I had been thinking about building a swing for our lawn for quite some time, so when it came time to cut a couple of old hemlock trees I had an idea: I would turn those old trees into a tree swing! This is how I did it:
- First, I cut the trees down leaving eight foot high stumps.
- Next, I cut a 14 foot section of hemlock log and placed it between the stumps to serve as a support for the roof and swing.
- Using treated lumber, I then built an "A" roof over the log and stumps to keep everything in the dry.
- Next, I purchased a regular five foot porch swing at our local home improvement store, assembled it, and suspended it from the log by the included swing chain.
- Finally, since the ground beneath the swing was sloped, I built a small stone retaining wall, backfilled it with earth, and covered the built-up area with marble chips. This provides a level expanse of ground under the swing.
Here is a photo of the finished tree swing:
On warm, dark nights, my wife and I hang a couple of oil lanterns from the roof supports and enjoy a romantic hour or two just relaxing in our new swing!
About the author:
Rick Rouse is a writer and owner of RLROUSE.COM.
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