Homemade swing in the garden. How to make a swing from wood and metal

You should not mistakenly believe that swings in the country are made exclusively for children’s fun. In addition to swings designed for the weight of a child, there are many quite interesting options that will become beautiful element landscape design and a place of relaxation.

What to make a swing from?

Traditionally, swings are made of wood, metal, and a combination of these materials. However, the swing seat can be made of plastic, metal pipes, beams, strong rope, an old chair or a chair without legs. Tires and other waste materials are often used.

The main thing is that it is comfortable and safe to sit on the swing, and that the stands can withstand the loads placed on it.

Often country swing equipped with canopies made of fabric, polycarbonate, wood, roofing materials. This “roof” protects from bright sunlight; you can sit on the swing without the risk of burns.

What types of swings are there?

Soft swing chair

Before building a swing, you should think about its purpose (for children or adults to ride), location (excessively dimensional models inappropriate in small areas), seasonality (not in all dachas it is appropriate to leave the swing under the winter open air). It is also important to choose a model that fits well into the overall picture of the country landscape.

The swing can be mobile (collapsible) or stationary.

In turn, mobile swings can be suspended or equipped with a prefabricated frame that is installed on the ground.

Do you want to make a children's swing at the dacha for a child?

Children's swing is great idea, how to entertain a child at the dacha, and the portal website also offers you information on. If you already have a sandbox, then read the article about building a playground with your own hands -.

You can make your own swing-balancer, swing-hammock, swing-sofa. Special attention deserve designs that are far from the classical representation of a swing design. Unusual swings can be:

And just recently, swings for disabled children appeared. The design with a platform for a wheelchair allows you to ride even for those who, unfortunately, cannot move independently.

Prices for garden swings

Garden swing

Making a hanging swing with your own hands

There is no frame provided for such swings. We will only make a seat, which we will later attach to the ceiling beams or thick branches.

Have you decided on the design of your swing?

Option 1. The simplest swing is an old tire tied with a rope and hung on a tree. You can also use a chain and secure it with a screw and nut.

Option 2. Place the tire horizontally. We cut 3 or 4 holes, insert metal hooks into them, which we secure with washers and nuts. We thread ropes or chains into the loops of the hooks.

Option 3. This is the most difficult option, which will require mastery of an angle grinder. The tire should be cut according to a certain pattern, bent and secured with long pins so that the resemblance of an animal or bird is obtained. One of the methods for making a country swing can be found below.

Swing made from boards (cut logs, wooden lattice etc.) and ropes – classic. It is enough to make 4 holes in the corners of a wide board and thread the ropes.

You can use an old board instead high chair, sawing off the legs and tying it with ropes.

A metal (steel or aluminum) hoop must be equipped with rope weaving so that a cobweb-seat is formed in the center. It is advisable to wrap the edges of the hoop with foam rubber and cover it with thick fabric. And to hang the swing, you will need several strong ropes, metal rings or other fasteners, which must be secured at least at four points around the circumference.

As one of the options, you can consider a swing-hoop, inside of which a metal basin is inserted. The edges of the pelvis should hold firmly to the hoop. Subsequently, the structure can be easily disassembled and re-qualified as a flower garden.

To make such a swing you will need two wide metal triangles, rivets and the material itself - tarpaulin. We fold it in several layers, stitch it around the perimeter, insert triangles and fasten it with rivets. All that remains is to hang the swing on a branch or beam.

To assemble a wooden swing on stands, prepare the following:

We use galvanized bolts as fasteners for such swings. We refrain from using simple screws and nails.

To further protect the material from damage and preserve it natural look we use glaze. Pre-coat everything with it wooden elements designs.

The finished swing is hung on a strong branch or fixed on racks with a cross beam. To assemble the support structure, use wooden beam.

The lower ends of the wooden posts are treated with bitumen. To fix the racks, it is enough to dig a couple of holes about 1 m deep, install the racks in them, fill 20-30 cm of the height of the hole with a mixture of sand and crushed stone, and then pour concrete.

You can do it separately if you wish. concrete pillars and attach a wooden beam to them with anchor bolts. Do what is most convenient for you. When using the second method, be sure to lay moisture-proofing material between the metal and wood. To give the frame greater stability, we support the racks with braces.

