9 ways to make a hammock with your own hands

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Creating a comfortable place to stay is easier than it sounds.

The easiest rope hammock

This hammock can be made from ordinary cheap lining fabric, tarpaulin, linen, cotton, burlap - whatever. It looks simple, but it is assembled literally in a matter of minutes.

What do you need

• a rectangular piece of cloth (approximately 3 x 1.5 m or less);
• 2 thick strong ropes 3-4 m long.

How to do

Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, fold the edge with an accordion and make a small loop out of it. Pass a rope through it and tie the knots, as shown in the video. Similarly, tie the second rope to the other end of the fabric.

You can first prepare a hammock to which the ropes will be tied, or first tie the ropes to the support, and then to the hammock. The node described below will work for both methods. Just choose the one that is more convenient for you.

Wrap the rope around a tree, post, or other support. At the long end of the rope that the hammock is tied to, make a small loop. Thread the same side of the rope into it and tighten. Pass the other end of the rope through the loop and tighten again.

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Hammock on ropes and carabiners without sewing

Carabiners will make the design more convenient and mobile.

What do you need

• 2 carbines;
• 2 thick strong ropes 0.5 m long;
• a rectangular piece of cloth (approximately 3 x 1.5 m or less);
• 2 thick strong ropes 3-4 m long or 2 tie straps 1-1.5 m long with loops at the ends.

How to do

Clip the carabiner into the middle of the short rope. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, fold the edge with an accordion and make a small loop out of it. Pass the fastened carabiner into it and tie the knot, as shown in the video. Tie the carabiner to the other end of the fabric in the same way.

You can attach the carabiners to a rope or lashing straps.

Tie the rope to the support in the same way as in the previous method. Insert the long end of the rope into the carabiner and pull it out. Wrap the stretched section around the taut rope four times and tie a knot as shown in the video.

The advantage of this knot is that it allows you to adjust the height of the hammock. The knot moves freely on the rope, but remains stationary when pulled.

If using a strap, wrap it around the support, thread one end of the strap into the loop on the other end, and tighten. Attach the carabiner to the loop on the long side of the belt.

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Sewn fabric hammock on ropes

A simple option for those who don't want to mess around with nodes.

What do you need

• a rectangular piece of cloth (approximately 2 x 1 m or more);
• threads;
• needle or sewing machine;
• 2 thick strong ropes 4–5 m long.

How to do

Fold the fabric 10-15 cm on both narrow sides and sew. If possible, it is best to use a sewing machine. The seams must be very strong.

Pass the ropes into the resulting loops and pull the fabric in the middle. Then tie the ropes to the supports with strong knots.

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Hammock made of stitched fabric on ropes and slats

Concise, convenient and quite simple construction.

What do you need

• a rectangular piece of cloth (approximately 2.5 x 1 m or more);
• threads;
• needle or sewing machine;
• scissors;
• 32–36 large eyelets;
• drill;
• 2 wooden slats across the width of the fabric for the hammock;
• 2 metal rings;
• 2 strong ropes 10-15 m long;
• 2 carbines - optional;
• 2 strong ropes 3-4 m long or 2 tie straps 1-1.5 m long with loops at the ends.

How to do

Fold the fabric 5-10 cm on both narrow sides and sew by hand or machine. Make eyelet holes at the same distance on these folds and secure them to the fabric.

Use a drill or other tool to make holes in the slats at the same distance as between the eyelets.

Thread the rope into the metal ring and leave the end 30–40 cm long. Pass the long end through the first hole in the rail, then into the eyelet from the outside. From the seamy side of the hammock, thread the rope through the next eyelet, into the rail, and back into the metal ring.

From the eyelet, you can thread the rope into the same hole on the rail through which it passed before. This method will provide an even stronger fastening. But for this you need to take a longer rope and make wider holes in the slats.

Secure the remaining ends of the rope to the ring with strong knots. Make the same design on the other end of the hammock.

You can attach carabiners to metal rings and hang the hammock from the supports as shown in the previous methods. You can also thread other sturdy ropes through the rings and tie them to the supports.

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Hammock made of stitched fabric on slats and ropes with macrame elements

This option is more complicated, but such a hammock will become a real decoration of the garden plot.

What do you need

• rectangular piece of fabric (approximately 2 × 1 m);
• 30 not too thick ropes 50 cm long - optional;
• stationery pins - optional;
• threads;
• needle or sewing machine;
• 14 beads - optional;
• scissors;
• 2 wooden slats across the width of the fabric for the hammock;
• 24 small nails;
• hammer;
• 2 metal rings;
• 2 strong ropes 15 m long;
• 2 carbines;
• 2 tie straps 1–1.5 m long with loops at the ends.

How to do

You can pre-decorate the hammock if you want it to look more interesting. Fold the long edges of the fabric a couple of centimeters, place the strings vertically at the same distance, and pin them together for security. Then sew the fabric along with the strings and weave them into a pattern, as shown in the video. For beauty, you can add beads.

On the narrow sides of the fabric, make 5 cm incisions approximately 8 cm apart. In the middle of each rail, nail 12 nails at a distance of 3-4 cm. Place the ring 60 cm from the rail, thread the ropes through it and weave the pattern as shown in the video.

You will have two pieces of rings and ropes. To attach them to the hammock, thread each loop of rope under the notches on the narrow sides of the fabric. Fold them up, pin and sew. Then hang the hammock with carabiners and straps.

