Do-it-Yourself Wood Swings
- 1). Find a sturdy tree limb from which to hang the wooden swing. The tree limb should be about 7-feet off the ground. Drill two holes straight through the middle of the tree limb, spaced 5 feet apart. Use a ladder if needed.
- 2). Place a flat washer on one of the eye bolts. Thread the bolt, eye-side down, through one of the holes in the tree limb. Thread a second flat washer onto the top of the bolt above the tree limb. Use locking washers and nuts to fasten the bolt. Repeat with the other hole in the tree limb and remaining hardware. Tighten all hardware down with a wrench.
- 3). Clip a carabiner clip onto each of the eye bolts in the tree branch. The carabiner will allow the rope to be attached to the bolts and easily taken down.
- 4). Measure the exact distance from the ground to one of the eye bolts. Multiply this measurement by two and add 10 feet. Cut a length of rope equal to this measurement.
- 5). Drill a hole wide enough for the rope to pass through on each side of the wooden board, 6 inches from the side. The wooden board is the seat of the swing. The holes will allow the seat to be suspended by the rope.
- 6). Insert one end of the rope into one of the holes in the seat. Pull the rope under the seat and back through the second hole in the seat.
- 7). Fold over one end of the rope back against itself to make a loop. Take the length of rope you folded over and braid it back into the rope, creating a splice with a 4-inch loop. Repeat this on the other end of the rope. Tightly wrap the splice in heavy-duty rope to prevent the rope from fraying. Place a metal thimble inside the loop on each end to reinforce the splice. Attach the thimble to the rope by wrapping thin wire around it.
- 8). Clip the loops on the end of the rope to the carabiners hanging from the tree branch. Adjust the seat, so it hangs parallel with the ground.
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