I built a tree in my daughter's bedroom
January 22, 2016 5:51 PM Subscribe
I can't tell if the daughter was living in the room during this 18 months or what. It seems like that would be impractical.
posted by aubilenon at 5:58 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by aubilenon at 5:58 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
I've done something quite similar, in that I, too, have a plush fox in my bedroom.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:59 PM on January 22, 2016 [49 favorites]
posted by Wolfdog at 5:59 PM on January 22, 2016 [49 favorites]
I um I
I can screw light bulbs in
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 6:03 PM on January 22, 2016 [18 favorites]
I can screw light bulbs in
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 6:03 PM on January 22, 2016 [18 favorites]
Holy shit.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:12 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:12 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
FAIL: Missing a fully actuated audioanimatronic face with Ent personality and grasping limbs.
posted by sammyo at 6:13 PM on January 22, 2016 [20 favorites]
posted by sammyo at 6:13 PM on January 22, 2016 [20 favorites]
Uh, I think my cat needs this.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:16 PM on January 22, 2016 [27 favorites]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:16 PM on January 22, 2016 [27 favorites]
I found the doorknob at Anthropologie.
for the door for the faeries.
God forbid you might try and skimp on that $4250 by not buying a $40 drawer pull for the faeries.
posted by 7segment at 6:18 PM on January 22, 2016 [17 favorites]
for the door for the faeries.
God forbid you might try and skimp on that $4250 by not buying a $40 drawer pull for the faeries.
posted by 7segment at 6:18 PM on January 22, 2016 [17 favorites]
I built my kids an Ikea bunk bed, which means we're totally in the same league.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:20 PM on January 22, 2016 [19 favorites]
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:20 PM on January 22, 2016 [19 favorites]
He is going to be SO MAD in a couple of years when she wants to rip it all out so she can hang her posters of insert name of whatever boy band will take over from One Direction here . But in the meantime, what a lucky little girl.
posted by pjsky at 6:36 PM on January 22, 2016 [56 favorites]
posted by pjsky at 6:36 PM on January 22, 2016 [56 favorites]
Uh, I think my cat needs this.
Thankfully, this is exactly what the cat sees when you install a bookshelf in your room.
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:40 PM on January 22, 2016 [49 favorites]
Thankfully, this is exactly what the cat sees when you install a bookshelf in your room.
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:40 PM on January 22, 2016 [49 favorites]
It is super cool. I hope they got to do a lot of it together because otherwise, man, he spent the equivalent of 44 8 hour days over a year and a half on that when she was a little girl, and that's time you can't get back no matter how much she likes the tree right now.
posted by Muddler at 6:43 PM on January 22, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by Muddler at 6:43 PM on January 22, 2016 [8 favorites]
It needs googly eyes.
posted by grumpybear69 at 6:47 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by grumpybear69 at 6:47 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
It is super cool. I hope they got to do a lot of it together because otherwise, man, he spent the equivalent of 44 8 hour days over a year and a half on that when she was a little girl, and that's time you can't get back no matter how much she likes the tree right now.
Yeah, but for the entire rest of her life, she's going to remember what Daddy did for her when she was little.
posted by pjern at 6:51 PM on January 22, 2016 [49 favorites]
Yeah, but for the entire rest of her life, she's going to remember what Daddy did for her when she was little.
posted by pjern at 6:51 PM on January 22, 2016 [49 favorites]
He said in the reddit post that he's going to build a pirate ship for his son this summer!
Also that the project caused him to cry three times.
posted by jamesonandwater at 6:58 PM on January 22, 2016 [24 favorites]
Also that the project caused him to cry three times.
posted by jamesonandwater at 6:58 PM on January 22, 2016 [24 favorites]
This is amazing.
Although, at one point in the commentary he notes that he took 'the kids' (plural) on a walk, so while this particular daughter has the tree now I guess any other children have memoirs to start.
posted by Iris Gambol at 6:59 PM on January 22, 2016 [8 favorites]
Although, at one point in the commentary he notes that he took 'the kids' (plural) on a walk, so while this particular daughter has the tree now I guess any other children have memoirs to start.
posted by Iris Gambol at 6:59 PM on January 22, 2016 [8 favorites]
Augh, preview failure! thanks, jamesonandwater, for the additional info.
posted by Iris Gambol at 7:00 PM on January 22, 2016
posted by Iris Gambol at 7:00 PM on January 22, 2016
This is what gentrification looks like, Seattle.
posted by oceanjesse at 7:02 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by oceanjesse at 7:02 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
It is super cool. I hope they got to do a lot of it together because otherwise, man, he spent the equivalent of 44 8 hour days over a year and a half on that when she was a little girl, and that's time you can't get back no matter how much she likes the tree right now.
