A pallet swing is one of the simplest of DIY projects for people not well versed with building such things on their own. It is also one of the coolest items you can make, and undoubtedly one of the most comfortable furniture to relax in.
Created by combining a pallet and a swing, this outdoor bed that floats in the air and rocks you to a sweet sleep is quite cheap to make. Wooden pallets are not difficult to acquire and are low cost or even free to buy, the rest of the supplies aren’t many either.
Epic Pallet Swing Ideas
What tools do you need for pallet swing?
A small pack of screws, a drill and a lot of rope, a few pieces of lumber and a saw to cut it, and of course a mattress for you to lie on.
First up is fastening the swing. Your safety indeed depends on how tightly you attach it and how well the ropes you bought can hold the weight, not only of the swing but also of the mattress and one or more people.
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Once safety is assured, comfort should be your focus. Take a couple of pallets, a sturdy nylon rope and paint, and you are ready to build the foundation to your simple yet luxurious swinging bed under the sky.
You can experiment with the ready-made pallets by including backrests and armrests to them, though this would require extra boards and extra drilling on your part. But, hey, as long as you can crash on that pallet at the end of your hard work and doze off into sweet dreams with a delightful breeze brushing your face, that’s perfectly okay.
I know, you have ideas running in your head. Why settle for less when you can do more? Why make a small swing when you can make a bed? For this, you’d need more than two pallets, and you’ll have to undo them and redo them together to fit the dimensions of the mattress because cutting down the mattress is not a task for anyone, dedicated or not.
There is only enough wool and feather you can deal with before you sew it back. So, take apart the pallets and build a platform for your bed before proceeding to make the sides and the back for the rest.
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At this stage, experimentation is duly warranted. You can add style to your swing or shape it in a way that is unique to you. Perhaps a swing for both lounging and sleeping would serve a better purpose. You can also expose some sections of the pallet by not covering them with the mattress, using them as a side table for keeping your stuff. Colors will even make your pallet swing stand out or just plainly refresh your eyes every time you see it. The combination is entirely up to you, but chartreuse is an excellent base to begin with.
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But, where to put your pallet swing? Does it only need to be under a tree? Of course not. You can attach it to a terrace, or create a frame for it in the garden. Everything about your pallet swing is modifiable according to where you decide to install it. The dimensions, the choice of paint, the fabric, and the mattress itself. Protection from rain is an essential factor.
But, they can also be attached indoors and would still manage to give you the same satisfaction. In the end, as long as the swing rocks you to sleep, your DIY project is a great success.
For further reference and to aid your DIY process, here are some unique ways you can make pallet swings, and in lieu of pallets, swings of other kinds with more materials than mentioned above.
Round Hammock DIY Hanging Cradle
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Hammock Swing Tutorial
This chair gives the impression of a half sliced ostrich egg or a shaved coconut, but big enough for you to just sink into it. It’s made with a combination of bent wood and string and padded with cushions and fabric. Lying in it in a foetal position, swinging gently and reading, or sleeping, seems very enticing.
Hanging Garden Chairs
This floral hammock swing is a pleasant example for something you can make that will go really well with your outdoors. Balancing the flowers with striated designs of the same color scheme gives it a Mediterranean feel, and anything Mediterranean is a stand out.
Relaxing Porch Swing
What does this remind you of? A set of bangles, or a hoop in motion? Perhaps a vague representation of the atomic orbit. It is ineffably postmodern in its make but at the same time it isn’t as tough to make it as it seems. You too could think out of the box and forego the standard conical or rectangular or square design and go for something more unique.
Reading Nook Hanging Chair
For a moment it gives you an appearance of those old ice cream sandwiches, and just like those sandwiches, it is quite cool and relaxing. Fasten it well with chain links and/or rope and you have a lovely swing to lazy in.
The base is completely fabric, with planks from wooden pallet used to create arm and back rests. Ideal for children, but a bigger size with an extra layer of sturdy fabric works for adults too.
Paracord Laced Pallet, Hanging Chair
The pallets in this chair have been disassembled and reassembled, attached by sewing them together with rope. The shape is extremely aerodynamic, and is ideal for lumbar support. Plus, it immediately catches your eye, even from a corner.
Pallet Hanging Chair
This is pretty small in size, and functions more like a hanging stool, but this naval style pallet chair with an abundance of cushions is a perfect companion for a pool, and can conversely hang in your room.
Hanging Macrame Chair
A hanging macrame chair requires more thread and needle skills than with a drill, but the outcome is unarguably beautiful. The patterns of the weave are entirely open to customization. Once you create a strong wooden or iron frame for it, the experimenting has limitless possibilities.
Hanging Chairs for a Toddler
A conical red hanging chair is enticing for toddlers. Within it the small eyes and big imagination of a child lights up. To us it might be a hanging chair, to a child a floating fortress and there are fewer ways to fuel a child’s imagination than this.
Miss Dondola DIY Swing Chair
This pallet swing chair resembles a bench in a park, without the feet, and with the addition of beautifully colorful cushions sewn as striates onto a thin foam, flanked by equally colorful rope installed like sewn threads into the swing to not only give it a sturdy strength and an effortlessly balanced swing, but also an aesthetic appeal.
Bean Bag Hanging Chairs
This one is terribly easy to make. Bean bags are ready-made when it comes to covering, comfort and the sturdiness. Drilling holes into the corners of a bean bag and hoisting it up with chains, and perhaps painting the bag the way you like, makes for a simple yet artful swing.
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Hanging Lounge Chair
Just five slim pieces of wood, a couple meters of fabric and a lot of rope and you can have this hanging chair in no time.
Conclusion
Did you find a particular design that you had in mind? Are you inspired by the items above to have your own twist at making a swing? It’s time to put thoughts onto paper, and then from paper to pallet and get swinging!
