I don’t know if I have ever completed a DIY project that has been more loved than our rope only tree swing. This time I couldn’t just stop at one either, so I made three. I put together two re-purposed chair swings, and one tire swing.
Using only rope to hang our swings saved us SO much money, skipping out on the chain and hardware that can be expensive and difficult to find.
Find the video tutorial HERE.
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The Chair Swings
Materials
Old Chair (I found mine at a thrift store for a couple bucks.)
Drill & Spade Bit
Screws
2×4 lumber
Rope
Scissors
Paint or Stain
For the chair version of our rope only tree swing you will need to remove the legs from your chair. Then take your 2×4 lumber and cut two pieces that are three inches wider than your chair seat.
Center your chair over these pieces and secure one under the front and back of the seat using your screws. You will likely need 2 1/2 inch screws for this project.
After your 2×4’s are attached, you will want to paint or stain the chair. I didn’t bother sanding since my chair surface was fairly smooth but had definitely lost its sheen over time.
Let your paint/stain dry thoroughly and then use your spade bit to drill holes for your rope. Drill one hole in the center of each 2×4 where it sticks out from the side of the chair. I used a 3/4 inch bit to thread 1/2 inch rope through.
Some tutorials that I have seen for chair swings drill holes directly through the chair seat and forgo using the 2×4 supports. I added the 2×4’s due to the fact that some chair seats are not a solid piece of wood, but rather are made from several pieces glued together. I was worried that over time and from being exposed to the weather, my seats would split and become structurally unsound.
By adding the 2×4’s you wont have to worry about the wood cracking under you.
Hanging the Chair Swing
To find the correct length for the rope, we simple threw our rope over the branch we planned to hang our swing from and cut it so that both ends would be touching the ground. Regular kitchen scissors worked fine for cutting through the rope.
The rope that I used use is polypropylene 1/2 inch rope I ordered from Amazon for 12.99. The whole role came with 50 feet of rope and is weight rated to hold up to 420 pounds. The amount of rope you will need will depend on the height of your branch. My branch being about 7ft high, a 50ft roll of rope was more than enough.
Cut a second piece of rope by stretching out your first piece and using it to measure the second.
Once you’ve cut your rope, wrap your pieces twice around your branch. This will keep your rope from slipping forward and backward as easily.
Space your two ropes about as far apart as your seat base.
For the last step, fish your four rope ends through the holes you drilled in your 2×4’s. Tie a basic knot and wah-la! It’s really just that easy!!
It is nice to have a helper to hold the chair up for this step so you can knot the rope easier. As far as getting the chair level, we kinda just tied our first knot where we wanted it and eyeballed the rest. 
Tire Swing – The Second Rope Only Tree Swing
Materials
Old Tire (can potentially get a free old tire from your local tire shop)
Drill & Spade Bit
scrap 1×4 lumber
The Rope
This rope only tree swing made from a tire is literally SO easy to build and the kids have been LOVING it! We are talking like several hours a day playing on this thing. This swing is a good example of the whole “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” saying, as this tire is part of the garbage pile the old owner left on our property.
The first step is to cut a piece of rope that is the length of your tree branch to the ground plus about three feet. This will give you the space you need for the knot tying we are going to do.
Next, you need to make a loop at one end of your rope. To do this, fold about 2 feet of your rope over on itself and tie a basic knot so that you will be left with a little loop.
Now, chuck this loop over your branch, stick the other end of your rope though the loop, and pull it tight.
Then, about halfway up your rope, tie a basic knot but leave it loose.
Cut Two More Pieces of Rope
Now that your first rope is in place on your branch, you need to cut two more pieces of rope. These pieces should be half the length of your long rope.
Tie a basic knot at one end of each short rope. Are you catching the basic know theme here?
Stick both of the knots on your short ropes through the loose knot on your long rope. Tug on the long rope to tighten the knot. You should be left with three rope ends hanging to the ground.
Prepare Your Tire
To prepare my tire, I used a 3/4 inch spade bit to drill three holes through the top. Space the holes evenly to create three spots for kiddos, or wild adults, to sit.
I also cut some 1×4 scraps into 3 inch pieces, and drilled holes in the center of each block with my 3/4 inch spade bit. These pieces will be used to help reinforce the holes on the tire swing.
Hang Your Tire Swing
To hang your swing, fish the ends of your rope through the tire holes, through the small wood pieces, and then tie a basic knot. We spent a little time adjusting our knots to get our tire swing level.
You can see in the picture above how the wood pieces will keep the knots from pulling through the holes you drilled in your tire.
Go crazy kids!