Meaning he spent an average of 40 minutes a day working on it. Spending time with your children is amazing and wonderful, but I don't think he's missed the best years of her life by doing the equivalent of watching an episode of Buffy on Netflix on a daily basis, whether she was there or not.
posted by howfar at 7:02 PM on January 22, 2016 [24 favorites]
Meaning he spent an average of 40 minutes a day working on it. Spending time with your children is amazing and wonderful, but I don't think he's missed the best years of her life by doing the equivalent of watching an episode of Buffy on Netflix on a daily basis, whether she was there or not.
posted by howfar at 7:02 PM on January 22, 2016 [24 favorites]
Here you go k8t:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/comments/420wu0/i_built_a_tree_in_my_daughters_bedroom/
posted by jamesonandwater at 7:06 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/comments/420wu0/i_built_a_tree_in_my_daughters_bedroom/
posted by jamesonandwater at 7:06 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
That kid better keep that tree throughout her whole teen years. I would.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:13 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:13 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
I wonder if the reading area is big enough to fit an adult.
posted by jeather at 7:17 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by jeather at 7:17 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
Skimming through his reddit comments are interesting. Yes, he fears she will grow out of it. He worked on it for about a year and a half, mostly at night and took some days off. They think they'll be in that house for another decade but will let a realtor decide what to do with the tree.
posted by k8t at 7:20 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by k8t at 7:20 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
What a great guy! And she's got a college admissions essay topic, too!
posted by Ideefixe at 7:21 PM on January 22, 2016
posted by Ideefixe at 7:21 PM on January 22, 2016
People are amazing sometimes.
posted by OHenryPacey at 7:23 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by OHenryPacey at 7:23 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
I built a dust collector in my daughter's room.
posted by Max Power at 7:25 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Max Power at 7:25 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Is it fireproofed?
posted by grumpybear69 at 7:37 PM on January 22, 2016
posted by grumpybear69 at 7:37 PM on January 22, 2016
If you want one of these and have the cash, I know a guy.
posted by ob1quixote at 7:40 PM on January 22, 2016
posted by ob1quixote at 7:40 PM on January 22, 2016
That is what a real father's love looks like.
could we not though
posted by palomar at 7:43 PM on January 22, 2016 [69 favorites]
could we not though
posted by palomar at 7:43 PM on January 22, 2016 [69 favorites]
These periodic posts about extremely fancy craft installations in kids' bedrooms make me feel curmudgeonly. It's obviously not doing anyone any harm, but I firmly believe that kids do better (and have more fun) when given tools, rather than being given fully staged fake landscapes.
But of all the possible problems to have in the world, having parents who love you this much is a great thing, and I wish them many hours of happiness in their creation.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:48 PM on January 22, 2016 [8 favorites]
But of all the possible problems to have in the world, having parents who love you this much is a great thing, and I wish them many hours of happiness in their creation.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:48 PM on January 22, 2016 [8 favorites]
My dad is FIRED.*
*Actually don't worry I totally already fired him like 20 years ago, but because he's a Grade A asshole, not because he failed to build me a tree.
posted by BlueJae at 7:49 PM on January 22, 2016 [9 favorites]
*Actually don't worry I totally already fired him like 20 years ago, but because he's a Grade A asshole, not because he failed to build me a tree.
posted by BlueJae at 7:49 PM on January 22, 2016 [9 favorites]
Is it fireproofed?
What if you tire before it's done?
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 8:04 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
What if you tire before it's done?
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 8:04 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
I firmly believe that kids do better (and have more fun) when given tools, rather than being given fully staged fake landscapes.
Yeah, he should have turned her room into a giant Skinner Box! A lever is a tool, isn't it?
posted by ActingTheGoat at 8:07 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
Yeah, he should have turned her room into a giant Skinner Box! A lever is a tool, isn't it?
posted by ActingTheGoat at 8:07 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
This is amazing. But at the end of the day, it's about a dad building something for his kid. I don't think it's terrible that he went all-out in a way few could match; and smaller projects are just as awesome when you're little. I'm still sniffly and nostalgic because my dad built me a wooden storage trunk (as in, he probably spent one day hammering a rectangle together and 2 or three days painting it) when I was 12 and I thought he was the awesomest, craftiest dad ever for just that.
posted by TwoStride at 8:10 PM on January 22, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by TwoStride at 8:10 PM on January 22, 2016 [9 favorites]
Wow, this is really cool.
