A hammock made with your own hands will hardly leave anyone indifferent: both adults and children will enjoy spending time sitting or lying on it. Moreover, a beautiful product can decorate the site of a private house and a city apartment. In this article we tell you how to create a comfortable and stylish place to relax on your own.
Bonus: 6 Tips for Building and Attaching
There are several important points that will help you choose how to make a swing-hammock with your own hands.
- If you like fabric models, then special attention should be paid to the material. The strength and durability of the product depends on it. Canvas, calico, teak, camouflage and canvas are suitable for this.
- It is better not to use synthetic materials. Firstly, they are more difficult to work with. And secondly, synthetics are uncomfortable to use in the hot season. It does not allow air to pass through, so you will hardly want to spend a lot of time in such a hammock.
- As for macrame, you can use both synthetic laces with polystyrene and special natural ones produced for this weaving technique.
- You can secure the finished product in the classic way between two trees, on poles or on a system that you can design yourself.
- If you decide to attach to trees, the diameter of the poles must be at least 15 cm. To avoid damaging the bark, use tubes or place fabric under the rope.
- Instead of trees, you can use support pillars, then they should be deepened into the ground. Or make a support structure with v-bars, similar to a boat. It's mobile, so you don't have to dig holes in the yard.
Material selection
Fastenings and fabric need to be durable and able to last for more than one season.
Hanging fabric
Durable fabric is preferable, natural is better:
- mattress linen;
- cotton fabric;
- tarpaulin;
- sackcloth.
Along with durability, comfort is taken into account. In this regard, tarpaulin and burlap are significantly inferior to cotton fabrics. Rough fabric is not very comfortable for the body.
Mattress fabric and any other cotton fabric are pleasant to the touch and can withstand loads of up to 160 kilograms
Hanging mesh
The easiest to manufacture, lightweight, does not take up much space when transporting. The downside is that the maximum load threshold is 100 kilograms; it can’t handle two adults. Lying in it is not very comfortable - the mesh will dig into the body.
If you still choose this option, it is best to choose cotton threads for weaving.
If you know the technique of weaving macrame, tie a hammock yourself, it will be elegant and unusual.
Frame
Metal pipes or wooden slats are suitable for making the base. Prefabricated structures are usually made from metal. The wooden frame is monumental and low mobility.
The principle of choosing fabric is the same as for hanging models - reliability, comfort, durability.
There is a lot of room for imagination and ideas. When weaving using the macrame technique, you can use a child. It is useful for children to create homemade products together with their parents.
Frame manufacturing process
Most often, ash timber is used for production. The design of the simplest frame includes two braces that are attached to the base at an angle of 45 degrees. The base itself consists of a strapping of two beams. Also, the braces must be fixed with power blocks, which are also attached to the harness.
A simple, but very stable and reliable structure made of ash timber Source pointernety.ru
At a height of about 1.4 m, eye blocks are installed on the braces. They are needed for hanging a hammock. A stand for a wooden hammock should also include two beams that serve as horizontal support.
During manufacturing, first of all, the entire timber is cut to length and, after processing and polishing, is coated with antiseptics and fire retardants. Then they take one of the strapping strips, apply power supports and braces to it, pre-connected to each other. Next, another trim strip is installed on top and holes are drilled in the right places with a diameter equal to the diameter of the bolts. At least two bolted connections should be used for each joint. After this, the bolts are tightened until they stop.
The next step is to attach the eye blocks and paws. This is the process of making a stand. But after complete assembly, the entire surface of the timber can be painted and hidden with varnish for decorative purposes. This design for a hammock is inexpensive and is reliable and stable.
It’s not difficult to make a base stand for a hammock yourself Source qirarygo.ga
Advantages and disadvantages of handmade hammocks
Making hammocks yourself has its advantages:
- Low manufacturing cost.
- Possibility to choose the most suitable model.
- Taking into account individual tastes during production and installation.
- It is not accessible to rats or other animals.
However, you need to remember the disadvantages:
- You'll have to spend a lot of work.
- The workmanship will be lower than that of purchased structures.
- To do this job you need to have certain skills.
To make your life more comfortable, you need to take into account your tastes and capabilities when choosing the best option.
Video description
There are several types of hammocks on the market. Therefore, if you want to buy fabric for a hammock, it is very important to take into account the design features and type of product in order to correctly and accurately select the amount of material required. Brazilian hammocks can be suspended on ropes (a transverse traverse and special straps are used), and are intended for those who prefer comfort. The width of the hammock is 2 m. The design itself is quite complex and the product is expensive. It assumes an increased load, so more supports are required.
Hammocks using Mexican technology are made from fabrics or ropes Source proekt-sam.ru
Iron pillars
To install a hammock you will need two iron posts with a diameter of 15-20 cm, metal fasteners and cement mortar. The pillars must be installed at the same distance as the wooden beams, holes for them must be dug in the ground at least a meter deep, and concreted. After the solution has hardened, you can attach the hammock in the usual way.
