Yes, we have had a fantasy for a while about a tree house. It just takes a lot of careful consideration, planning, and safety concern, so I have never had time for it. However, this summer I did have quite a bit of time on my hands, and the boys are old enough now to really appreciate what goes into this kind of construction and enjoy it when it’s done, so off to Home Depot I went.
I must say I was also influenced by the fact that my Dad gave me the book The Dangerous Book for Boys as a Father’s Day gift, which of course is really a gift for his grandsons because we can read about and do all the stuff in the book together. Click here to check it out at Amazon; makes a great gift for the boys in your life, grown-up or not.
Anyway, The Dangerous Book for Boys has one method for constructing a tree house; I have researched many many more online and synthesized a plan that works for our tree. Our tree is massive, solid, and will not be hurt in the slightest by any of the bolts we put in it. I am, however, keeping all the damage to the tree spaced at least 12 inches from each other to avoid compartmentalization (described here, along with other possible tree damage). I used a plan that will not require supports in the ground around the tree; the plans I saw online using that strategy seemed... well, to be cheating, really. They’re basically play structures somewhat attached to a tree, and didn’t really strike me as fulfilling the spirit of a classic tree house. My structure is about 12 feet up and solid as a rock. I weigh a bit over 200 pounds, and the boys and I can go up there together with zero fear. Our tree is a good foundation, though; your situation may involve a smaller tree or hanging a platform between more than one tree. There are many, many ideas out there -- I recommend you read between 6 and 10 plans before you settle on a strategy.
So, how did I do it? I thought at first that I would put up four main supports, parallel on two sides, perpendicular to the other two sides (see illustration A; please forgive my hand-drawn diagrams).
Turns out our tree is nowhere near circular enough, plus it flares wider right at the height I wanted to put my supports, so it would be difficult to bolt the supports to the tree and keep the top edges level. So, I went a little higher in the tree to the main crotch. It splits into two main trunks and has one other major branch at that level. I rested a 2" x 8" beam across the top of that branch and up against the (vertically) flattest part of the two trunks, right next to the crotch, and put a 1/2" x 7" bolt in the trunk opposite the branch (see illustration B). 
This was the ideal spot for this support due to the shape of the tree, based on much experimentation with the beam I wanted to use.
I also thought I would then lay floor supports perpendicular to this main support, going through the crotch and on the outside of the two trunks, secured to the main support and bolted to the tree. I miscalculated slightly and had to add a 2" x 4" to the top edge of my original support, but then I got an ideal fit with the natural features of the tree to help with the floor support (see illustration C; the crossbeams are actually level, not like in my lame drawing!).
I hung 2" x 4" supports in between the three main floor supports with Simpson Strong-Tie joist hangers and was almost ready to put a floor on top. The supports were all cantilevered in place and held up to my weight pretty well, but to finish it off and for peace of mind I put a 2" x 8" structural support under the deck at a 45 degree angle, held into a notch in the center beam of the floor with another joist hanger and by a bolt into the tree. I also added a couple of hurricane straps in strategic places to hold the structure down to the branches it's resting on. The picture below is a shot of the structure right before I put the floor on. I also added some diagonal supports at both ends between the main beam and the floor supports; the final floor is kind of hexagonal.
It would have been nice to put a solid plank floor on it, but 5/8" plywood is way cheaper! I used two layers and secured it with deck screws at 4-inch intervals to keep it from warping. I just laid rectangular pieces on top of my odd final shape and trimmed it by marking the edge of the beams below with a chalk line and trimming it with a circular saw. Next step is to waterproof it to protect it further. I will also put up some rails for safety while we plan for eventual walls and a roof. That's Phase 2 -- might be next year before we get around to it, but fall and winter are pretty mild here, so I might take it on before too long!
I must say I was also influenced by the fact that my Dad gave me the book The Dangerous Book for Boys as a Father’s Day gift, which of course is really a gift for his grandsons because we can read about and do all the stuff in the book together. Click here to check it out at Amazon; makes a great gift for the boys in your life, grown-up or not.
Anyway, The Dangerous Book for Boys has one method for constructing a tree house; I have researched many many more online and synthesized a plan that works for our tree. Our tree is massive, solid, and will not be hurt in the slightest by any of the bolts we put in it. I am, however, keeping all the damage to the tree spaced at least 12 inches from each other to avoid compartmentalization (described here, along with other possible tree damage). I used a plan that will not require supports in the ground around the tree; the plans I saw online using that strategy seemed... well, to be cheating, really. They’re basically play structures somewhat attached to a tree, and didn’t really strike me as fulfilling the spirit of a classic tree house. My structure is about 12 feet up and solid as a rock. I weigh a bit over 200 pounds, and the boys and I can go up there together with zero fear. Our tree is a good foundation, though; your situation may involve a smaller tree or hanging a platform between more than one tree. There are many, many ideas out there -- I recommend you read between 6 and 10 plans before you settle on a strategy.
So, how did I do it? I thought at first that I would put up four main supports, parallel on two sides, perpendicular to the other two sides (see illustration A; please forgive my hand-drawn diagrams).
Turns out our tree is nowhere near circular enough, plus it flares wider right at the height I wanted to put my supports, so it would be difficult to bolt the supports to the tree and keep the top edges level. So, I went a little higher in the tree to the main crotch. It splits into two main trunks and has one other major branch at that level. I rested a 2" x 8" beam across the top of that branch and up against the (vertically) flattest part of the two trunks, right next to the crotch, and put a 1/2" x 7" bolt in the trunk opposite the branch (see illustration B). 
This was the ideal spot for this support due to the shape of the tree, based on much experimentation with the beam I wanted to use.I also thought I would then lay floor supports perpendicular to this main support, going through the crotch and on the outside of the two trunks, secured to the main support and bolted to the tree. I miscalculated slightly and had to add a 2" x 4" to the top edge of my original support, but then I got an ideal fit with the natural features of the tree to help with the floor support (see illustration C; the crossbeams are actually level, not like in my lame drawing!).
I hung 2" x 4" supports in between the three main floor supports with Simpson Strong-Tie joist hangers and was almost ready to put a floor on top. The supports were all cantilevered in place and held up to my weight pretty well, but to finish it off and for peace of mind I put a 2" x 8" structural support under the deck at a 45 degree angle, held into a notch in the center beam of the floor with another joist hanger and by a bolt into the tree. I also added a couple of hurricane straps in strategic places to hold the structure down to the branches it's resting on. The picture below is a shot of the structure right before I put the floor on. I also added some diagonal supports at both ends between the main beam and the floor supports; the final floor is kind of hexagonal.
It would have been nice to put a solid plank floor on it, but 5/8" plywood is way cheaper! I used two layers and secured it with deck screws at 4-inch intervals to keep it from warping. I just laid rectangular pieces on top of my odd final shape and trimmed it by marking the edge of the beams below with a chalk line and trimming it with a circular saw. Next step is to waterproof it to protect it further. I will also put up some rails for safety while we plan for eventual walls and a roof. That's Phase 2 -- might be next year before we get around to it, but fall and winter are pretty mild here, so I might take it on before too long!
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