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:22 PM on January 22, 2016
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:22 PM on January 22, 2016
Just popping in to say that my dad built me a freestanding wardrobe TARDIS as a kid, unprompted. Oh, and I knit a fourth doctor* scarf for myself and cemented my reputation as a weirdo.
*the actual doctor at the time, and the only real doctor, srsly
posted by last night a dj saved my life at 8:43 PM on January 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
*the actual doctor at the time, and the only real doctor, srsly
posted by last night a dj saved my life at 8:43 PM on January 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
TwoStride: “ I'm still sniffly and nostalgic because my dad built me a wooden storage trunk (as in, he probably spent one day hammering a rectangle together and 2 or three days painting it) when I was 12 and I thought he was the awesomest, craftiest dad ever for just that.”That's a really good point. When I was little my Dad built a "space ship" console that was literally a lectern he painted black and glued some scrap switches and dials to along with a "radio handset" that was like a hairbrush blank with a piece of sandpaper glued to it and held down at the edges with upholstery tacks. I haven't thought about it in a long time.
You — and NbdySpcl_00 on Reddit — are right. It doesn't take hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to create something your kids will remember for the rest of their lives, even if they play with it to pieces inside of a few months. It doesn't have to be spectacular. A few pieces of wood banged together and some non-functional switches can evoke the same feelings, even decades later.
posted by ob1quixote at 8:49 PM on January 22, 2016 [9 favorites]
Big props for actually finishing it.
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 9:23 PM on January 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 9:23 PM on January 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
These periodic posts about extremely fancy craft installations in kids' bedrooms make me feel curmudgeonly. It's obviously not doing anyone any harm, but I firmly believe that kids do better (and have more fun) when given tools, rather than being given fully staged fake landscapes.
To me the most valuable thing he gave her with this is this: she knows that someone with no specialized knowledge or tools can, with hard work, dedication, long hours (and in this case a significant budget) turn a wild and crazy dream into a reality. And she saw this happen, and watched that transformation of a crazy idea into a crazy real thing. In my mind, that's the kind of leading-by-example that is pretty awesome.
And yes, there was a budget... But I grew up in poverty with a mother who was very artistic and active in her artistic endeavors, and engaged in many creative acts without any budget; so similar lessons can be imparted without a budget. In this case, I'm particularly impressed because he acquired the skills as he went along.
This is awesome.
posted by el io at 9:26 PM on January 22, 2016 [34 favorites]
To me the most valuable thing he gave her with this is this: she knows that someone with no specialized knowledge or tools can, with hard work, dedication, long hours (and in this case a significant budget) turn a wild and crazy dream into a reality. And she saw this happen, and watched that transformation of a crazy idea into a crazy real thing. In my mind, that's the kind of leading-by-example that is pretty awesome.
And yes, there was a budget... But I grew up in poverty with a mother who was very artistic and active in her artistic endeavors, and engaged in many creative acts without any budget; so similar lessons can be imparted without a budget. In this case, I'm particularly impressed because he acquired the skills as he went along.
This is awesome.
posted by el io at 9:26 PM on January 22, 2016 [34 favorites]
I am awestruck, but also hoping that it was as collaborative as possible, because otherwise this is a shamefully wasted opportunity to teach a little girl how to weld.
posted by mrjohnmuller at 9:26 PM on January 22, 2016 [17 favorites]
posted by mrjohnmuller at 9:26 PM on January 22, 2016 [17 favorites]
A lovely idea, well executed. Fingers crossed that when she's a tween she doesn't get all sneery about this totally lame old tree thing IN HER ROOM OMG.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 10:05 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Ursula Hitler at 10:05 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
When I was a little tiny girl my dad used to let me tag along in the garage while he replaced the car's transmission or built a bookcase. He even let me help with more and more as I got older (contingent on safety). I don't necessarily remember any of the technical stuff, but that attitude — that I belonged there, that we were solving problems together, that this was fun instead of scary — that was huge to me. I credit it pretty heavily with turning me into a scientist, plus it gave me a whole bunch of great teamwork memories with my dad.
Anyway I hope he passes on some of his enthusiasm and craftiness to his daughter too!
posted by you're a kitty! at 10:10 PM on January 22, 2016 [13 favorites]
Anyway I hope he passes on some of his enthusiasm and craftiness to his daughter too!
posted by you're a kitty! at 10:10 PM on January 22, 2016 [13 favorites]
FAIL: Missing a fully actuated audioanimatronic face with Ent personality and grasping limbs.
You don't tell the kid about the grasping limbs for a few months. Are you completely trying to destroy a child's sense of wonder?
