diff --git a/parser_test.go b/parser_test.go
index 0d7e68f..61a3a7c 100644
--- a/parser_test.go
+++ b/parser_test.go
@@ -662,10 +662,11 @@ func TestTomlValueStringRepresentation(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestToStringMapStringString(t *testing.T) {
-	in := map[string]interface{}{"m": TreeFromMap(map[string]interface{}{
-		"v": &tomlValue{"abc", Position{0, 0}}})}
+	tree, err := TreeFromMap(map[string]interface{}{"m": map[string]interface{}{"v": "abc"}})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %s", err)
+	}
 	want := "\n[m]\n  v = \"abc\"\n"
-	tree := TreeFromMap(in)
 	got := tree.String()
 
 	if got != want {
diff --git a/toml.go b/toml.go
index 8596091..1ba56a1 100644
--- a/toml.go
+++ b/toml.go
@@ -28,10 +28,12 @@ func newTomlTree() *TomlTree {
 }
 
 // TreeFromMap initializes a new TomlTree object using the given map.
-func TreeFromMap(m map[string]interface{}) *TomlTree {
-	return &TomlTree{
-		values: m,
+func TreeFromMap(m map[string]interface{}) (*TomlTree, error) {
+	result, err := toTree(m)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
+	return result.(*TomlTree), nil
 }
 
