DIY Porch swings provide a relaxing space to enjoy an outdoor view of your lawn and garden. There’s nothing quite as picturesque as a married couple engaged in quiet conversation on their porch balcony, lazily swinging as they casually greet ambling passersby.
We’ve collected a list of some of the best porch swing plans that you can build yourself with links to the printable designs.
There are a variety of styles you can choose from. Some are housed in A-frames so they can be erected outside of a porch. Many of the swings hang from chains screwed into the porch rafters. There are indoor options if you are particularly adventurous with interior decor. There are pallet-style and porch bed styles fitted with mattresses for a truly relaxing experience.
Many woodworkers gather inspiration from a variety of sources before crafting their own custom porch swing. Whatever your inclination, these fun DIY projects can serve as inspiration or the tactical guidelines to help you get in gear and build you and your family a fabulous porch swing.
56 Porch Swing DIY Design Plans
1. The Homemade Hammock Porch Swing Design
When you look at this option, you might be wondering if it will hold anything heavier than a child. But that’s not the case.
It’s made from strong materials that can withstand up to 220 lb (oak, stainless steel spring snap link, braided polypropylene, stainless steel quick link) so you can settle in with no worry. You can also add cushions to make it more comfortable.
2. The White Hanging Outdoor Porch Design
This white porch swing will be a stylish addition to your outdoor patio. You can build it in five steps.
And you don’t have to worry about safety- the builder uses ropes rated for 600 lb. If the white front porch swing doesn’t feel stable or well-balanced, you can use chains, instead.
In either case, you’ll need 1/4″ welded rings and two heavy-duty screw hooks to hang this patio swing.
3. The Light Blue Bed Design
This hanging porch swing is painted in a beautiful turquoise color.
It’s easy to build because you need basic tools – 2x4s lumber, standard screw joints plus a chain or a rope. What’s perfect about this swing bench is that it has an extra wide seat, which is deep enough for napping and relaxing in the afternoon.
4. The Chained Wooden Plan
This wooden swing is a modification of the previous ana-white.com model. In contrast to the light blue porch swing, this one has a taller back and narrow seat.
You will need 2 -1/2″ and 1-1/2″ self-tapping screws to assemble it and three eye bolts on each side to hang it. After you build a porch swing, it only makes sense to build a DIY picnic table so there’s even more versatile outdoor seating space.
5. The Wooden Front Porch Yard Build
This yard porch is so easy to build that you can make it a few hours with a Kreg jig kit, lumber, and basic tools.
You can use Minwax Bombay Mahogany stain if you want to achieve the beautiful red color.
6. The $100 Cheap Porch Set Design
If you want simple instructions on how to build a cheap porch swing, you can try this plan.
This option has a modern look, and it’s ideal for beginner woodworkers because it will take around 3-6 hours to build.
7. The Recycled Pallet DIY Swing Build
Don’t want to spend a fortune on new lumber for a swing? Then you can make use of these DIY plans and build one out of recycled pallets.
The finished product looks very pretty because the builder uses Kreg pocket holes to hide the hardware. Also, this style has eyebolts screwed on the front and the back so that it won’t flip.
8. The Outdoor Porch Swing With Frame Plan
This porch swing frame plan is easy to follow and will take you 6-9 hours. What’s unique about this one is that it’s hanging from an A-frame.
To assemble the frame, you need 1/2″ galvanized carriage bolts and a 1/4″ chain to hang the porch swing securely from the beam.
9. The Mediterranean Garden Pallet Design
If you want a unique option, then these pallet plans are just for you. This Mediterranean garden swing doesn’t have a back.
Instead, you can use pillows to rest or lean on comfortably. Moreover, you don’t need metal rings to hang this tree swing because it’s tied directly to a high tree branch with tight knots.
10. The Adjustable Seat Backyard Idea
These plans from buildeasy.com show you how to build a porch swing that will make your friends green with envy.
In addition to the beautiful design, this porch bench swing has an adjustable seat so that you can either lie back or sit straight.
You require two galvanized chains (12ft) to hang it, but make sure that the seat is 16″ off the ground.
11. The DIY Salvaged Loveseat Build
This adorable loveseat is so breathtaking that you won’t be able to resist it. And the cool thing is that it’s made of salvaged materials – a footboard, a headboard, and a solid wood door.
You can make it as big as you want by modifying the provided plans. Another thing that you’ll have to do is drill holes to thread the ropes, but it’s definitely worth this extra effort.
