DIY hammock - manufacturing options
A comfortable hammock is indispensable during a holiday in the country, a friendly picnic in the forest or near the river, because with its help you can have a great rest, relax, recuperate after a week of work. There are many ways to make a hammock with your own hands - it can be woven from laces, sewn from fabric or tarpaulin, made from lining material or an old blanket. It is enough to spend a little energy and patience - and the "friend" is ready for a comfortable, relaxing stay.
Types of hammocks
Hammocks vary depending on the design. They are divided into frame and suspended. The former are equipped with a ready-made frame base and do not require a search for a support, while the latter are attached to poles, trunks or tree branches, pavilions or beams of various structures.
Suspended products can be soft and with sewn-in strips. These hammocks are great for people with a large physique, as they are more durable and durable.
The main types of hammocks:
- Brazilian - has a rather complex structure, which, in combination with a width of up to 1.8-2 m, provides maximum comfort during rest. The Brazilian hammock requires a secure attachment with ropes, as it quickly "sinks".
- Mexican - a soft hammock made of laces, ropes or fabric, with no hard parts. It is made of a large piece of fabric (up to 3-4 m), folds well, so you can carry it with you in your bag. The disadvantage of such a product is the minimal convenience - according to reviews, after 1-2 hours of rest in such a hammock, back pain appears.
- Vietnamese - for the manufacture of this product, an openwork fishing net is used, which is attached to several supports with different loads. To make the rest in such a hammock comfortable, it is supplemented with traverses - special crossbeams that provide convenience even during a long stay in the hammock.
A popular variation on the classic hammock is the hammock chair. It is a small suspended structure that can be fully rigid or semi-rigid. Various materials are used to make a hanging chair - durable fabric, ropes, laces, natural or artificial rattan.
Hammock chair - step by step production
The large chair-shaped hammock can be used both indoors and outdoors. In the first case, it is fixed on a hook in the ceiling, in the second - on strong tree branches or crossbeams. For the manufacture of a hammock chair, it is best to take dense, reliable materials - tarpaulin, rough cotton.
Required materials and tools:
- cord;
- tarpaulin or other durable fabric - 2 m²;
- oak board;
- reliable carbines - 2 pcs;
- sewing machine, thread;
- drill;
- ironing board with iron.
The first thing to do is fold the tarp or other selected fabric in half and cut the corner of it as shown in the photo. Then fold the parallel corners of the fabric and sew them carefully with the sewing machine.
From the two raw sides of the material, make drawstrings for the cord - their size should correspond to the width of the laces.Fold up the drawstring pieces and sew as well.
Drill 2 holes on each side of a wooden plank or bar. After that, pull the lace into the drawstring, and from there through the holes in the board, fix it well with a knot. Attach to the ceiling with sturdy carabiners, if the hammock is used outdoors - just tie it around strong branches.
DIY hammock - option with leather hinges
Hammock with leather hinges is robust, reliable and durable. If the leather is very dense and the sewing machine cannot sew it, a braid made of dense synthetics or cotton will be a good alternative.
Required materials and tools:
- a sewing machine, a skein of thick threads;
- hammock material - tarpaulin, durable cotton or other fabric;
- pins, scissors;
- a piece of thick fabric to strengthen the edges of the hammock;
- a roll of strong rope or twine;
- durable leather for loops.
How to make a hammock - first of all, determine what size of the product you need and cut out the corresponding blank from the material. Tuck the long parts of the workpiece and sew with thick threads on the sewing machine.
Tuck the sides of the product to which the loops will be attached and additionally reinforce on each side with a cloth folded in half.
After that, cut the leather for the loops - the width of the parts should match the width of the lace.
Mark the points for attaching the hinges, placing them symmetrically, at the same distance.
Sew loops to them with a typewriter and pass strong twine or twine through them.
Tie the ends of the string in a knot on both sides, making a loop for security and reinforcing with several rings of rope.
Hanging hammock with your own hands from rip-stop
A hammock for home or outdoor recreation should be not only beautiful and comfortable, but also practical, reliable and durable. That is why you can use rip-stop to make a hammock with your own hands - this is a fabric with increased strength, combined with reinforced yarn.
It is used to make strong and reliable sails, parachutes, kites and special protective suits. Made from rip-stop fabric, this hammock is extremely durable and is great for people of all weights.
A method of making a hammock with a photo:
- Cut a 2m by 1.3m piece out of the fabric.
- Wrap the edges of the workpiece about 3.5-4 cm and make a seam.
- After that, wrap the short ends in the same way twice and sew using at least 2-3 rows of stitches.
- Make sure that there is at least 2-3 cm between the stitches and the end of the fabric - this is necessary for sealing with spacers.
- Measure 20 symmetrically located points along each end of the workpiece - you can use chalk or a marker for this. These will be the places for the bushings.
- Thread the spacer along the line of the markings (rip-stop strip folded in several layers).
- After that, you need to make a braid - fold a strong twine or cord in half, thread it into the rings and fasten it with knots.
- Attach the loose ends of the twine to the sleeve and tie it in a knot, then attach the hammock to the tree.
You can make a hammock from rip-stop or tarpaulin in another, simpler way, saving your time. To do this, cut out a workpiece from the selected durable material to the size of the hammock. After that, tie each end with a knot and tie with a strong rope. Wrap it around a post or tree trunk, repeat with the other end of the hammock.
Convenient DIY hammock for summer cottages
It does not take much time to sew a beautiful, durable and comfortable hammock with your own hands, because there are many ways to make it quickly and easily. To do this, you need 3 meters of durable fabric (tarpaulin, camouflage material, mattress teak) and a minimum of tools - a drill with a drill, 2 wooden beams along the length of the hammock, metal rings and twine or twine.
