DIY Indoor Swing
I admit I was a little nervous to tackle this DIY indoor swing for the barn loft, but it ended up being a project anyone could do! I’m really excited to share the steps to recreate it.
What You’ll Need:
- 2 foot long, 1” thick or more board in a durable hardwood (such as oak, ash, walnut, etc.)
- Rope (such as nylon, macrame, jute)
- Sand paper or sander with 400 grit sanding pad
- Drill
What You’ll Do:
- Firstly, I choose a 2 foot long, 1” thick or more board in a durable hardwood I chose Oak for mine but ash, walnut, birch or maple would be excellent choices as well. Select the rope you want to hang your swing with you could use nylon, macrame, anything durable that appeals to you will work. I wanted a rope with some substance so I chose a 3/4 inch jute.
2. Measure the distance from the roof or tree limb or whatever you are hanging your swing from to the ground and double that length and purchase two of these. Begin with sanding down all the sharp edges and rough surfaces of the seat portion so there is no fear of slivers or any minor injuries.
3. Also at this time drill the holes for the rope to go through. Measure the location of the centre of your holes I went in 2” from the ends and 1 1/2 “ from the sides. Use a hole saw bit with a drill guide to easily cut out 4 holes. The bit keeps you straight and makes the cut super easy. I cut four 1” holes to accommodate the 3/4” rope.
4. At this point the seat is ready to install, but I wanted a more weathered look to the wood so I gave it a coat of woca wood lye and after 24 hours gave it a final sand with a 400 grit sanding pad. Now you are ready to hang your swing. Loop the rope through hooks or (over a tree limb) so you have two equal lengths on either side and then through the holes in the seat.
5. The tricky part is getting your knots tied evenly so the seat is level, a helpful trick for this is to get a stool set to the height you want the seat from the ground set the swing seat on top of that to hold it even and then simply tie a knot underneath on all four sides. Now you could leave it just like this! Or as I chose to do, pull the rope apart from the underside of the knot to the ground for a frayed look.
6. I also wrapped the rope together on either side in approximately 2ft sections in the area where you would hold on with your hands with a fine jute string to give it more of a finished look. And that’s it!! Easy peasy project for many years of fun to be had.
Adrienne Sanderson is a simple country mama living out her next season of life in the foothills of Alberta, Canada. She’s the voice behind House on Valley Road: a vintage farmhouse lover, DIY handy woman, home decor enthusiast, and lover of fresh cut wood. She’s an avid gardener, creator and builder, designing and challenging herself with any new project her creative brain cooks up.
If you like the DIY indoor swing and are looking for more DIY projects, see Re-Paint a Claw-Foot Tub and How to Install Wallpaper Yourself. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for your daily dose of farmhouse inspiration!