12. The Country Pallet Cedar Porch Swing Design
If you have some old pallets lying around you can use them to make this country porch swing.
It’s a simple construction suitable for amateurs thanks to there are step-by-step instructions. If the swing is too unbalanced, you can adjust the length of the chains.
13. The Leftover Lumber Cushioned Porch Swing Build
This simple front porch design requires nothing more than cedar poles for the frame and tongue-and-groove lumber.
It measures 6 feet in length with a 16″ seat and a 24″ back, but you can change the dimension to suit your needs. You also need exterior screws to secure the joints.
14. The Freestanding Arbor Framed Build
If you don’t have a place to hang your porch swing, you can try this freestanding arbor framed design.
The arbor frame is easy to build, and you can screw short pieces on top of the beams to add character. The structure is suitable for a 4-feet wide swing with curved seat supports.
15. The Old Fashioned Back Porch Swing Plan
This old-fashioned back porch swing is made of red oak to withstand the harsh elements.
It’s constructed in four steps, but it requires some specific tools and skills. Nevertheless, the schematics and instructions are well-written and easy to follow. You also will need an eye bolt to hang it safely.
16. The Black Steel Pipe Porch Design
To build a classic porch swing in the weekend, you only need to follow these step-by-step instructions and pictures. Unlike other porch swings, this one has a unique suspension system – a 1/2″ pipe with eye bolts fastened through it. In this way, the pipe acts as a cradle and eliminates stress in critical joints.
To finish this DIY project you’ll need a table saw, a circular saw, and a jigsaw.
17. The 2 Person Adirondack Porch Swing Plan
The Adirondack lawn chair is the inspiration behind this two-person porch swing.
It’s made from redwood to withstand decay and insects so that it won’t crumble in a few years. One of its main features is the rounded wooden slats and the back-slant design. You can hang it from a gazebo, a covered porch, a second-story deck or a tree branch.
18. The Upcycled Antique Table Top Idea
This antique porch swing will be ideal if you want a stylish option that could accommodate three people comfortably.
It’s made from recycled material – an antique table top for a seat, a door for a backrest, table leg braces as armrest and table legs as posts.
The finished swing porch looks so good that you’ll never guess what the builder has used.
19. The Bamboo Designed Porch Swing Plan
This simple porch swing is made of bamboo, rope and metal washers, and it’s perfect for those with minimal woodworking experience.
Bamboo is a light, but sturdy material and it will hold your weight nicely. However, you can’t use an electric saw to cut the material, because you’re going to split the bamboo.
That’s why you’ll need to get a metal saw.
20. The Solder-Branded Small Porch Swing Design
While at first, this small porch swing might look like something out of your league, it’s not that complicated to build.
Even a beginner woodworker could do it if he knows how to use a jigsaw, a drill and a 1/4″ wrench. And what’s even cooler, the armrests have a cup holder to keep drinks close.
21. The DIY Wooden Daybed Plan
This wooden daybed porch swing has a curved back, a curved seat, and comfortable armrests.
It’s big enough to hold four children, but you have to follow the hanging instructions to the letter to make sure that it’s well-balanced and that it won’t tip backward.
You can paint it before or after you hang it.
22. The Garden Patio Swing Bed Design
If you want a hanging bed in your garden, you can try this swing bed design.
The orange porch bed measures 140 cm in length and 100 cm in width.
It’s made from regular pine, which you have to treat against rot and rain. It’s easy to build this patio swing, and you can complete it in two days.
23. The Hanging Fire Pit Build
This hanging porch swing immediately catches the eye with its unique design and complexity.
It features a circular construction with a hexagon roof, four swings and a fire pit in the middle. Pay careful attention when you choose the spot to build this outdoor porch swing so that you can use it all year round.
Keep in mind that this is a fire pit plan suitable for an experienced DIY builder.
24. The Heavy Duty Porch Idea
This large front porch is sturdy enough to accommodate three average/large-sized adults.
It has an unusual design that features four back supports, which are the most complicated part of the project, and extra supports at the bottom. The builder also uses four porch supports, each one rated 250+lbs for safety.
25. The Upcycled Swingset Plan
For those of you that have an old swing set that they don’t use anymore, they can use these plans to turn it into a hanging porch swing for two.
The build in this design has a seating area measuring 16 x 48″, and a 15″ tall backrest. It’s a straightforward construction that won’t take too much time. If you don’t have a swing set, you can make an A-frame to hang it.