If you were building a wardrobe, would you tell the kid 'Oh, it may angrily snap shut on you at any time, so be careful.'? Of course not, what kind of parent are you? You just have it pop open an inch, in the corner of the kid's vision. Or slowly creak open while the kid is half-asleep.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:21 PM on January 22, 2016 [13 favorites]
You don't tell the kid about the grasping limbs for a few months. Are you completely trying to destroy a child's sense of wonder?
If you were building a wardrobe, would you tell the kid 'Oh, it may angrily snap shut on you at any time, so be careful.'? Of course not, what kind of parent are you? You just have it pop open an inch, in the corner of the kid's vision. Or slowly creak open while the kid is half-asleep.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:21 PM on January 22, 2016 [13 favorites]
I kinda wish ordinary people would just make wacky neat stuff because they want to, not necessarily for the kid. It's an awesome example to set, that anyone can just full steam ahead on a frivolous exercise in outrageous creativity Just Because, if they can afford the time and resources and effort to learn. Too many people have a 'oh that's not something I could ever do' attitude about making stuff. But big projects can put a potentially weighty 'you'd better love this because I put so much effort into it' obligation on a kid.
posted by Lou Stuells at 10:27 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Lou Stuells at 10:27 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
My dad gave my son a refrigerator box for Christmas when he was 1.5 years. If this guy's daughter loves the tree half as much as my son loved that box, this project is a winner.
But seriously thanks for the awesome post! I love the tree.
posted by chapps at 10:39 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
But seriously thanks for the awesome post! I love the tree.
posted by chapps at 10:39 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
They think they'll be in that house for another decade but will let a realtor decide what to do with the tree.
Ha ha - thanks for that detail. My curmudgeonly side kept wondering how "third bedroom has ornate concrete fairy tree" would go over on Redfin.
posted by salvia at 10:45 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Ha ha - thanks for that detail. My curmudgeonly side kept wondering how "third bedroom has ornate concrete fairy tree" would go over on Redfin.
posted by salvia at 10:45 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
I hope she's still young enough that it's terrifying at night. It would be a shame to miss half the experience.
posted by darksasami at 10:52 PM on January 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by darksasami at 10:52 PM on January 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
We uh, built a Christmas tree out of empty Diet Coke boxes.
posted by Hazelsmrf at 10:57 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Hazelsmrf at 10:57 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
It's obviously not doing anyone any harm, but I firmly believe that kids do better (and have more fun) when given tools, rather than being given fully staged fake landscapes.
If a guy who is that handy with tools doesn't have a kid who picks up a lot of those skills I'll eat a drill bit. My dad was super handy, and definitely spent a lot of my childhood working on the house... and also teaching me how to use tools as I got old enough for them, and involving me in many projects. I'm a software developer but one who is known as a go-to person for "hey how do I do this fabrication thing?" during crazy art project builds that I do outside of work, and I definitely have my dad to thank for that. I'm sure my father would have treated a daughter the same and I'm just going to believe this guy will too.
posted by flaterik at 11:03 PM on January 22, 2016
If a guy who is that handy with tools doesn't have a kid who picks up a lot of those skills I'll eat a drill bit. My dad was super handy, and definitely spent a lot of my childhood working on the house... and also teaching me how to use tools as I got old enough for them, and involving me in many projects. I'm a software developer but one who is known as a go-to person for "hey how do I do this fabrication thing?" during crazy art project builds that I do outside of work, and I definitely have my dad to thank for that. I'm sure my father would have treated a daughter the same and I'm just going to believe this guy will too.
posted by flaterik at 11:03 PM on January 22, 2016
I kinda wish ordinary people would just make wacky neat stuff because they want to
I know our desert crazy thing is roundly looked down upon as nothing but hedonism, but this is why I love burning man and the community I'm a part of because of it. Yes, it's hedonistic as fuck (sometimes literally), but that it is an inspiration to bring people together to make wacky neat stuff is why it continues to exist.
posted by flaterik at 11:05 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
I know our desert crazy thing is roundly looked down upon as nothing but hedonism, but this is why I love burning man and the community I'm a part of because of it. Yes, it's hedonistic as fuck (sometimes literally), but that it is an inspiration to bring people together to make wacky neat stuff is why it continues to exist.
posted by flaterik at 11:05 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
Another lesson is about imagination. People toss around platitudes like "dream big," but to actually see this idea turn into reality must have been something for everyone in the family. It wouldn't have happened if she hadn't dreamt it up.
posted by mantecol at 11:32 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by mantecol at 11:32 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
"My daughter wanted a fairy tree in her room that she could sit inside and read books, climb the branches, and also have a top sitting area."