Options for attaching a seat for a swing

We make the swing itself in accordance with the following step-by-step instructions.

First step. We make supporting arcs-sticks. To do this, we use boards 22 mm thick (preferably pine) and plywood 12 mm thick. In accordance with the diagram, we draw a template and cut out 6 clubs.

Second step. Using plywood blanks, we outline the outlines of the core. The layer in the middle is made of glued board. In the outer layers of the outer sticks we create cutouts for the ends of the rope.

Third step. We fasten the parts of the support using waterproof glue. We tighten the support with clamps. We remove them only after the glue has completely dried.

Fourth step. We process the edges of the supports with a sander, giving them a rounded shape.

Fifth step. Cut from pine boards roundels for rope holders. This is easiest to do using the appropriate drill attachment.

Sixth step. We treat the supports and finished rounds with a primer or weather-resistant paint.

Seventh step. We screw metal rope holders into the supports through roundels, and then cover the wooden elements

Eighth step. Let's move on to creating a seat for a homemade wooden swing. First of all, we align the picket fence.

Ninth step. Next, drill holes for screws in each plank. To make the holes as carefully as possible, we put a corner on the edges of the picket fence (can be made from plywood) according to the size of the planks with pre-made holes in the right places.

Tenth step. Screw the pickets to the supports. To ensure an even step, we place planks between the slats.

Eleventh step. We fix the armrests to the supports. We also make them from picket fences. We screw the metal bolts into the end of the planks. We place a wooden round between the support and the armrest.

Twelfth step. We thread the rope through the holes of the holders fixed in the swing support. We tie the rope into a sea knot, then we wrap wire, strong thread or cord around it.

Thirteenth step. Cut off the free edge of the rope using a knife.

Fourteenth step. We pass the rope through the oval hole in the armrests. We rest the armrest itself on blocks mounted on a pair of half-rings secured with bolts.

Fifteenth step. We wrap the rope around the cable thimble and tie it with a rope.

Finally, all that remains is to hang the ring from an alpine carabiner, fixed to the crossbar of a support or a thick tree branch. Your swing is ready!

Metal swing They are also easy to make with your own hands.

First step. We cut blanks from pipes. We need to make 2 two-meter side racks, a 1.5-2 meter crossbar, as well as 4 pipes of arbitrary size for the base (2 pipes will go on each side).

Second step. We clean the pipes from burrs using metal sandpaper or a file.

Third step. blanks for the base at right angles.

Fourth step. We weld the rack to the finished base, and then weld the crossbar to the racks.

How to install a crossbar on a metal swing

Fifth step. Let's get started earthworks. You need to dig 4 holes with a depth of 80 cm.

Sixth step. Insert into prepared holes metal beams slightly longer than the depth of the pits.

Seventh step. Filling the recesses with beams concrete mortar. You can make your own concrete from one part cement, one part crushed stone and two parts sand. Add water to the dry mixture and mix thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Eighth step. We leave the concrete to gain strength for about a week.

Ninth step. We weld the hooks to the crossbar. Anchors can be used to make hooks.

Tenth step. We weld the frame of the swing to the metal beams.

Eleventh step. We attach the seat.

At this point, the homemade metal swing is ready. You can test it and put it into permanent use.

Video - Do-it-yourself swing for a summer house

Video - DIY baby swing

Returning to carefree childhood, we remember sunny days, shady garden and a swing. They gave us the joy of flight and served as a secluded corner for have a relaxing holiday.

It’s not difficult to bring back forgotten impressions and please yourself and your loved ones. Make a garden swing from wood, and it will become a favorite pastime for children and a place of relaxation for adults.

In this article we offer an overview of the different types of wooden swing structures. Once you get to know them, you can choose the most interesting option for self-production.

Wooden swing for the DIYer

Classic shape garden swing known to everyone. These are two inclined posts connected by a cross beam from which the bench is suspended. To create an “all-weather” option, a canopy is placed over the structure. Then a wide field for creativity and imagination opens up.

Wooden outdoor swing can be made from tree trunks and branches cleared of bark. This will give them the charm of the popular rustic style.