26. The Upcycled Twin Headboard Plan
This cute style is a nice option if you want a relaxing place in your garden to spend some alone time.
To construct it, you need an old twin headboard and some pallets, and you’ll be ready to hang it on the tree in no time. But you’d better use chains to ensure stability and balance.
27. The White Pallet Patio Chair Design
This patio swing chair looks so comfortable that you can spend a whole day in it.
You can hardly tell that it’s made from four pallets cut with a jigsaw. However, the instructions are too vague for a novice builder.
28. The Cherry, Maple & Bloodwood Porch Swing Plan
Do you want something unusual, but comfy in your sitting room? Then try this indoor wooden porch swing.
To build it, you need cherry, hard maple, and bloodwood. If you like, experiment with the layout of the wood until you find the pattern that you like. The finished wooden porch swing measures 25″ in width and 12″ in depth.
29. The $40 2×4 Porch Swing Design
This 2×4 porch swing is an excellent choice for the amateur builder because there are well-written instructions and an informative video to facilitate the building process.
As for hanging the swing, you’ll need four 3/8″ eye bolts or 3-1/2″ ones. You should drill holes in the armrest, and the slat supports to insert the eye bolts.
30. The Recycled 5 Foot Antique Door Deck Swing Plan
This adorable deck style looks so beautiful that it’s hard to believe that it’s made from two antique house doors.
First, you have to determine how big you want your antique deck swing to be and then cut the doors accordingly. If you happen to have some old chair legs lying around, you can use them to make the armrests.
31. The Converted Baby Crib Idea
When you don’t need your baby crib anymore, you don’t have to throw it away.
Instead, use these plans to convert it to an outdoor porch swing with a beautifully curved back and comfortable armrests.
32. The Blue Zinc-Chained Side Plan
This patio swing plans are for a 5′ swing with a low back. It’s perfect for layering on pillows and stretching comfortably in the afternoon.
Unlike other swing set plans, this one calls for wood glue and 2.5″ screws instead of a Kreg jig.
33. The Outdoor Furniture 2 Seater Swing Design
This attractive porch swing for two is an excellent choice for adding some style to your front porch. What’s unusual about this one is that it doesn’t have wooden supports for the armrests. Instead, the ropes on the front support the arms.
White oak, black cherry, black walnut, or teak will be an excellent choice as a building material for this outdoor two-person porch design.
34. The Twin Mattress Rope Build
The Look Linger Love blog partnered with a local store to build a cushioned porch swing that’s suspended by thick, braided gold rope. This DIY hanging porch swing is engineered to accommodate a twin mattress-making it an especially spacious place to rest and relax on balmy summer days.
The website is a little scant on the actual wooden swing set plans, but it can serve as inspiration for building out your own porch bed swing.
35. The Gentle Glide Patio Swing Build
The Thompson’s Water Seal porch swing is advertised as a weekend do it yourself project. It has a unique steel pipe suspension system designed to decrease wood joint stress with its eyebolts fastened through steel pipe.
They caution that you should keep an eye on children playing on or near this cedar porch swing because the hard edges can deliver a painful bump.
The instructions provide a thorough tools list that includes an adjustable wrench, a block plane, bar clamps, hacksaw, a miter saw, a jigsaw, a table saw and an orbital sander.
36. The Porch Swing With Support Set Blueprint
Mother Earth News provides instruction plans for assembling a durable porch swing that can either be hung from your rafters or integrated into a support frame. It’s built from construction-grade softwood lumber as well as cedarwood and includes comprehensive materials list as well as some handy woodworking tips.
The joints in this wooden bench swing are either screwed or glued together- they specifically advise using wood glue that is either Type II or Type III grade water resistance like Gorilla wood glue. Because this plan has a number of curved elements it’s best to create full-sized templates before you begin cutting.
They also include design instructions for creating tapered wooden plugs to hide screw heads.
37. The Arbor Covered Build
My Outdoor Plans provide instructions for creating a modern covered porch swing. This arbor-style swing has a trellised top that provides some protection from the scorching sun.
The project plans include a materials list, required tools, and walk you through constructing the floor frame, fitting the decking, how to attach the posts, how to assemble its support beams, constructing the rafters, creating the braces and fitting all of the elements together to create a pergola style porch swing.
38. The Park Bench Style Plan
This park bench style wooden hanging porch swing is another attractive option provided by My Outdoor Plans.
