Easy to Follow Porch Swing Plans

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Last Fall, I built a porch swing bed for my mother-in-law. I documented the process and posted the tutorial here on our blog.

We’ve heard from a lot of people who have used it to make their own swing, which is awesome! But we’ve also been asked if we had plans for our original swing which was a different design, and was actually the one my mother-in-law ended up with. I built it long before we started this blog, which means I didn’t document the process or take and pictures of being built.

So instead of rebuilding it and taking pictures, I modeled it in Sketchup, which is a 3D modeling app. Using the 3D model, I’ve put together easy to follow instructions so you can build this same swing.

Material List

• Finish Nailer
• Tape Measurer
• Wood Glue
• Wood Stain
• Wood Filler
• Miter Saw
• Sand Paper
• Jig Saw
• 4 Eye Screws
• 1 1/4″ Finish Nails
• 2″ Finish Nails

Wood

• 3 pieces of 1″ x 8″ x 8′ clear pine
• 8 pieces of 1″ x 6″ x 8′ clear pine
• 6 pieces of 1″ x 3″ x 8′ clear pine
• 2 pieces of 2″ x 3″ x 8′ framing lumber
• 1 piece of 2″ x 4″ x 8′ framing lumber
• 3 pieces of 1″ x 3″ x 8′ knotty pine

Like the other swing design, this one is really easy to build. All joints are butt joints and there are no complicated cuts.

I’ll mention it throughout this tutorial, but everywhere that two pieces of wood meet, remember to apply some wood glue.

Step 1: Build the Frame

Start by building the bottom frame out of the 1×8’s. You can find the measurements in the illustration. Glue and nail the joints using 2″ finish nails.

Then add the inner frame for support and something to nail the bed slats to. On the sides use the 2×4’s for extra support since that’s where the eye screws will attach.

Make sure the bottom of the 2×4’s are flush with the bottom of the frame. Then glue and nail them to the inside of the frame using 2″ nails. Use the 2×3’s for the front and back making sure the top is even with the top of the 2×4’s as shown in the illustration below.

Next, cut 6 pieces of 1×3 knotty pine to 39″ long and space them out evenly across the inner frame supports as shown in the illustration. Then glue and nail them in place.

Step 2: Build the Posts

Each post is made of a piece of 1×3 and 1×6 cut to 26 1/4″ long. Glue and nail the 1×3 onto the 1×6 as shown below.

Repeat this 3 times so that you have 4 posts. Then glue and nail them onto the frame using 1 1/4″ nails as shown in the illustration below.

Step 3: Add the Rails

Cut two pieces of the 1×6 to 77″ in length. Glue and nail the first one 3/4″ from the top of the frame. And add the second one 3/4″ above the first as shown in the illustration below.

Next, cut 4 pieces of 1×6 to 39 3/4″ long. then glue and nail them to the sides as shown below.

Now it’s time to add the top to the back rails. Cut a piece of the 1×3 to 77″ in length. Then using the measurements in the illustration below, cut notches out of each end.

Then glue and nail it to the top of the back rail.

For the last two side rails, cut two pieces of the 1×6 to 40 1/2″. Then glue and nail them in place 3/4″ above the second rails. This should make the top edge flush with the top of the posts.

For the tops of the two sides, cut two pieces of the 1×3 to 42″ in length and glue and nail one to the top of each side.

Step 4: Add the Trim

The final step to building the swing, is adding some trim around the bottom. Cut two pieces of the 1×3 to 73 1/2″ and two pieces to 29 1/2. Then nail and clue them as shown below.

To add some stability to the back rails, cut a piece of 1×3 to 17 1/2″ and glue and nail it to the back rails in the middle of the swing.

And that’s it! At this point, you can stain or paint it. Then once your swing has dried, you will need to add the screw eyes. You can refer to the last step of our other swing tutorial to learn how to do that.

Outdoor Pillow | Lumbar Pillows | Rug | Galvanized Metal Planter | Mattress Cover