For everyone concerned about the negative effects the project might have on this girl's relationship with her father, this is all you need to know. She wanted a fairy tree and he didn't tell her it was stupid, or too hard, or not worth the time or expense. He didn't make empty promises and he didn't dumb the project down because she was a girl. Whether he knew it or not, he ended up giving her so much more than a fairy tree.
My dad gave my son a refrigerator box for Christmas when he was 1.5 years. If this guy's daughter loves the tree half as much as my son loved that box, this project is a winner.
On the Internet, nobody knows you're a cat.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:14 AM on January 23, 2016 [22 favorites]
For everyone concerned about the negative effects the project might have on this girl's relationship with her father, this is all you need to know. She wanted a fairy tree and he didn't tell her it was stupid, or too hard, or not worth the time or expense. He didn't make empty promises and he didn't dumb the project down because she was a girl. Whether he knew it or not, he ended up giving her so much more than a fairy tree.
My dad gave my son a refrigerator box for Christmas when he was 1.5 years. If this guy's daughter loves the tree half as much as my son loved that box, this project is a winner.
On the Internet, nobody knows you're a cat.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:14 AM on January 23, 2016 [22 favorites]
Yeah, but for the entire rest of her life, she's going to remember what Daddy did for her when she was little.
My dad built me a bookshelf that attached to the wall above my bed! So yeah, I know exactly what it feels like to have your dad make something you really really want. It feels good. Forever.
posted by Thella at 12:31 AM on January 23, 2016 [12 favorites]
My dad built me a bookshelf that attached to the wall above my bed! So yeah, I know exactly what it feels like to have your dad make something you really really want. It feels good. Forever.
posted by Thella at 12:31 AM on January 23, 2016 [12 favorites]
My first five thoughts were all around delight and admiration; sixth was salvia's; seventh was that this will be a nightmare to dust. (Because you could vacuum on the trunk, but then the leaves might go, and what about the leaves... I think this is a correct thought to have but also very wrong.)
posted by cotton dress sock at 1:23 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by cotton dress sock at 1:23 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
"Daaaad, I can't connect to imgur for some reason.
Have you been messing with the router?"
"It's down for everyone, I think they went bust or something"
posted by fullerine at 1:35 AM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
Have you been messing with the router?"
"It's down for everyone, I think they went bust or something"
posted by fullerine at 1:35 AM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
I don't know about her growing out of it, I think about teenage me and I would have looooooved it still. it is wonderful and I want my room now to look like that
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:57 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:57 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Of course people are going to criticize or second guess him for this. I can hear the grinding of teeth from envy through my monitor.
posted by happyroach at 2:04 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by happyroach at 2:04 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
She's not going to grow out of it as a teen because it's perfect for smoking pot and talking shit in.
posted by colie at 2:10 AM on January 23, 2016 [28 favorites]
posted by colie at 2:10 AM on January 23, 2016 [28 favorites]
My kids were young at an opportune time, when most of the video games they were exposed to were on the N64 and videogame artwork and characters were pretty crude and blocky. Which meant we could make pretty satisfying figurines of them out of clay without needing too much skill. Goombas and Bob-omb Buddies were the easiest, but we also made Mario, Luigi, Wario, Princess Peach, Bowser, Link, Dark Link, Banjo & Kazooie, Spyro, several colors of Yoshis and Jinjos, and two of the girl racers from Snowboard Kids. They played with those figures as much as (and along with) their LEGOs, and even made a boardgame for them with incomprehensible rules.
posted by straight at 2:12 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by straight at 2:12 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
I too thought about dust. And then I got mad because my bark never turns out that good no matter how many washes I try.
This is awesome. This guy *learned to weld* to build his daughter something. Nothing but admiration both for the conception and the completion.
Meanwhile, my bathroom is stripped to studs and I can't figure out how to proceed.
posted by 1adam12 at 2:20 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
This is awesome. This guy *learned to weld* to build his daughter something. Nothing but admiration both for the conception and the completion.
Meanwhile, my bathroom is stripped to studs and I can't figure out how to proceed.
posted by 1adam12 at 2:20 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
I love how he painted the walls, it's really beautiful.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:20 AM on January 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:20 AM on January 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
That is wonderful! When I was a kid, my dad tinkered with our sesame street playhouse so that it had working lights. My brother and I felt like the fanciest kids in town. Dads are neat.
posted by Pardon Our Dust at 4:22 AM on January 23, 2016
posted by Pardon Our Dust at 4:22 AM on January 23, 2016
My dad died from a sudden and completely unexpected heart attack one month ago. Scrolling through that album and reading everyone's stories here about their dads building things for them is making me weep. That little girl may outgrow that tree one day but she will remember and treasure what her dad did for her. She will.