Instead of two inclined posts, you can use as a base wooden frame, consisting of a crossbar and two vertical posts. To ensure stability, it is placed on wide supports, reinforced with braces. In the photo below we see a similar installation.

In this example, attention is drawn unusual way fastening a bench assembled from thick boards and branches. It is not suspended from the top crossbar, but from two round bars cut into the posts.

Another interesting option is a swing without a canopy, made from rounded logs. They look great due to their simplicity and aesthetics. In addition, this design is equipped with a staircase, which will become additional entertainment for children.

Anyone who finds beauty in the strict geometry of forms works with timber and boards. The photo below shows a support structure that resembles a “goat” for cutting firewood. It successfully complements original bench on chains.

In order to create something beautiful and unusual, it is not necessary to do this by complicating the design. All you need to do is change and tweak it a little. standard project, eventually getting such a wonderful thing that will fit perfectly both on the terrace and in the open air.

Looking at another solution, you will agree that the canopy over the swing is a practical and beautiful element. It is made of overlapping boards.

To assemble the bench, you can do without the use of complex parts. It can be very simple and at the same time comfortable and beautiful.

By taking a couple of slab scraps to work with and carefully processing it, you will get excellent result. By adding decorative side trims to the structure and rounding the roof overhangs, you will significantly improve its appearance.

Children love swings with not one, but two chair seats. You can ride them at any rhythm without disturbing your neighbor.

There are many found for wooden pallets interesting applications. One of them - comfortable bench with a high back for a swing installation. Such a seat can be successfully placed anywhere: on the veranda, in the gazebo, and even on the trunk of a large tree.

Fans of country style can implement it in the design of a homemade swing. To do this, just cover the log light frame canopy made of reeds or straw.

A beautiful canopy can be built from cellular polycarbonate or ondulin. These materials are easy to work with and can be easily bent to a given radius.

Openwork grilles made of thin slats mounted on the side posts are suitable as decoration. Bent wood elements will give the structure special charm and charm.

A design that uses a thick fabric awning to protect from the sun is worthy of attention. The hard seat and backrest are covered with a large soft mattress.

Having made such a swing yourself and not wanting to bother with the roof, you can buy or have a custom-made awning for every taste and color.

Classic installation of two pairs inclined beams with a crossbar is not the only thing Possible Solution. There is a more comfortable option. This is a gazebo with a swing.

It looks great and protects well from the rain. It can be used not only in summer, but also during winter thaws.

Those who like to pamper themselves fresh air I'm not happy with the narrow bench. They prefer a wide, comfortable “bed” that swings smoothly on chains. In the photo below we see an example of such a design.

This is a light canopy without a roof (pergola). TO wooden beams a wide bed is suspended from the ceiling at four points.

Self-production

If you decide to make a wooden swing with your own hands, take it as a sample simple design. It will turn out to be reliable and will not require professional carpentry skills from you to join the parts.

Consider the assembly sequence garden rocker from logs, branches and slabs.

Before starting work, you need to select smooth tree trunks or logs of small diameter (up to 15 cm). They will be used to make sidewalls. The length of the material must be at least 2 meters. After this you need to make a sketch drawing. It indicates all dimensions and methods of connecting parts.

Attention! When calculating the length of the sidewalls, the distance between them and the height resulting from their combination, it is very useful to remember school curriculum, namely the Pythagorean theorem for a right triangle.

Our design conventionally consists of two such right triangles, where there is a hypotenuse (the long side opposite the right angle) and legs (the sides forming a right angle).

The theorem goes like this: IN right triangle The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the legs.

A graphical representation of this theorem is shown below.

The manufacture of the frame begins with the sides. The locations of connecting notches are marked on the logs. Then use a hacksaw and chisel to select wood and drill holes for the tie bolts.

IN lower parts grooves are cut out for the supporting legs to install side ties. You can attach them to the racks without cutting, “overlapping”. However, such a connection will not be rigid enough.

The next step is to install a crossbar (crossbar) from a log. To do this, the sidewalls are placed vertically and secured with temporary ties. Having placed the crossbar on the forks of the racks, it is fixed to them with screws through steel corners.

To increase the rigidity of the frame, it is reinforced with jibs. They can be made from thick branches or scraps of timber.

