by Robyn Dreyer. Go to Stickwork to see more and learn about his process.
For more fanciful children’s play structures, see:
- Steal This Look: A Backyard Tree Fort.
- The High Life: A Two-Story Treehouse in Calistoga.
- DIY: Instant Children’s Teepee, Summer Edition.
N.B.: This post was first published July 2017. It’s been updated with new products, photos, prices, and links.