The instructions advise that you use either pine, redwood or cedar because of their attractive appearance and natural rot resistance. This handsome park bench style option will require several coats of stain and can be combined with a swing stand to make it freestanding as opposed to hanging it with chains or rope braid.
39. The A Frame Build
Another solid option is this a frame patio porch swing. The instructions guide you through building the A-frame, providing articulate measurements and directions so that you can hang a purchased or handbuilt wooden swing set from it.
40. The Amish Style Porch Swing Set Design
Another DIY swingset option from My Outdoor Plans is this basic option.
The detailed planning instructions show you how to build the swing frame, how to attach the cleats how to fit the trim, how to fit the bench supports, and how to attach everything together into a fully assembled wooden porch swing bench.
41. The Glider Porch Plan
Yet another My Outdoor Plans option is this backyard DIY yard swing. The website provides a comprehensive materials list that includes concrete blocks, measured lumber, galvanized wood screws, tarpaper, and asphalt shingles.
42. The Patio Furniture Porch Swing Plan
The next outdoor porch furniture plan is this garden deck cupholder option. It is unique because it has a center console so that two people can sit in it side-by-side and share a space to place their beverages.
43. The Stained Wood Glider Porch Swing Blueprint
If you’re looking to build a glider porch swing, this is a solid and inexpensive option. The builder says that it’ll cost you under $100 if you are particularly economical in sourcing the wood and if you already have woodworking tools already.
These porch swing chairs are more unique. It’s really a style of rocking chair often referred to as a ‘platform rocker’ with non-parallel suspension arms to create a smooth rocking chair motion as an alternative to a traditional porch swing.
Wikipedia also informs us that they are historically popular with nursing mothers who find that its movements are calming for newborns.
44. The DIY Pallet Swing Bed Design
The Pallet Furniture DIY site provides project plans for creating this rustic, upcycled porch bed swing. You can place it on a patio, inside a gazebo or situate it within your enclosed porch to create a restful spot to read during the summer months or kick back and take a nap in the spring evening hours.
You can also load it up with a mattress and pillow, and other swing set accessories, finding attractive complements to the bed swing’s rustic ropes and pallet board design.
45. The Hanging Garden & Porch Swing Blueprint
PorterCalls.com provides instruction for creating a hanging porch swing. As you can see it is suspended from a simple bracket shaped frame.
46. The Pergola Porch Swing Blueprint
Sincerely Marie Designs provides a fun pergola DIY porch swing plan supplemented with chic throw pillow cushioning. It’s situated on her back patio and they were inspired to build it because their children fell in love with the porch swings at Lowe’s.
47. The Arbor Summer Swing Plan
Skil Tools provides instruction for this summer swing. You can paint it white, blue, yellow, any color, really, to make it better blend with the decor of your outdoor environment.
The downloadable instructions provide plans for this weekend pine swing project. The instructions include how to cut out and prime the parts, creating the frame sandwiches, assembling the armrests and slats, and how to hang a porch swing using a swing hook kit.
They also take care to explain how to create your own hanging system that will support the weight of the people sitting on it.
48. The DIY Yellow Porch Swing Design
Sunset.com offers woodworking project plans for this sunshine-yellow garden porch swing. It is a high-backed option that is suspended using either hemp or nylon rope that fits through the swing’s frame and arms.
They write that it is a great weekend project though sealing and staining it will add a couple days worth of work to ensure it is treated and protected against inclement outdoor elements. It’ll cost about $150 to build and the downloadable PDF provides thorough planning instructions.
Once completed, they envision it as a restful place for couples to spend evening hours in quiet conversation, sharing an adult beverage and watching neighbors pass by in the summer evening hours. The porch bench style resembles an Adirondack chair in its modern appearance and luxuriously elongated slants.
49. The Crib Mattress Porch Swing Build
Sawdust To Stitches provides an indoor option. It’s billed as a crib mattress porch swing that this builder situated in her front room. The instructions walk you through the especially tricky part of mounting it into ceiling joists.
She writes that if you want your swing to get more momentum on the ceiling hooks they will have to be closer set together, so planning this aspect can be especially challenging. This can be a good option if you want to upcycle materials like a spare crib mattress- or serve as inspiration if you need to recycle an old porch bench and convert it into something new.
The website provides a full shopping list that includes plywood measurements, brad nails, and hardware hooks as well as a suggested tools and materials list.