Thanks for this post.
posted by sprezzy at 4:22 AM on January 23, 2016 [21 favorites]
Thanks for this post.
posted by sprezzy at 4:22 AM on January 23, 2016 [21 favorites]
I kinda wish ordinary people would just make wacky neat stuff because they want to, not necessarily for the kid. It's an awesome example to set, that anyone can just full steam ahead on a frivolous exercise in outrageous creativity Just Because, if they can afford the time and resources and effort to learn.
Go to burning man. There's way too many opportunities there for frivolous exercises in outrageous creativity Just Because, and people take full advantage of them.
I made a giant wolfs head that I lived in there last year. The year before that, I made a cloud for my temporary residence. Next year (fingers crossed), I will be driving around in a cycloptic alien head. The stuff I make barely registers because of the sheer quantity and scale and ingenuity of the art present there.
I appreciate the tree makers attention to detail, and the fact that he finished it. He seems to be a perfectionist, and I'm guessing got as much joy out of making the tree as his daughter will have playing in it.
posted by newpotato at 4:25 AM on January 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
Go to burning man. There's way too many opportunities there for frivolous exercises in outrageous creativity Just Because, and people take full advantage of them.
I made a giant wolfs head that I lived in there last year. The year before that, I made a cloud for my temporary residence. Next year (fingers crossed), I will be driving around in a cycloptic alien head. The stuff I make barely registers because of the sheer quantity and scale and ingenuity of the art present there.
I appreciate the tree makers attention to detail, and the fact that he finished it. He seems to be a perfectionist, and I'm guessing got as much joy out of making the tree as his daughter will have playing in it.
posted by newpotato at 4:25 AM on January 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
I am really stunned by how much MetaFilter is tying itself in knots in order to find reasons to hate a cool thing that a dad made for his kid.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:34 AM on January 23, 2016 [29 favorites]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:34 AM on January 23, 2016 [29 favorites]
I also gave my daughter a big cardboard box that I brought home from work. I cut windows and a door in it, with duct-tape hinges so she could close them. It was a big box, and we really didn't have room for it, so I had to retire it after a while. Then I built her a tree fort.
If you have the room, big cardboard boxes provide a lot of bang for the buck.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 5:16 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
If you have the room, big cardboard boxes provide a lot of bang for the buck.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 5:16 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
This made me tear up and now I have to make sure I thank my Dad. He built my sisters and I many things when we were young. This super awesome kitchen center, toyboxes, captains beds that had this awesome hiding space underneath, a couple of sets of wooden blocks, some wooden trucks, a dollhouse that became our Star Wars action figures main base, a rope swing and sandbox. He also made a scrap pile under the deck with things we could build forts with and he gave us some basic fort building training.
Thanks Dad.
posted by Jalliah at 5:32 AM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
Thanks Dad.
posted by Jalliah at 5:32 AM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
We uh, built a Christmas tree out of empty Diet Coke boxes.
Hey, that's what I can call the pile of trash building up in the basement!
We started painting my son's room as a baseball field. We painted the walls light blue, and then ran out of money. We think this will properly prepare our son for the future.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 5:56 AM on January 23, 2016 [6 favorites]
Hey, that's what I can call the pile of trash building up in the basement!
We started painting my son's room as a baseball field. We painted the walls light blue, and then ran out of money. We think this will properly prepare our son for the future.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 5:56 AM on January 23, 2016 [6 favorites]
This is amazing. It's over the top, but by comparison, my kids' stepdad told them he was going to build them a treehouse out back of their house (my old house). At first I was a bit jealous because I'm not as handy and just do little things with them, but hey, I hope they love it - kids first. For like 2 years they'd come visit me and say "________'s going to build the treehouse soon!" and they had elaborate details about what it would be like. Fast forward about 3 years and the treehouse thing never happened. I'm sure they have forgotten it by now or maybe tucked it away in some "adults don't always come through" part of their brain, but jeez.
Sorry, bummer story but I didn't realize how much that was angering me until just now. I may not be the world's greatest dad but if I say I'm going to do something, it's going to happen. Which reminds me, I need to get them ready to go out in the snow because I said we'd do that soon.
posted by freecellwizard at 8:00 AM on January 23, 2016 [7 favorites]
Sorry, bummer story but I didn't realize how much that was angering me until just now. I may not be the world's greatest dad but if I say I'm going to do something, it's going to happen. Which reminds me, I need to get them ready to go out in the snow because I said we'd do that soon.
posted by freecellwizard at 8:00 AM on January 23, 2016 [7 favorites]
I grew up in the country, and spent a fair bit of time reading or wool-gathering in actual trees. So I understand her desire for such a thing.