Veranda or terrace
This mounting option is suitable for owners of country houses and verandas with strong walls made of brick or concrete. In order to hang a hammock, drill two holes in opposite or adjacent walls, at the required distance, insert anchor rings and reinforced carabiners into them. The longer the hammock, the higher the attachment points should be.
See also a beautiful design project for a terrace in a private house near Moscow.
You can also attach a hammock to the walls through the door frames.
Swing
A hammock swing for a summer cottage cannot quite be classified as a separate type. Such a model can be with or without a frame, it can be traditionally oblong or in the form of a chair. A distinctive feature of the swing is its single attachment point. It is because of this that the hammock is able to swing.
Striped hammock for the garden
Children will be especially happy with such an unusual design. These swings are absolutely safe, so kids can play in them without adult supervision. For an additional fee, you can make an original appearance that will further win the child’s heart.
Hammock for a summer house with a canopy
Armchairs
The chair is an original alternative to the classic look of a hammock. In this model, you can not just spend time idle, but do something useful. For example, read books or work on a laptop. Maybe on a warm summer evening, gently rocking in a hammock chair, you will be so inspired that you will not just read other people’s works, but write your own.
Portable hammock
Thanks to its “lounger” shape, this type of hammock is suitable as chairs for entertaining guests. Just imagine what an incredible atmosphere you can create if you place such chairs around a table on an open veranda. A joint holiday with friends in the fresh air will be unforgettable. Prices for hammock chairs depend on the complexity of the design. Simple options are available to a wide range of buyers; models with canopies, pillows and other accessories will cost more. But you can make comfortable and soft chairs yourself.
Hammock with pillows for the garden
Fence posts or outbuildings
If the height of the fence allows, the pillars of its two spans, converging at right angles, can be used as fastenings. This way, the space near the fence will be put to good use, and the hammock will have enough room to swing.
Be sure to look at what to plant along the fence.
Video description
Malay/Vietnamese hammocks are made from a strong net and suspended from poles or branches. Additional transverse bars - traverses - are used. Thanks to this, the bed turns out to be more comfortable and can even be a double bed; you can rest in it for a very long time without feeling pain.
Hammocks for sitting - can be placed outdoors or in an apartment Source lifemebel.ru
Choosing rattan, what to look for
Rattan is a material that is used to make wicker furniture, including hammocks. It must be remembered that it can be either natural or artificial.
The advantage of real wood is its environmental friendliness, but artificial rattan can boast of strength (the hammock can easily withstand weight up to 150 kilograms) and durability without any maintenance, as well as a cheaper cost. In addition, you don’t have to be afraid to leave it outside, since poly rattan is not afraid of any climatic conditions.
When choosing a hammock, pay attention first of all to its storage location.
Attention! Natural wood can dry out in the wrong conditions, which will lead to its rapid breakage.
Also, another point that requires close attention is the price; natural wood is expensive; it’s not for nothing that only the rich could afford it half a century ago.
How to make a hammock for a summer house with your own hands
If you have the material, tools and minimal skills in working with a sewing machine, you can get a pretty attractive thing. Here is a master class on making several types.
Hanging hammock chair made of hoop
To work you will need:
- hoop;
- fabric, the cut should be 25-30 cm larger than the circumference of the hoop;
- marker or chalk for marking;
- rope.
Step by step steps:
- Place the hoop in the middle of the fabric.
- Using a marker, mark a diameter of 25 cm from the edge of the hoop.
- Cut the fabric according to the markings. You should end up with two identical parts.
- We sew a zipper into one piece. Its length should be equal to the diameter of the hoop.
- Place both pieces right sides inward and machine stitch them together.
Position of the zipper on the fabric - Turn the sewn fabric right side out and cut 4 holes in it so that the hammock can be hung.
- We process the edges of the holes with braid.
- We put the finished cover on the frame.
All that remains is to hang the hammock, and for this you will need 4 pieces of rope: two 20 cm each and two 2.8 m each.
We fold each one in half and thread it through the holes, tighten it on a hoop.
For a comfortable rest in a hammock, we recommend sewing pillows that are also suitable for garden swings made of wood and metal.
You can watch the video for more detailed step-by-step instructions.
Wicker hammock
You will need:
- Rope cord 8 mm in cross section.
- Wooden planks 1.5 meters long.
Drill 20 mm holes in each plank in increments of 4-5 centimeters.
The diameter of the cord is 1/3 of the diameter of the hole. The length depends on the chosen weaving pattern. Cut the rope into equal pieces and secure them in the first plank. After finishing the weaving, secure it in the second bar.
Watch the video: weaving instructions.
Fabric hammock on wooden slats
To make it you will need:
- Two wooden slats with drilled holes along the entire length, pitch 5 cm. The length depends on the planned width of the product.
- The fabric is 2-2.5 meters long, 1.5-1.8 meters wide.
- Metal rings for fastening. The quantity is equal to the number of holes drilled.
Sew two pieces of cloth, fasten the rings along the entire width, the distance between them is the same as on the bar.
For stability, you can sew a seam along the length of the panel, bending the fabric 2-3 cm. Insert a cord into the resulting gap.
Using a rope, you need to tie each metal ring to a hole in the bar, securing each knot securely