Having assembled the frame, we begin to make the bench. Its supporting base, to which the backrest and seat boards will be attached, can be made from a profile pipe. Without good carpentry skills, it will be difficult to assemble such elements from wood.

Having cut the pipe according to the dimensions of the drawing, the sections are butt welded and holes are drilled in them for attaching the boards. To hang the bench, steel rings are fixed by welding at the upper and lower ends of the profile pipe. Chains with carabiners will be attached to them.

Through holes are drilled in the crossbar for eye bolts.

Under the nut that tightens the mounting bolt, you need to place a steel washer with a diameter of at least 6 cm and a thickness of 3-4 mm. To prevent unscrewing, screw the locknut onto the nut and tighten it tightly.

For quick fastening and convenient adjustment of chain length, we recommend using carabiners. They are taken one by one into the suspension rings. After this, check the evenness of the bench installation. If necessary, adjust its position by adding or reducing the number of free links.

For more reliable fixation, wooden swings can be buried in the ground. To do this, dig holes 20-30 cm deep, install the ends of the posts in them and fill them with a mixture of crushed stone and sand. To protect against rotting, wood in contact with the ground must be thoroughly treated with an antiseptic.

The swing can be covered with a light canopy on top. To do this, two thick branches are screwed to the upper ends of the racks with self-tapping screws. Several boards are attached to them and covered with slate, reed or metal tiles.

Swings have always been in great demand. Yes, this is understandable, because children and adults love to ride them. In the article we will tell you how to make them correctly at the dacha, we will consider various materials(metal, wood), and also demonstrate photo and video instructions.

Today there are many design variations of these structures. We'll break them down into 3 categories:

• Children's. This group includes chair-type swings with pendants and peculiar boats. The frame is always made in accordance with the safety scheme. For very young children, seat belts must be provided.

• Family. Most often they are massive bench-type structures with a large backrest. Such structures can accommodate the whole family at once. They are secured to a U-shaped frame using cables or strong chains. If there is a roof over them, you can swing even when it rains.
• Mobile - easy and quick to carry, as well as install in a convenient place, for example, on a veranda, in a gazebo or at home.

Diversity

1. The hammock type of structure is hung on a crossbar, for example, on a tree. This design allows you to float above the ground. They will appeal to people who are keen on reading books. They can withstand weight up to 200 kg.
2. Hanging is a seat with several ropes attached to the sides. Today they are made light, comfortable and durable. The sizes and shapes of such structures are different.
3. Singles are all variations that do not require additional crossbars. Such structures can be quickly installed anywhere. They are made from a wide variety of materials.
4. The swing chairs can accommodate two adults and one child. They can even be placed in a room, because they have only one point on which they are attached. They are made from a special metal alloy. Externally, the sun loungers are airy, but in fact they are quite durable.

To do metal constructions, you need to prepare the following set of tools and materials:

1. Welding machine with electrodes.
2. Container for mixing the solution.
3. File/sandpaper for metal.
4. Ingredients for mixing the solution: water, cement, crushed stone, sand.
5. Grinder for cutting metal elements.
6. Fasteners: bolts and nuts.
7. Wrenches for tightening bolts.
8. Metal pipes.
9. Shovel.

First, cut the pipes:

• Side posts 2 m long – 2 pcs.
• Crossbar 1.5–2 m long – 1 pc.
• For the base, 2 pipes on each side (length is arbitrary).

After cutting the pipes, remove any burrs from them. This can be done with a metal sandpaper/file. The pipes forming the base of such a structure must be welded at an angle of 45º, as shown in the diagram. Then weld the crossbar at right angles to the posts.

Dig 2 trenches with a depth of 80 cm and a width corresponding to the resulting tripod in our case. The distance between them should correspond to the width of the crossbar. Supports (tripods) will be inserted into these trenches. Before as support pillars will be laid in trenches, make a sand cushion of 10–20 cm, compact the sand. Install tripods and fill them with concrete. It must be done based on the proportion 1:2:1 - cement - sand - crushed stone. Add water to this mixture. You should get a homogeneous, not too liquid mass.

The concrete should cure for a week.

