How to Build Garden Swings

Embrace your inner child with a custom-made swing.

Nothing invites whimsy and childlike play in the yard like a garden swing. Gather the family together for a weekend project building a garden swing for your backyard. This simple swing provides an opportunity to introduce your kids to power tools and basic, DIY projects. Completed swings may be hung from a porch roof, a tree or a garden pergola. Whatever you choose, hang the swing where you have views of the flora in your home garden.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measurer
• Jigsaw or hand saw
• 1-foot-by-8-foot hardwood board
• Wood glue
• C-clamps
• Cordless Drill
• Screwdriver bit
• 1 ¼ inch decking screws
• 1 inch spade bit
• 120-grit sandpaper
• Exterior latex paint
• Paint brush
• 3/8 inch braided nylon rope
• Lighter or matches
• Ladder
• 2-lag screw eye bolts, 4 ½ inches long
• 2- S connectors or carabinders
• 10 feet of twine

Instructions

1. Measure from the limb, roof or beam where the swing will hang to the floor. Multiply this measurement by two and add 10 feet. Purchase braided nylon rope in an amount equal to this sum.

2. Cut 1 foot off the length of the board. Cut this 1-foot section into two, 6-inch wide planks. Use sandpaper to sand down the longer board and the two, 6-inch wide planks. Sand with the grain of the wood to remove any potential splinters and smooth down the edges using 120-grit sandpaper.

3. Turn the long board upside down. Center the 6-inch plank on the right side, about 3 inches end from the edge. Lift the board and place wood glue where you just centered the board. Place the board on top and secure with a C-clamp. Fit the drill with a screw driver bit. Screw a 1 ¼ inch drill bit into each corner of the plank to secure it to the board. Repeat on the left side. Allow the glue to dry completely and remove the C-clamps.

4. Locate the center of each plank screwed on to the board in step three. Fit the cordless drill with a 1 inch spade bit. Working from the bottom of the board, drill a hole through the plank and the board. Repeat on the opposite side.

5. Paint the board with latex paint to help further secure the wood from the elements. Choose a vibrant hue to make the garden swing a focal point in the garden. Paint in long, strokes with the grain of the board to create a thin even coat. Allow the paint to dry completely. Apply a second coat if necessary.

6. Fold the braided rope in half. Use the saw to cut the rope in half. Take one piece of rope and thread the end through the hole on top of the board. Tie a tight, figure eight knot in the rope to secure it in place. Use a lighter to burn the end of the rope to help prevent fraying. Repeat on the second side.

7. Measure the distance between the ropes. Fit the cordless drill with the screwdriver bit. Climb the ladder to the area where the swing will hang. Install the first eye bolt into the tree limb, porch roof or pergola beam. Fit the drill with the screwdriver bit through the eye to tighten the bolt in place. Situate the second eye bolt in an equal distance to the distance between the ropes. Install the second eye bolt.

8. Bring up the swing. Holding the ropes up to the eye bolts, determine the proper length for the ropes. Cut the ropes so the swing will hang level. Tie S connectors or carabinders to the ropes. Burn the ends of the ropes to prevent fraying. Clip the S connectors or carabinders into the eye bolts.

References

• This Old House: How to Build a Tree Swing
• "Mother Earth News"; Swing Into Fall with a Tree Swing; John Vivian