DIY Garden Swing

This high-backed swing hangs securely from sturdy, 5/8-inch-diameter nylon or hemp rope that runs through the swing’s arms and frame.

A yellow transparent stain emphasizes the grain of the wood; it is also protected with several coats of an exterior, satin-finish polyurethane.

The average woodworker can build the swing in a weekend; staining and sealing will add several more days, due to drying time between coats.

Most cuts can be made with a circular saw, handsaw, or saber saw, but the angled back support would be more easily cut with a table saw. A full-service lumberyard can generally do this for you.

Materials

• Two 8-foot 2-by-4s
• 220 1¼-inch deck screws
• 32 2½-inch deck screws
• Nine 10-foot 1-by-4s
• Countersinking bit
• One 10-foot 1-by-6
• Two 10-foot 2-by-4s
• 5/8- or 3/4-inch-diameter rope

Cost: About $150

Download the plans