50. The Porch Swing With Center Console Plan
This outdoor bench plan isn’t exactly a porch swing, but you can use the project guidelines to modify it to become a porch swing. The builder recommends that you use either redwood, pine, cedar or pressure-treated lumber along with galvanized screws to build it to last.
51. The Simple Stained Deck Swing Plan
Simply Designing with Ashley Philip provides a porch swing tutorial that sits beneath a pergola and replaces a backless wooden bench that her family never used. The supplies are carefully described and include a full cut list for the frame boards, corner posts, seat boards, vertical back support, horizontal backboards, armrests, cross beams and trim.
One thing that made it easier was that they utilized a lot of the wood from the benches and upcycled it into the porch swing itself. To make it comfortable, they gave the boards a good sanding, sprayed it with a deck cleaner and used a FinishMax stain on it.
They supplemented it with some outdoor cushioning and fun pillows to make it really cute- string lights also provide attractive illumination for summer evenings.
52. The Wicker Porch Swing Design
The Sweet Melanie website provides inspiration and instruction for creating a cozy and highly decorative wicker-built porch area. One of the fun aspects is the cord cozies that cover the swing chains. It’s a comfy place to hunker down and guard against the modern epidemic of package theft.
53. The Cedar Swinging Bench Idea
These free cedar swinging bench plans provided by the That’s My Letter website actually hang from a tree, but you can easily adapt it to hang from the rafters of your porch. It hangs from a tree using a rope that attaches to chains bound with a bowline knot also employing a spring-loaded carabiner.
In order to make the curved edges, you can trace around a paint can and then use your jigsaw to cut the curve.
54. The Repurposed Headboard Porch Swing Set Design
This porch swing employs a repurposed headboard which makes it especially wide and spacious for summertime relaxation. The materials list includes sourcing an old headboard, as well as using a clear wood coat, paint, dog beds, throw pillows, rope, screws, and sandpaper.
55. The Extra Wide Headboard Back Porch Swing Blueprint
The Rustic Pig site provides another back porch headboard swing. This attractive light blue option is fairly wide and can easily accommodate three people at a time. Because her family had some old antique headboards lying around the garage, it made sense to upcycle them and create a truly unique and artistic creation.
They write how difficult it was to get it hanging from the chains exactly right. This was because it weighed a ton and aligning the chains perfectly was a difficult procedure, even for two people.
The paint color is Annie Sloan Duck Egg- the woodworker says it is a calming coloration that really comes to life with the decorative white tracing they did.
56. The DIY Outdoor Cushioned Pallet Swing Build
This ultimate summer design is built from pallets and cost under $30 to make.
The builder describes creating a comfy back support by breaking down the shipping pallets and using 2 coats of blue outdoor wood paint.
They decided to use white nylon rope that they threaded through the boards as well as the top of the bench to make sure it was structurally sound. For the cushioning, they repurposed some old patio cushions and then made one large slipcover out of a weather-resistant flamingo pattern fabric.
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Common Builder Questions
Since we have carefully researched hundreds of indoor and outdoor porch swings we’ve encountered a lot of common issues builders face. If you need help choosing a cabinet table saw, check out the preceding link- they can be a great help when undertaking complicated woodworking projects.
We’ve assembled some common sticking points issues below you should consider before embarking on constructing one from one of the plans we’ve compiled.
- How are you going to hang it?
- Can you purchase aftermarket hardware to hang it?
- If you were going to install it indoors, what is the best way to hang it?
- What type of material is the best to use to hang a porch swing from- is it rope or is it metal?
- How do you determine the weight capacity of a porch swing and what is the best method gird it for extra strength?
- In terms of measurements, how deep a seat do you want to build and how high does the back rest rise from the seat?
- Do you want to install a canopy over it?
- What are the best cushions to use?
- Does it make sense to build an a-frame and install it on the porch, or should you hang it?
- What is the best weather-proof wood to use?
- What is the quality of the rocking motion like and how do you adjust this rocking motion once it has already been installed?
- When you mounted to the ceiling, what type of extra support is required to ensure it doesn’t fall out overtime?
- Where is the best place to purchase hooks from?
Final Thoughts
That’s it! We hope you got some inspiration from our list.
By all means, if you end up constructing one of these porch swings, let us know in the comment section below.
We’d be happy to include your build on this page with some photos of your creation!
Hi, my name’s Elena Coolidge. I’m a DIY enthusiast who loves building fun woodworking plans. These DIY plans are fun hobby projects for enthusiasts or even more advanced builders that want to build things like bunk beds, end tables or even a duck box!