 // Has returns a boolean indicating if the given key exists.
diff --git a/toml_test.go b/toml_test.go
index 9d85ccb..7c7f9ef 100644
--- a/toml_test.go
+++ b/toml_test.go
@@ -121,8 +121,11 @@ func TestTomlQuery(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestTomlFromMap(t *testing.T) {
 	simpleMap := map[string]interface{}{"hello": 42}
-	tree := TreeFromMap(simpleMap)
-	if tree.Get("hello") != 42 {
+	tree, err := TreeFromMap(simpleMap)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("unexpected error:", err)
+	}
+	if tree.Get("hello") != int64(42) {
 		t.Fatal("hello should be 42, not", tree.Get("hello"))
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tomltree_create.go b/tomltree_create.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d447755
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tomltree_create.go
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+package toml
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// supported values:
+// string, bool, int64, uint64, float64, time.Time, int, int8, int16, int32, uint, uint8, uint16, uint32, float32
+
+var kindToTypeMapping = map[reflect.Kind]reflect.Type{
+	reflect.Bool:    reflect.TypeOf(true),
+	reflect.String:  reflect.TypeOf(""),
+	reflect.Float32: reflect.TypeOf(float64(1)),
+	reflect.Float64: reflect.TypeOf(float64(1)),
+	reflect.Int:     reflect.TypeOf(int64(1)),
+	reflect.Int8:    reflect.TypeOf(int64(1)),
+	reflect.Int16:   reflect.TypeOf(int64(1)),
+	reflect.Int32:   reflect.TypeOf(int64(1)),
+	reflect.Int64:   reflect.TypeOf(int64(1)),
+	reflect.Uint:    reflect.TypeOf(uint64(1)),
+	reflect.Uint8:   reflect.TypeOf(uint64(1)),
+	reflect.Uint16:  reflect.TypeOf(uint64(1)),
+	reflect.Uint32:  reflect.TypeOf(uint64(1)),
+	reflect.Uint64:  reflect.TypeOf(uint64(1)),
+}
+
+func simpleValueCoercion(object interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
+	switch original := object.(type) {
+	case string, bool, int64, uint64, float64, time.Time:
+		return original, nil
+	case int:
+		return int64(original), nil
+	case int8:
+		return int64(original), nil
+	case int16:
+		return int64(original), nil
+	case int32:
+		return int64(original), nil
+	case uint:
+		return uint64(original), nil
+	case uint8:
+		return uint64(original), nil
+	case uint16:
+		return uint64(original), nil
+	case uint32:
+		return uint64(original), nil
+	case float32:
+		return float64(original), nil
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot convert type %T to TomlTree", object)
+	}
+}
+
+func sliceToTree(object interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
+	// arrays are a bit tricky, since they can represent either a
+	// collection of simple values, which is represented by one
+	// *tomlValue, or an array of tables, which is represented by an
+	// array of *TomlTree.
+
+	// holding the assumption that this function is called from toTree only when value.Kind() is Array or Slice
+	value := reflect.ValueOf(object)
+	insideType := value.Type().Elem()
+	length := value.Len()
+	if insideType.Kind() == reflect.Map {
+		// this is considered as an array of tables
+		tablesArray := make([]*TomlTree, 0, length)
+		for i := 0; i < length; i++ {
+			table := value.Index(i)
+			tree, err := toTree(table.Interface())
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			tablesArray = append(tablesArray, tree.(*TomlTree))
+		}
+		return tablesArray, nil
+	}
+
+	sliceType := kindToTypeMapping[insideType.Kind()]
+	if sliceType == nil {
+		sliceType = insideType
+	}
+
+	arrayValue := reflect.MakeSlice(reflect.SliceOf(sliceType), 0, length)
+
+	for i := 0; i < length; i++ {
+		val := value.Index(i).Interface()
+		simpleValue, err := simpleValueCoercion(val)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		arrayValue = reflect.Append(arrayValue, reflect.ValueOf(simpleValue))
+	}
+	return &tomlValue{arrayValue.Interface(), Position{}}, nil
+}
+
+func toTree(object interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
+	value := reflect.ValueOf(object)
+
+	if value.Kind() == reflect.Map {
+		values := map[string]interface{}{}
+		keys := value.MapKeys()
+		for _, key := range keys {
+			k, ok := key.Interface().(string)
+			if !ok {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("map key needs to be a string, not %T", key.Interface())
+			}
+
+			v := value.MapIndex(key)
+			newValue, err := toTree(v.Interface())
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			values[k] = newValue
+		}
+		return &TomlTree{values, Position{}}, nil
+	}
+
+	if value.Kind() == reflect.Array || value.Kind() == reflect.Slice {
+		return sliceToTree(object)
+	}
+
+	simpleValue, err := simpleValueCoercion(object)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &tomlValue{simpleValue, Position{}}, nil
+}
diff --git a/tomltree_create_test.go b/tomltree_create_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8523f9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tomltree_create_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+package toml
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func validate(t *testing.T, path string, object interface{}) {
+	switch o := object.(type) {
+	case *TomlTree:
+		for key, tree := range o.values {
+			validate(t, path+"."+key, tree)
+		}
+	case []*TomlTree:
+		for index, tree := range o {
+			validate(t, path+"."+string(index), tree)
+		}
+	case *tomlValue:
+		switch o.value.(type) {
+		case int64, uint64, bool, string, float64, time.Time,
+			[]int64, []uint64, []bool, []string, []float64, []time.Time:
+			return // ok
+		default:
+			t.Fatalf("tomlValue at key %s containing incorrect type %T", path, o.value)
+		}
+	default:
+		t.Fatalf("value at key %s is of incorrect type %T", path, object)
+	}
+	t.Log("validation ok", path)
+}
+
+func validateTree(t *testing.T, tree *TomlTree) {
+	validate(t, "", tree)
+}
+
+func TestTomlTreeCreateToTree(t *testing.T) {
+	data := map[string]interface{}{
+		"a_string": "bar",
+		"an_int":   42,
+		"time":     time.Now(),
+		"int8":     int8(2),
+		"int16":    int16(2),
+		"int32":    int32(2),
+		"uint8":    uint8(2),
+		"uint16":   uint16(2),
+		"uint32":   uint32(2),
+		"float32":  float32(2),
+		"a_bool":   false,
+		"nested": map[string]interface{}{
+			"foo": "bar",
+		},
+		"array":       []string{"a", "b", "c"},
+		"array_uint":  []uint{uint(1), uint(2)},
+		"array_table": []map[string]interface{}{map[string]interface{}{"sub_map": 52}},
+		"array_times": []time.Time{time.Now(), time.Now()},
+		"map_times":   map[string]time.Time{"now": time.Now()},
+	}
+	tree, err := TreeFromMap(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("unexpected error:", err)
+	}
+	validateTree(t, tree)
+}
+
+func TestTomlTreeCreateToTreeInvalidLeafType(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := TreeFromMap(map[string]interface{}{"foo": t})
+	expected := "cannot convert type *testing.T to TomlTree"
+	if err.Error() != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("expected error %s, got %s", expected, err.Error())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTomlTreeCreateToTreeInvalidMapKeyType(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := TreeFromMap(map[string]interface{}{"foo": map[int]interface{}{2: 1}})
+	expected := "map key needs to be a string, not int"
+	if err.Error() != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("expected error %s, got %s", expected, err.Error())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTomlTreeCreateToTreeInvalidArrayMemberType(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := TreeFromMap(map[string]interface{}{"foo": []*testing.T{t}})
+	expected := "cannot convert type *testing.T to TomlTree"
+	if err.Error() != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("expected error %s, got %s", expected, err.Error())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTomlTreeCreateToTreeInvalidTableGroupType(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := TreeFromMap(map[string]interface{}{"foo": []map[string]interface{}{map[string]interface{}{"hello": t}}})
+	expected := "cannot convert type *testing.T to TomlTree"
+	if err.Error() != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("expected error %s, got %s", expected, err.Error())
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tomltree_write.go b/tomltree_write.go
index a042a1c..b50b549 100644
--- a/tomltree_write.go
+++ b/tomltree_write.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func (t *TomlTree) writeTo(w io.Writer, indent, keyspace string, bytesCount int6
 	for _, k := range simpleValuesKeys {
 		v, ok := t.values[k].(*tomlValue)
 		if !ok {
-			return bytesCount, fmt.Errorf("invalid key type at %s: %T", k, t.values[k])
+			return bytesCount, fmt.Errorf("invalid value type at %s: %T", k, t.values[k])
 		}
 
 		repr, err := tomlValueStringRepresentation(v.value)
@@ -201,9 +201,6 @@ func (t *TomlTree) ToMap() map[string]interface{} {
 			result[k] = array
 		case *TomlTree:
 			result[k] = node.ToMap()
-		case map[string]interface{}:
-			sub := TreeFromMap(node)
-			result[k] = sub.ToMap()
 		case *tomlValue:
 			result[k] = node.value
 		}
diff --git a/tomltree_write_test.go b/tomltree_write_test.go
index 2cf3577..6344b1c 100644
--- a/tomltree_write_test.go
+++ b/tomltree_write_test.go
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ func TestTomlTreeWriteToMapSimple(t *testing.T) {
 func TestTomlTreeWriteToInvalidTreeSimpleValue(t *testing.T) {
 	tree := TomlTree{values: map[string]interface{}{"foo": int8(1)}}
 	_, err := tree.ToTomlString()
-	assertErrorString(t, "invalid key type at foo: int8", err)
+	assertErrorString(t, "invalid value type at foo: int8", err)
 }
 
 func TestTomlTreeWriteToInvalidTreeTomlValue(t *testing.T) {