Afterwards, you can weld hooks to the crossbar, to which the seat will be secured on cables/metal beams. Weld the seat to the metal beams and secure the seat. The finished structure can be painted.

Let's consider technological sequence manufacturing wooden structure, on which several children can sit. Sizes can be reduced/increased if necessary. Pine, spruce or birch wood can be used as the starting material. So, you will need:

• boards with a section of 100×25 mm, a length of 2.5 m - 15 pcs.;
• board with a section of 150×50 mm, length 2 m – 1 pc.;
• self-tapping screws 52×3.5 mm – 250 pcs.;
• carabiner – 6 pcs.;
• welded chain 5 mm thick, length equal to height;
• galvanized screws: 2 pcs. – 12×100 mm and 2 pcs. – 12×80 mm.

When choosing screws, pay attention to color. If you choose them to match the wood, then they will be invisible on the finished structure, and to give a special effect, it is better to choose self-tapping screws in contrast.

The tools you need to stock up on are:

• square;
• drill with a set of drills;
• tape measure;
• circular saw;
• pencil;
• plane;
• hacksaw;
• with a hammer.

Following a plan makes it easier to do the job accurately. Therefore, before starting to make a swing, prepare its design.

If you find it difficult to decide, then check out the drawings and diagrams located at the end of the article. Remember that the design for children and adults is different.

Make blanks 1.5 m long, cut at an angle of 90º. For sitting, use a board with a thickness of 20 mm. In this case, the thickness of the board for the back can be in the range of 12–13 mm. For the design we propose, you need to make a seat, for which you will need 17 planks 50 cm long and 15 planks 45 cm wide.

To prevent the wood from cracking when tightening the screws, pre-drill thin holes in the parts to be joined.

If you want to make the back more comfortable, then make it curly. To do this, you will need to use a board of the largest thickness - 150x50 mm. You should have 6 blanks. Use a pencil/marker to outline the shape of the workpiece.

Determine the angle of the backrest. The planks should be secured at equal intervals. To screw them evenly, secure the ends on both sides, and then in the middle. To make swinging more comfortable, make armrests. For these purposes, timber of any width will do. One end of it needs to be screwed to the back frame, and the other to the seat.

You can then attach the chain to the frame. It is best to do this to the bottom of the armrest, where it connects to the seat. The other end of the chain is attached to the top of the frame base on the back. Secure the chain with nuts and washers. Otherwise, the nut may enter the wood, thereby compromising its integrity. A special element with a ring on one side and a thread on the other should be secured to the seat frame and to the crossbar.

Afterwards, you can connect the rings with a chain. It is better to secure the bench swing on an A-shaped post. For support, it is important to use strong logs or make metal carcass. It all depends on you.

Making a support

The A-post or support is quite reliable and can withstand significant loads. For work, you will need the same set of tools as for making a seat, if we are talking about a wooden stand.

Make two identical posts that are the same size. Ultimately, they will be installed at the distance you require, which depends on the width of the seat. The posts/supports are connected by a crossbar.

Accurately calculate the angle of connection of the vertical parts of the racks. At the top, the pillars must be securely connected. Over time, they should not begin to diverge. Set the crossbar to 1/3 of the height support posts. For these purposes use metal corners and self-tapping screws. The crossbar must be installed on the posts at the same height.

There is usually one crossbar installed at the top of the rack, but if you want to strengthen the structure, you can make two crossbars.

The structure should be installed in the ground. Dig holes up to 80 cm deep. Make a sand cushion of 20 cm crushed stone. Insert the posts and fill them with concrete. To prevent rotting of the racks, they must be insulated before pouring. This can be done by impregnation or wrapping the wood waterproofing material, for example, roofing felt.

If you are making a swing for children, then make it safe. Remove sharp corners and sand the wooden elements.

Simple

You still have a wooden pallet left after transporting building materials, why not use it as a base? Agree that it is not difficult, and does not cost much! All you need is a pallet, strong rope and a tree trunk to hang the structure. You can make supports from strong pillars. How to do this will be discussed a little later.

The swing can be made from a solid pallet, secured on the sides with four ropes. That's it, you can ride. If you want more comfort, then place a mattress on a tray and cover it with a sheet, and place a few pillows on top. Now you can start reading in the shade of a tree; in addition, here you can take a break from the midday heat, lie down and even sleep.

