Loft Swing DIY
I admit I was a little nervous to tackle this DIY barn loft swing but it ended up being a project anyone could do so I’m really excited to share the steps to recreate it.
I wanted this swing indoors so the first thing and probably the hardest part of this project is locating where to hang your swing from. You could hang this style of swing from a sturdy tree limb outside or on a porch or as I did, inside. Luckily, or it made things a bit easier that I was able to build a support out of 2X4’s that I attached to a truss with heavy duty construction screws before I finished the interior walls of the loft. This support is NEVER coming down.
Because of this I was also able to drill two holes to put an eye bolt through for the rope. If you are dealing with an already enclosed surface you will need to locate a stud in your rafters with a stud finder. Then you can drill a starter hole to then screw in an eye screw big enough to support the weight of the persons using it. Be sure to place the screws the distance apart of the location of the ropes to the seat ex if your seat is two feet long and your rope is going through 2” from either end of the seat your screws will be placed 20” apart then they should line directly up from roof to seat.
Once location is figured out you are on to the swing construction. 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, or anything durable that appeals to you will work. I wanted a rope with some substance so I chose a 3/4 inch jute. 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 their is no fear of slivers or any minor injuries. 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.
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. 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. 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.
XO. A
