DIY Sat. #145 – How to Build a Porch Swing from a Chair (Video)

Entry #2318, April 20, 2013

Happy DIY Saturday! Now that spring is here – we are all looking for ways to spend more time outside. Have you thought about building a porch swing?

Create a porch swing from recycled items

Image via: Dishfunctional Designs

Today’s DIY Saturday will help you transform a chair into a porch swing! Watch a Craftsman video on building the ultimate porch swing from a recliner! Then get the step by step directions for repurposing a chair into a porch swing.

Video: How to Build the Ultimate Porch Swing

Link to Video – How to build the ultimate porch swing

How to build a swing from a chair 

Swing into action by taking a chair and transforming it into an outdoor swing.  Now if your home is similar to mine you have a few chairs that are just sitting in the home and sort of taking up space.  Now you don’t want to lose them or get rid of them because they are special and have been with you for some time.  Well here is something that you can do that will be fun and you can still keep the chair.  Turn that chair into an outdoor swing, it can go on the porch or patio if you do not have those then a tree is fine too!

Indoor Swing

Image via: Scraphacker

Supplies

1. Rope or Chain
2. Chair
3. S-hooks
4. 4 Standard Eye Bolts (5/16 inch wide by 4 inches long)
5. Saw (electric preferred)
6. Drill (electric preferred)
7. File or Sandpaper
8. Measuring Tape
9. Permanent Marker
10. Paper
11. Pen or Pencil

Outdoor Chair Swing

Image via: Dishfunctional Designs 

Directions

1. Purchase the rope (preferably for indoors and outdoors) or chains (preferably for outdoors) that you will be using to hold up the swing.  When constructing swings for children rope that is made with good griping substance such as polypropylene is usually recommended.  However, if you do decide to use a chain, try the galvanized 1/0 double loop.
2. With the chair that you have chosen, begin to remove the legs from beneath it using the saw.  There will be different blades for both wood and metal available.  What you want to do is get as close to the bottom of the chair as possible so you don’t have sharp stumps behind.
3. Now it is time to smooth the edges by filing or sandpaper what is left of the legs. And this would also be a good time for you to measure and write down the length and width or your chair, you will need them later on.
4. Using your permanent marker mark four spots for pilot holes in the four corners of the chair, making sure to leave about two inches between the marks and the edges of the chair.  The take the drill and drill the pilot holes.
5. Insert the eye bolts (5/16 inch wide by four inches long) into the pilot holes and secure them with a flat washer and nuts.  Next, place the S-hooks through the eye bolts, you have now converted a chair into a swing and the only thing left to do is hang it somewhere.

Location Directions

1. Porch Location- Start by drilling two pilot holes directly into the ceiling joist you want to hang it from.  Use your chair measurements to figure out the distance the holes need to be (it should be equal the length of the distance between the two front pilot holes in the chair).  Screw the heavy duty eye bolts (3/4 inch wide by four inches long into the pilot holes.
2. Tree Location- First make sure that the tree branch is alive and at least eight inches thick.  After the stability requirements are proven, drill two holes through the tree branch. Like with the porch location-use your chair measurements to calculate how far apart the holes need to be (this again should equal the length of the distance between the two front pilot holes in the chair).  Insert galvanized or stainless steel heavy duty eye bolts through the holes in the branch secure these with a flat washer and nuts.
3. If you are using chains, attach them to the front eye bolts in the chair and run them up through the eye bolts in either the ceiling or the branch, then bring them down and attach them to the back eye bolts in the chair.
4. Now if you are using rope, pass the rope through the eye bolts in either the ceiling or the branch and make sure the rope is even length on both sides, and pass it through the front and back eye bolts of the chair.
5. Tie the rope at all four eye bolts in the chair using a bowline knot. The bowline knot will not slip or untie when a load is placed on it and for more instructions/detail on how to tie this knot can be found at AnimatedKnots.com.

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