He did a beautiful job. I would buy a house with that bedroom in it.
posted by not that girl at 8:14 AM on January 23, 2016
He did a beautiful job. I would buy a house with that bedroom in it.
posted by not that girl at 8:14 AM on January 23, 2016
Meanwhile, my bathroom is stripped to studs and I can't figure out how to proceed.
Expanded metal lathe?
posted by salvia at 8:46 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Expanded metal lathe?
posted by salvia at 8:46 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Lath, not lathe. Lathe is a machine for turning work so it can be cut into round shapes.
Former machinist's pet peeve.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:13 AM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
Former machinist's pet peeve.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:13 AM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
Extremely kitchy, but at least ridiculously expensive. If my daughter asked for a fake tree in her bedromm I'd consider it a personal failure and have a long, hard think about where we went wrong... unliss it was just a flight of fancy that he chose to make real in this laborious fashion... either way, yuk.
posted by holist at 9:25 AM on January 23, 2016
posted by holist at 9:25 AM on January 23, 2016
If you really loved your children, you'd do this too.
posted by mazola at 9:53 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by mazola at 9:53 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
I really do love all the detail that went into the painting of the trunk. The thought of having to dust all that artificial plant life in the canopy made me anxious, but you know, they can probably afford a really good vacuum cleaner with attachments and stuff, i'm gonna stop worrying about a stranger's dust situation now.
posted by palomar at 9:55 AM on January 23, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by palomar at 9:55 AM on January 23, 2016 [9 favorites]
You know what my father got me instead of a giant treehouse? A carton of cigarettes. "Smoke up, benzie!"
posted by benzenedream at 10:01 AM on January 23, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by benzenedream at 10:01 AM on January 23, 2016 [9 favorites]
If you are a Dad and you make lots of things for your kids and do lots of things with them because you really like teaching yourself to do things, one of them might grow up to have a house full of crazy projects and might at this very moment have left a pile of leatherworking implements in the middle of the living room where she built a project nest.
That might happen.
posted by louche mustachio at 10:48 AM on January 23, 2016 [12 favorites]
That might happen.
posted by louche mustachio at 10:48 AM on January 23, 2016 [12 favorites]
My sister once strapped a bit of board to an old pram frame and pushed me down a hill on it into some nettles. I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt.
There was a string tied to the break but it came off when I tried to pull it.
These are the things you treasure aren't they?
posted by howfar at 11:58 AM on January 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
There was a string tied to the break but it came off when I tried to pull it.
These are the things you treasure aren't they?
posted by howfar at 11:58 AM on January 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
i'm gonna stop worrying about a stranger's dust situation now.
I've moved on to worrying about the durability and pest resistance of papier-mache as a construction material. I am the worst kind of person.
posted by salvia at 12:49 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
I've moved on to worrying about the durability and pest resistance of papier-mache as a construction material. I am the worst kind of person.
posted by salvia at 12:49 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
I misspelled "brake" above but I think it was a Freudian slip.
the horror
posted by howfar at 1:14 PM on January 23, 2016
the horror
posted by howfar at 1:14 PM on January 23, 2016
Also I just reminded my family of this event on Facebook and my mum simply replied with the "fat cat on a scooter" animation. It's no fucking wonder I turned out like I did.
posted by howfar at 1:15 PM on January 23, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by howfar at 1:15 PM on January 23, 2016 [9 favorites]
The world is full of all sorts of people. The dreamers, the builders. Whether for love (for a daughter or otherwise) or money (or to contribute to an elaborate desert art exhibit), different people have different levels of motivation and discipline to dream up a project and then see things through.
Every once in a while, you hear about talented individuals who are able, not just to dream, but that are also able to follow through and built it. The wonderful picture series linked is evidence of that.
Of course there are always naysayers and 'haters', and this thread is evidence of that. It also proves you can't stop to listen to them. I know that my own psyche is filled with enough doubt and laziness as it is.
I'm hopeful the father has some irl friends that he was able to share this project with. Before, during, and not just after. It's great he didn't give up time with his daughter to work on this, but hopefully he had a couple grownup friends that helped him build it.
Also, this thread made me think of building things with my father during childhood that I realized explains a little bit about who I am, and for that, I am thankful, Mefi, even if that plate full of beans is homemade and not up to code.
posted by fragmede at 1:35 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Every once in a while, you hear about talented individuals who are able, not just to dream, but that are also able to follow through and built it. The wonderful picture series linked is evidence of that.