If you have 2 pallets at your disposal, then you can create cute designs with a backrest. To achieve greater aesthetics, first clean the parts and sand them, and then fasten and paint (coat with moisture-resistant varnish) the finished structure. Now your nondescript pallets have turned into a very attractive country swing!

"Boards" are the most simple idea. On the sides of the board it is necessary to fasten one more board so that the rope frays less, then drill 4 holes, insert the ropes into them and tie them strong knots. This structure can be secured to a tree or a U-shaped support.

Another idea is with a rope. To do this, you should make 4 grooves in the board: 2 at the end and 2 along the edges closer to the corners. The board may have rectangular shape or semicircular. Although the grooves are open, the rope still does not jump out. The tension force only secures the position of the rope, which makes the structure even more reliable.

Do you have an unusable board for snow riding? Then use it instead of sitting! Drill holes in it and secure the ropes. Now all that remains is to hang the finished structure on a reliable support!

Do you have old tires? Don’t rush to throw them away, because they can be used to build wonderful swings for children! To do this you will need a tire and rope. If you want to create some special shape or improve tire structures, then you will need a sharp cutting tool, For example, construction knife. You can paint the tire to make it even more fun. In order to achieve best results, you can draw a model of the structure on paper or mark the cut locations on the tire itself. Below are ideas for implementation from tires.

If you have 2 small round logs, then align them, clean them and tie them together with strong rope, and then tie them maritime hub to the support.

Selecting the material

The above-mentioned variations in the manufacture of the simplest swings implied the use of available materials. But, if you want to create a more sophisticated design, then you can use the appropriate type of wood and metal. It can be supplemented with a backrest and a crossbar placed in front, which will ensure safe operation.

The list of materials required for manufacturing may be something like this:

• Larch boards.
• Self-tapping screws of different sizes.
• Carbines.
• Chain for fastening.
• Screws with rings.

To create the design you will need a typical set of tools. It includes a drill with different sizes of drill bits. A hacksaw and saw, a plane, a jigsaw, and a hammer may be useful. For measurements you will need a tape measure, a square, chalk, or perhaps a pencil or marker.

It is better that the structures are installed in shady place, under a roof or tree. If a canopy is not provided, then in bad weather they must be covered with a protective film.

If you want to create a stable support, then you should definitely dig four pillars into the soil to a depth of about 80 cm. Subsequently, they will need to be concreted, then connect the racks and the crossbar. If you chose metal pipes as racks, then they need to be connected using welding machine. If you are using wooden supports, you should treat the material before installing them. antiseptic drug. Connect them using bolts and nuts. To make a seat, prepare 2 frames that will serve as a back and seat. Attach the plywood, and then connect the frames at an angle of 120˚.

Now you need to attach special hooks or brackets to the seat, which will allow you to pass chains, cables or ropes through them. In this state, the swing can be suspended from the crossbar. Please note that the sitting person's feet should touch the ground with their toes. In fact, country swings can be very diverse; here, perhaps, it all depends on the power of your imagination.

The main thing is that when creating this garden item you were able to ensure its safety, reliability and durability. Add a little creativity to the product: decorate it, use unusual item as a seat.

We install the fastening mechanism

In order to hang the seat from the crossbar, you need to attach special hooks or brackets to it. If you decide to use cables as a suspension, then you will need clamps. Pull a cable, rope or chain through the holes. It is better to use chains with large links. This is due to the fact that they are more durable and are not afraid of bad weather and temperature changes. Chains, among other things, perfectly decorate landscape design.

It is better, of course, for the seat to have a backrest, while the suspension plays a less important role.

The place where the suspension will be fixed must be especially reinforced. If your seat is wooden, then decorate it with pillows, pull an awning or lay a mattress. All these details will only improve your rest and the rest of your children.

Swings are an integral part of leisure time. You will never regret the effort spent, because your structure will delight your family throughout the summer season!

Have you already worked on creating such a design? What ideas did you manage to bring to life? Perhaps you encountered difficulties during the manufacturing process? What helped you cope with them? Write comments on the article, we appreciate your work and experience!

