Just for Fun

Try It! – DIY Hammock by Angela Cummins

There is nothing like relaxing in a hammock under the shade trees on a warm summer’s day. 

This is exactly what I was thinking to myself a few weeks back, when I was frantically searching online for a Father’s Day present. Being quite the frugal wife, I was certain I could knock up a wooden stand for much cheaper myself and weave a hammock together with some old socks. Just kidding! Since I needed a heavy-duty hammock, I figured it was best to purchase this hammock online and google a good DIY hammock stand project. So, if you are intrigued by the thought of this fun yet worth-while project, keep reading!

My go-to for on-line shopping is Amazon, which is where I landed this nice-looking double hammock for only $84.49 (Patio Watcher 11 ft quilted fabric hammock with pillow).  Unfortunately for you, I must have bought the last one. But here are some others that are similar if you plan on bagging a bargain for yourself. (If the hammock you choose doesn’t come with chains, add two 3-foot chains to your supply list.)

Next, I did a little research on the subject before finding the perfect size DIY wooden hammock stand guide. I finally landed on this awesome website that gave me the perfect inspiration to whip up this “seems so simple” stand.

The Saturday after my hammock arrived, I motored over to my local Menards that morning.  If you are wondering,  yes, I wore my face mask like a good citizen because the 7-foot giant security woman standing between me and the prize goods would not let me through without it!  The longest part of collecting the supplies was waiting in line to get the wood stain tinted and the line for the lumber yard.  Upon arriving home, my daughter helped me unload the wood from the truck so we can begin assembling the stand.

Excited about showing her how to use power tools, I eagerly started cutting the wood with the circular saw. We made little marks to pinpoint where we needed to drill the holes and began assembling what seemed to be an easy project. Five hours later with an achy back and feeling utterly exhausted from heat exhaustion, my daughter Katie begged me to stop.  So, we ended up finishing this project a few days later in two more stages. I made some adjustments to get the angling just right on the arms and then stained the wood for a nice rich color to make it pop.  After the stain was dry, we attached the legs and set up it up in the yard. The hubby couldn’t be happier, and my daughter now has some building experience, so I consider this a win!

Below is my tweaked version of the supply list.

Nine 8′ 2×4 boards
Four 1/2″ diameter, 8″ long bolts (galvanized steel)
Six 1/2″ diameter, 6″ long bolts (galvanized steel)
Ten 1/2″ nuts (galvanized steel)
Ten 1/2″ washers (galvanized steel)
Four large “S” hooks (galvanized steel) 
Deck screws
Outdoor wood stain
Measuring tape
Circular saw or chop saw
Drill
1/2″ paddle bit
Protractor

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