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Macrame hammock

You can not only decorate the product with wicker elements and give it strength, but also make a hammock out of them from scratch.

What do you need

• drill;
• 2 wooden slats 1 m long;
• 10 braided cords 9-10 m long;
• 2 metal rings;
• 2 carbines - optional;
• 2 tie straps 1–1.5 m long with loops at the ends or 2 strong ropes 3–4 m long.

How to do

Using a drill or other tool, make 20 holes in each rail at the same distance from each other.

Take one cord, fold it in half, thread it into the ring, and tie a knot. Tie all other cords to the ring in the same way.

Hang the ring on a hook for convenience. Thread each cord through the holes on the rail. The distance between the ring and the rail should be about 20 cm. Then weave the pattern as shown in the video.

Finally, thread the cords through the holes in the second rail and tie to another ring. You can tie such a hammock using carabiners, belts or ropes, as in the instructions for fabric hammocks.

By the way, if you have absolutely nothing to tie a hammock to, you can make supports yourself. For example, a massive wooden post that resembles a boat:

Or a simple two-bar support:

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Hammock chair made of fabric on a hoop

Perhaps the most unusual way to make a cozy place to stay. A hammock chair does not take up much space, so it can be hung not only in the garden, but even on the veranda or balcony.

What do you need

• synthetic winterizer;
• scissors;
• 1 metal hoop 95–100 cm in diameter;
• threads;
• 1 strip of fabric 3 m long and 20 cm wide;
• needle;
• stationery pins;
• a square piece of fabric (approximately 1.5 x 1.5 m);
• 4 lashing straps, length approx. 3 m.

How to do

Cut a few strips of padding polyester about 20 cm wide. It is necessary to make it more comfortable to sit in the hammock. Wrap the synthetic winterizer around the hoop and tie with threads.

Then wrap a strip of fabric around the hoop and sew so that the padding polyester is not visible. Secure the fabric with pins for convenience.

Place the hoop in the middle of a large piece of fabric and cut a circle that should be 20-25 cm larger than the hoop. Cut small, symmetrical grooves on four sides of the fabric. They are needed so that there is a place to hang the hammock.

The hoop should be exactly in the center of the fabric circle. Pull it slightly under the hoop, fold it over and sew very tightly to the hoop.

Where there were gaps in the fabric, the hoop will be visible. Pass the strap through this hole and sew so that a loop forms around the hoop. Sew three more belts in the same way.

Tie the straps to the legs so that the hammock hangs at an angle.

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Fabric hammock chair with slats

This chair will appeal to both adults and children.

What do you need

• drill;
• 3 thick wooden slats, approximately 80 cm long;
• 2 thin wooden slats approximately 90 cm long;
• nails or screws;
• hammer or screwdriver;
• rectangular piece of fabric (the size will be described in the description);
• threads;
• needle or sewing machine;
• 2 thick strong ropes approximately 1.5 m long;
• 3 thick strong ropes approximately 2.5 m long.

How to do

Using a drill, punch holes in the two thick slats on both sides approximately 9 cm from the ends of the slats. The diameter of the holes must be such that thin strips can be inserted into them.

After 5 cm from these holes, make another hole with a slightly smaller diameter. The rope will be inserted there. Insert thin strips into wide holes on thick strips and secure with nails or screws.

The width of the fabric should fit between the small holes for the ropes, and its length should be greater than the length of the prepared wooden structure. Firstly, the fabric will need to be folded, and secondly, it should sag a little so that you can sit in the chair.

Wrap the narrow side of the fabric around the thick slats and sew by hand or machine. Insert a short rope into the free holes of the top rail of the hammock and tie each of them with a strong knot near the rail. Tie two long ropes to the bottom rail in the same way.

Then tie all four ropes to the third thick rod. Make two more holes in it for the rope, insert it, tie it and hang the chair by some hook or thick branch.

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Chair-hammock on slats using macrame technique

This hammock looks more spectacular, but it will take a lot of cord to make it.

What do you need

• drill;
• 3 thick wooden slats, approximately 80 cm long;
• 2 thin wooden slats approximately 90 cm long;
• nails or screws;
• hammer or screwdriver;
• 2 thick strong ropes approximately 1.5 m long;
• 3 thick strong ropes approximately 2.5 m long.
• 16 braided cords 8-9 m long.

How to do

Make the exact wood frame you used for your fabric hammock chair. You can immediately attach ropes to it and connect to a third rail to which the frame will be suspended. This is also done in the same way as in the previous method.

But the seat itself will be woven from cords. Fold each of them in half and tie to the top rail of the hammock (if you immediately connected the structure to the third rail, then the rail you need will be in the middle). Then you can weave the chair just like a regular macrame hammock. But you can make a more original pattern.

When you tie all the cords to the rail, you have 32 cords hanging down. Take four of them and thread the first cord under the last one.

Run the last cord under the middle two and loop through. To finish the knot, repeat the same steps one more time. Then make knots from the remaining cords in the same way.

In the second row and in all even rows, repeat the knot starting from the third cord from the beginning, and in the odd rows from the first cord.

The entire hammock will consist of identical knots, which alternate with each other in a checkerboard pattern. This is what this weave looks like:

To tie the hammock base to the bottom rail, wrap four cords around it and tie it in a strong knot.

The hammock is suspended in the same way as the previous one.

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