Video

You can see an example of making a wooden swing below:

Photo

Scheme

If you decide to make a swing for your dacha yourself, then the presented drawings and diagrams will help you with this:

It is not difficult to make a garden swing with your own hands if you know how to use tools. All work can be completed in one or two days.

What to make a swing from

You can construct them from almost anything you can get your hands on:

• Wood: beams, trimmings, logs, slats from boxes, boards, slats, benches.
• Metal: pipes, profiles, rods, wire, chains, rings, hooks, sheets.
• Plastic: boxes, chairs, hoops, pipes.
• Shaped parts from sewerage: tees, elbows.
• Bearings.
• Ropes, ropes.
• Tires.
• Thick fabric, tarpaulin.
• Cases and seats of old cars and motorcycles.

As you can see, we can continue ad infinitum, but we will limit ourselves to this list for now.

Beginning of work

To properly make a garden swing with your own hands, you first need to prepare a project and drawings future design, based on the material you have available. If you are planning to make a metal garden swing, but there are not enough parts, you can ask your neighbors, friends, or make them from another material, such as wood.

Prepare a pencil (pen), eraser, ruler, paper, protractor. They will be needed not only for drawing, but also for subsequent marking of parts. If you can’t immediately start drawing (you don’t know where to start), then just sketch out a drawing of the swing, “as you see it.” It will be much easier to draw from a drawing.

Don't feel like you're wasting your time drawing out all the details. At the construction stage, you will have to refer to the drawing more than once.

Installation of supports and crossbar

Installation of supports can be carried out in different ways:

1. Set two vertical beams or pipes.
2. Dig two capital letters L.
3. Install two A-frames.
4. Mount the supports like the letter X.

The photo shows different kinds installations. As you can see, the crossbars are also secured differently. In addition to such fastening methods, for example, in the first picture, you can drill the racks at the top and install metal pipe or a thick rod. An axle from a cart or trailer is used as it.

If you made the racks from wide boards, you can drill them out and install bearings in the holes. Cover them on both sides with perforated sheets of metal, which are nailed to the board. A rod must be inserted or pressed into the holes.

A more advanced method of fixing the horizontal line involves a special design mounted on poles, made by welding three sections of metal pipes.

There are several options for mounting supports:

1. Install on the ground or dig into it. The option is bad. Due to dampness, the end of the beam will rot and the whole thing will collapse to the ground.
2. Wrap the butt of the support with polyethylene or paint it.
3. Concrete the support.
4. Install on a special podium or terrace.

The second and third options are more acceptable. You need to wrap the end so that the film extends 20-50 cm outwards. This will protect the bottom of the protruding part of the pillar from dampness in winter (into snowdrifts). The same must be done when filling the pillar with cement. The formwork should protrude from the ground.

Suspension and mounting structures

To prevent children and especially adults (due to the greater weight) from falling, it is necessary to hang the swing securely. To do this you need to find:

• fairly strong ropes - you can use parachute lines (withstand 150 kg each) or mountaineering ropes;
• chains - even those used to tie dogs are suitable, but preferably thicker ones;
• thick wire or long metal rods with a caliber of at least 10 mm.

Mounts can be completely different:

• From a rope. Throw a rope over the crossbar and secure it at the bottom of the seat. Or pull it through the saddle and tie it with a knot at the top.
• Hook or ring.

The second method has several options:

The first two are designed to grip shaped crossbars: rectangular and round. They are a kind of clamps with hooks.

The last two are designed to strengthen hooks or rings in through hole crossbars.

Manufacturing of seats

Everyone has long been tired of classic boards and half-logs on swings.

We will talk about several unconventional methods for making swing seats. They are easy to make and do not take much time.

Option 1.

Most easy way– use old chairs or benches made of any material that have broken legs. It's beautiful and practical. There are several ways to attach them to a swing:

1. We drill 4 holes in the seat of the chair (blue), pass ropes through them and tie a rod or thin metal tube at the bottom. He won't let the rope slip back.
2. We screw or nail boards to the seat (yellow) and drill them. We thread the ropes through the holes and tie them large knots. For safety, such knots can be omitted to prevent them from unraveling and passing through the hole. It's better to just tie the end of the rope around the board.
3. Instead of holes in the seat, we cut out grooves and wrap a rope around the chair (pink). But the child may jump, the rope will become free and slide to the side. To prevent the rope from jumping out, we stuff boards from below.