Of course there are always naysayers and 'haters', and this thread is evidence of that. It also proves you can't stop to listen to them. I know that my own psyche is filled with enough doubt and laziness as it is.
I'm hopeful the father has some irl friends that he was able to share this project with. Before, during, and not just after. It's great he didn't give up time with his daughter to work on this, but hopefully he had a couple grownup friends that helped him build it.
Also, this thread made me think of building things with my father during childhood that I realized explains a little bit about who I am, and for that, I am thankful, Mefi, even if that plate full of beans is homemade and not up to code.
posted by fragmede at 1:35 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
btw, lest I'm confused with the "haters," I think this is completely awesome. I just ALSO think "hmm, there must be some sort of non-toxic epoxy resin-type thing that'd make that papier mache impermeable to pests."
It's like that thread recently about what it means to be an adult. To me, being an adult means that shortly after you think "oooooh, fairy tree so magical so pretttyyy!!" you think "...and hopefully it is tied in well to the studs in case of an earthquake."
posted by salvia at 2:10 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
It's like that thread recently about what it means to be an adult. To me, being an adult means that shortly after you think "oooooh, fairy tree so magical so pretttyyy!!" you think "...and hopefully it is tied in well to the studs in case of an earthquake."
posted by salvia at 2:10 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Everyone should go to their local Lowes and ask for an appliance box. They've free and we can each build our own Metaforts and post pictures and be all prepared for fun times when the next winter storm comes and we're sick of being housebound.
You, too, can be crafty.
posted by mightshould at 2:29 PM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
You, too, can be crafty.
posted by mightshould at 2:29 PM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
This is awesome and makes me want to have a place where I can paint the walls.
posted by bile and syntax at 5:17 PM on January 23, 2016
posted by bile and syntax at 5:17 PM on January 23, 2016
Every house should have a tree in it. I don't know whether it was Dalboz of Gurth's living room or some earlier Myst aesthetic that made me want it, but I've always imagined a space for a tree in my fantasy architecture.
posted by lucidium at 6:39 PM on January 23, 2016
posted by lucidium at 6:39 PM on January 23, 2016
My mom used to make elaborate Halloween costumes for my sister and me - way better than anything you could find at a store. She still has the best collection of anyone, and lends them out every year. In the beginning, it was all her making them, but as we got older, we would help, and that's how I learned to sew. I've started sewing again, and I tackled some big projects that I didn't really know how to do, and now that I think about it, growing up seeing my mom tackle those costumes probably helped a lot.
This tree is so amazing! It looks good enough for Disney World. I totally would have thought he made structures of some kind for his job or something, but when he said he was just a video game designer and had never welded before, my mind was blown. I, too, was thinking his daughter might outgrow it, but this is such a wonderful hobby for him. Who cares if they take it down in a few years? I've made multiple sewing projects that I spent an average of 10-20 hours on, and then I gave them away. It's the creating that matters.
posted by bluefly at 5:38 AM on January 24, 2016 [2 favorites]
This tree is so amazing! It looks good enough for Disney World. I totally would have thought he made structures of some kind for his job or something, but when he said he was just a video game designer and had never welded before, my mind was blown. I, too, was thinking his daughter might outgrow it, but this is such a wonderful hobby for him. Who cares if they take it down in a few years? I've made multiple sewing projects that I spent an average of 10-20 hours on, and then I gave them away. It's the creating that matters.
posted by bluefly at 5:38 AM on January 24, 2016 [2 favorites]
Sewing your own camping gear was apparently a thing in the 70s?
And it was my dad's hobby for a while, and he made me a blue down parka when I was in elementary school. We lived in Minnesota so I wore that parka every day, and every day I looked at my initials he'd embroidered on one pocket and a little lion made of lace and hearts on the other pocket and I thought about how awesome my dad was and felt even cozier than I already was.
posted by Squeak Attack at 9:52 AM on January 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
And it was my dad's hobby for a while, and he made me a blue down parka when I was in elementary school. We lived in Minnesota so I wore that parka every day, and every day I looked at my initials he'd embroidered on one pocket and a little lion made of lace and hearts on the other pocket and I thought about how awesome my dad was and felt even cozier than I already was.
posted by Squeak Attack at 9:52 AM on January 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
Awesome. Apparently he's a software developer at Bungie, working on Destiny world art. Pretty cool.
http://destiny.bungie.org/forum/index.php?id=103480
posted by Pantengliopoli at 11:02 AM on January 25, 2016
http://destiny.bungie.org/forum/index.php?id=103480
posted by Pantengliopoli at 11:02 AM on January 25, 2016
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posted by curious nu at 5:55 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]