Hey Y’all. I got so many questions and compliments on my porch swing, so I decided to share a step by step tutorial (video below). This side porch is dedicated to my late NaNa; she loved sitting out on her porch. Although she passed away before we moved into this home I feel her spirit is with me every day.
Now before we get into all the nuts and bolts (haha) let me just say I initially wanted one of the cute egg chairs that are inundating everyone’s home and patios right now, but due to COVID-19, I couldn’t find one online that would ship without crazy fees. So, of course, we decided to build something ourselves. This took a bit of convincing and arm twisting. My better half is always about working smarter not harder and I agree to a certain extent. I think it’s the unique side of me that always wins though. After looking for inspiration I decided on a porch bed swing.
This was a super easy project and can be completed in a weekend. I ended up taking about four weekends because I made custom cushions and added a bed skirt around the frame.
What you’ll need:
- pallet~45” x 55”
- (3) 2 x 4 x 3’ lumber
- (3) 1 x 6 x 8 lumber
- drill
- screws
- (8) lag eye screw bolt 7/16” x 5 1/4”
- measuring tape
- ~30ft rope
- (2) 6 x 24 x 72 cushion/foam
- 48″ batting
- 10 yards duck canvas fabric
- fabric protectant
- (3) 30″ zipper
- (2) 6×9 drop cloths
You can locate pallets at nurseries and shipping areas. Try to locate healthy and good looking pallets.
The hardest part of this project was the installation of the backrest to the swing seat. We used 2 X 4 x3’ boards (already pre-cut) to make a base for the back and attached them with screws at a 45-degree angle to the pallet. (see video below)
We used a saw and cut the 1 x 6 x 8 lumber pieces into lengths of 48″. We used five pieces and spaced them evenly and screwed them onto the angled 2 x 4’s to make the backrest.
Once the frame was finished we used 4 lag eye screws and secured them on each corner of the swing base where we would be tying the rope. At this point the swing is complete now it is time to hang it up. If you wanted to paint the swing this would be a perfect time. I opted not to paint ours.
We used 4 cylinder blocks upright to hold the swing in place (about the height of a 5-gallon bucket). The 4 remaining lag screws were placed in the ceiling of the porch. IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE PLACING THE SCREWS IN A 2 X4 OR 4 X 4 AND NOT HOLLOW FRAME. The load weight of the rope and eye screws is obsolete if you don’t and someone might get injured if the swing gives away. My husband and one of his friends attached the swing to the ceiling using the cutest bowline rope knots.
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For the finishing touches…I looked for a few days for cushions and of course, I couldn’t find any I liked so I made my own.
I also used drop cloths to make a bed skirt and voila.
All Chinoiserie Accessories (pillows, tray, and throw) gifted from InkFlow Art (use “OMNILEY” at checkout for 15%off they have the cutest accessories)
I am so happy with the results. Please let me know what you think and if you decide to try this tutorial please send me pictures so I can feature you. Omniley?