Option 2.

You can make a seat from tarpaulin or fabric, but it is not very comfortable, since it hugs the person sitting on both sides, squeezing him. For convenience, you can install a spacer above the seat on a rope or chain and then the degree of girth will decrease.

Option 3.

Make a pseudo seat from a tire. Hang it on the ropes. Stuff soft unnecessary things into the sector facing the ground.

For convenience, take tires big size, for example, from the rear wheels of a tractor.

Option 4.

Hoop as a seat. Take a hula hoop and wrap it with ropes along the diameter:

If this is difficult for you, you can put a ring in the center of the hoop and thread the ropes through it. First, place a small circle in the center and reinforce one cord so that its two ends are on the same side. Then reinforce the twine on the opposite side. And so on.

Option 5.

For this, use an old, durable basin, tub, or even a trough.

But just sitting on wood, plastic or metal is not very pleasant. For greater comfort, you can put cushions for garden swings on the seat, made of foam rubber and covered with thick fabric or leather. If during assembly you take the precaution to make soft seats, then no pillows will be needed.

How to make a garden swing from wood

There are two ways:

Option 1.

They represent a seat made of any suitable material, suspended by one or two ropes on a branch.

From the photo you can see that the ropes can be tied in different ways, the main thing is that they do not slip:

• on the left side, two ropes are thrown over a branch and secured below with four knots;
• in the top right picture, one rope is suspended from a hook;
• on the lower one there are two ropes hanging on hooks.

Option 2.

Perform the swing completely out of wooden parts. That is, make the supports and crossbar from beams or logs, and the seat from boards, slats or wooden benches and install as stated above.

If you pour the foundation, attach a knocked down special shield and a podium to it and install a swing - it will be even better. After all, the supports and shield do not touch the ground. Moreover, between the shield and the foundation there are additional bars, providing ventilation of the shield.

We provide drawings of the two designs below.

As you can see, a wooden garden swing is not that difficult to make.

How to make a garden swing from metal

Typically, a welded structure is made in the shape of the letter U, on which the seat is suspended using hooks with clamps or through ones.

It is made from pipes with a caliber of at least 5 cm. You can simply dig in or concrete two risers, in advance drilled holes insert the axle from a wide wheelbarrow or cart and lock it with the mounted wheels.

You can weld a wire with a swing onto the axle, because the axle will rotate freely. For greater effect, you can install it on bearings, as mentioned above.

To complete the second option, you need to weld something resembling the roof of a house. Everything is clear from the drawing.

Constructions of this type can also be made from a profile. Let us warn you right away - it is not made of plasterboard. That profile is very thin and may not support a swinging person. It is designed for stationary load.

The industry produces rectangular pipes, T-beams, I-beams. Here you can make a swing from them. Their appearance is no different from the other structures described above.

The following options are more difficult to implement, because to implement them you need to weld several pieces together.

To bend pipes, you can use a proven method:

• the mandrel is prepared;
• the pipe is tightly clogged with sand and plugs (wooden);
• then carefully bend the future support along the mandrel.

These designs are distinguished by the fact that they can be easily carried or moved. True, this may require 2-4 people.

How to make a 3-seater swing

Typically, swinging designs require a single-seater, less often a double-seater option. But now the 3-seater garden swing has come into fashion.

The installation of the stands and suspension is identical to those described above, but the width is much larger.

To do this, you will need to make a special elongated seat that can accommodate three people, and install racks at a distance of at least 2 m.

The seat can be made in two versions:

1. Classic - everyone sits facing the same direction.
2. Modern - average rider, looking in the opposite direction.

Let's consider the first option. It is easy to implement. To make it, you can even hang a bench like the kind you see in parks. But due to its heavy weight, this is not worth doing. It’s better to make a special seat yourself.

It can be done from aluminum pipes or made of wood. Below is the assembly procedure for the three-seater seat. Its length is 1500 mm or more, the width and height of the back is 500-600 mm.

DIY wooden swing (video)