Step by step making a hammock:
- fold the ends of the fabric, fold about 5-6 cm and iron twice;
- double piping or hand stitching;
- on each side, mark places for metal rings at the same distance, make holes;
- attach rings;
- install wooden beams;
- make some holes in them.
After that, pull the twine or twine through the rings, then the holes in the wooden beams and secure with a strong knot.
Hanging cocoon hammock
Hanging hammock-cocoon is a simple and lightweight design that is great for relaxing in a city apartment, or in a summer cottage or a picnic. To make such a comfortable product, a minimum of materials will be required and no more than an hour.
To make a suspended hammock in the form of a cocoon, you can use almost any durable fabric that is at hand - thick linen, burlap, tarp. You can use an old blanket if you wish. You also need to prepare two pieces of twine or strong cord about 4 m long.
Straighten the canvas and fold it on the tapered side so that a loop forms. Thread the string through this loop and wrap it several times around the fabric. Secure the string with a knot - it must be strong and reliable so that it does not untie under the weight of the structure.
Repeat for the other side of the fabric. If you have a sewing machine, the ends of the fabric can be folded, stitched, and only then pulled through the loop. After that, wrap the loose ends of the string around the poles or tree trunks, tie and enjoy a comfortable outdoor recreation.
Fabric hammock with bar
A fabric hammock on a crossbar is a rather complex, but reliable and durable construction that you can make yourself if you want.
For manufacturing, you will need the following materials and tools:
- tarpaulin, burlap, linen or other durable material - 3x2.5 m;
- a piece of padding polyester - 50-60 cm;
- temblak - 5.5x3 cm;
- nylon corrugation with a section of 4 mm;
- wooden bar with a section of 4 mm;
- sandpaper;
- paint (preferably acrylic) and a small brush;
- a sewing machine and a skein of thick threads;
- a piece of chalk;
- scissors;
- centimeter.
First of all, draw a pattern of the future product in the form of two rectangles measuring 2x1.5 m (2 m should be from the raw edge of the material). Cut out these blanks and fold them together.
Step back about 2 cm from the short edge of the fabric, fold it over and sew or stitch on both sides. After that, step back 4-5 cm from the long edge of the web, lay the back of the sling along the entire length, and the front - at a distance of 30-35 cm from the seam. Wrap the bottom of the workpiece up without cutting.
Separately prepare 4 slings about 65-75 cm in size and sew them to the attachment points previously marked with chalk. Wrap their edges back. Wrap the long sides of the fabric on the front side about 30-35 cm from the edge.
Cut out small pieces of 25x25 cm from a piece of padding polyester and insert them into a kind of "pockets". To securely fasten the padding polyester, sew the pockets with several lines.
Cut the wooden beam in half, then step back about 2 cm from the edge on each side and make notches. Sand the block with sandpaper and paint with acrylic paint any color you want.
Insert the bar into the pocket in the fabric “pocket”, pull the string through the grooves and wrap it several times for a secure fit. Tie in knots and attach to a tree or other support.
How to properly attach a hammock
Resting in a hammock will turn out to be pleasant and comfortable only if it is properly attached. The suspended structure can be suspended from a hook attached to the ceiling. The classic cocoon hammock is attached between the posts, the trunks of two trees or the walls of buildings. Special hammock stands can be purchased at the store.If desired, make it yourself, using wooden beams or beams.
The best option is to attach the product at a height of at least 1.3-1.5 m. In this case, the width between the supports should be 3 m. This must be taken into account when determining the length of the rope or twine.
The required distance between the supports is determined based on the initial length of the hammock, to which 30-40 cm is added.Accordingly, if the length of the product together with fasteners is 2.3 m, then the strengthening of the supports is carried out at a distance of 2.6 m.
To hang the hammock, you need to choose strong young trees. The diameter of the tree trunk for attaching a hammock is at least 25-35 cm. In order to ensure the most reliable and durable fastening, and also not to harm the tree under the twine or twine, you need to put a dense fabric folded in several layers.
Basic tips for using a hammock
To rest in a hammock brought only pleasure and relaxation, you need to remember a few rules:
- The supports for hanging the hammock must be strong and reliable. Otherwise, they can fall under the weight of the structure and body weight of a person, especially a large build. Therefore, the product should not be attached to the posts of old, rotten trees or the supports of dilapidated gazebos.
- When making a hammock yourself, you need to pay special attention to the material. It shouldn't be too light and thin. Otherwise, the product will simply break under the weight of the human body.
- The banana-shaped hammock position is considered the most comfortable for the back - it does not cause discomfort even with a long rest.
- The best place to hang your hammock is to choose a shaded place. Do not attach it in direct sunlight.
- For a holiday for two, it is best to sew a large family hammock from 3-5 m of strong and durable fabric. If you plan on spending time alone, a light cocoon hammock or hanging chair is the best option.
- Your own hammock can be decorated to your liking. They use beautiful fringes, embroidery, ribbons and other decorative elements.
- If the hammock is located on a personal plot, you can additionally make a small canopy from the scorching sun or rain.
A homemade hammock can be made more comfortable by adding some functional attributes. You can fold the fabric used for sewing the product in half and sew a padding polyester tape between these layers. Thanks to this, lying in a hammock will be very pleasant and comfortable.
Small pockets can be added to the hammock. They can store water bottles, books, a mobile phone or other small items. This will make the rest in the hammock even more pleasant and comfortable.
A hammock is an irreplaceable "companion" for a pleasant and comfortable stay at the dacha or a picnic. A durable, convenient and reliable product can be made independently, using available materials and showing a little imagination.
If desired, you can make a hammock of a more complex design.