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A hammock is something that is no longer an item of luxury. People have started making DIY hammock stands at home and using them to relax and spend their free time in the best way possible, which is by swinging in the air and getting the feeling of sleeping while floating on clouds.
Hammocks are like slings that are made from some kind of fabric as well as ropes or netting which are suspended from their posts which are usually two points. These two points or holders act like holding points for the hammocks and the hammocks swing from that.
DIY hammock stands are so popular because they are so easy to make and there are so many things that you can make them from. To make the most basic form of a hammock, you can just grab some cloth that is strong enough and hang it between two poles or trees and use them to sleep a very peaceful sleep.
The history of hammocks is very interesting. Initially, hammocks were made by native inhabitants of America and were used for sleeping ever since their invention. Sailors started making use of them on their ships as well because they provided a comfortable way of sleeping while being on the water.
These let them have a lot of space as well because you could just make two posts and make them strong enough to support multiple hammocks on them. During the early 20th century, the DIY hammock stands started gaining popularity as people started making mini-hammocks for their children to get them to sleep easily.
Hammocks provide a great way for relaxing and they are used all around the world and like with everything, when DIY hammock stands did the rounds in the world, a lot of different types of stands were invented based on the different needs of the people as well as different uses.
In this article, I am going to be talking about how you can make DIY hammock stands, their types, factors you should consider when you are making a hammock, and a lot of other things. So read ahead to find out.
10 Best DIY Hammock Stand Ideas
Before I tell you about all the types of DIY hammock stands, let me ask you a question. What is it that you are going to be making the hammock stand for? Do you have a spacious backyard and want to make something that will help you relax immensely in any kind of weather?
Do your children want something in which they have some kind of fun while they try to sleep? Do you want a place to read peacefully? Whatever your need might be, there are a lot of DIY hammock stand ideas out there which you can use and make sure that you make the perfect hammock for yourself.
The hammock is amongst the best relaxing things that you will come across. They are just so cozy and make you feel like you are on cloud 9. When you talk about the popularity of these things, you can make an estimate based on the fact that between 2013 to 2015, over $50 million worth of hammocks were sold just in the United States Of America.
So let me start telling you about the best DIY hammock stand ideas that I have come across.
1. Most Basic Homemade DIY Hammock Stand
One of the things that might trouble someone who is making a DIY hammock stand for the very first time would be the fear of falling off the hammock due to any reason ranging from the knots of the hammock strings not holding in place or the poles or posts of the hammock coming off unexpectedly.
So if you are someone who has such a fear, you should make a DIY hammock stand that is stable and strong enough that it would not break and lead to unwanted injuries. What you can do to make such a hammock stand is use power tools that will make sure that none of the joints or anything in the stand is weak.
You can make a wooden DIY hammock stand that will have a base to keep it stable, which you can even make sturdy on the ground by nailing it in or using some other method so that it would not move.
The base would be like a foot or two of wooden pieces kept 5 to 6 feet apart parallelly and they will have another wooden piece of about 7-8 feet running straight above them making an ‘I’ shape.
At the edge of the 7-8 feet, the wooden log would be the main poles that would support the hammock, you can make them as long or short as you prefer but the lower it is, the better it would be because then it would be stable.
You can add extra wooden pieces to stabilize these poles and nail them to the basic frame and then hang the hammock from the poles and you will have a basic homemade DIY hammock stand.
All you will need to make this homemade DIY hammock stand would be pieces of timbers and tools like hammers, drills, and nails, the basic stuff. This is one of the easiest hammock stands to make and does take up much of your time either.
2. Turtledog DIY Hammock Stand
The turtle dog DIY hammock stand is amongst the most popular types of hammock stand ideas. This type of hammock stand would look like a tripod stand, well two tripod stands a few feet apart from each other which will have a pole joining them from the top, which is where the hammock will get attached.
The pole would be horizontal and it would be at least 5 feet above the ground. These stands are considered very sturdy because of their tripod design but you can make them even more sturdy by installing stabilizers at the bottom of each leg of the tripods.
These DIY hammock stands can be made at home easily. You can use wood to make them but the better option would be to use some metal to make them as that will make them very strong. If you are going to be using wood anyway, make sure it is timber or another equally strong wood.
Make sure that you stabilize the tripod legs and that they are sturdy in the ground and are not moving when you apply the slightest pressure on them. Doing that will just ensure that your turtle dog DIY hammock stand does not fall off and hurt you.
After all, the point of making these hammock stands are for relaxing and having a comfortable space to sleep and if you do not make it safe enough, it would kill its purpose.
3. DIY Hammock Chair Stands
A hammock chair stand would be something that is very similar to your basic homemade DIY hammock stand but it would differ in the way that it would be only suitable for sitting and you would not be able to sleep on it.
Some of you might think that it is a disadvantage but instead, some people might not want to sleep on something that swings so much and would just want something similar to a swing to sit on and read or relax.
That is where the hammock chair stands come in. You can make the hammock in these chair stands using a cloth or you can make use of a basket-chair that is commercially made and that could be easily bought on the internet or your local furniture store.
You can make this hammock chair stand at home just like any DIY hammock stand too. Remember all the instructions I gave you to make a homemade hammock stand? You have to do just that but instead of making the long wooden plank of 7-8 feet, you can just keep it about 4 feet as that will give you ample space to install a sitting hammock.
You are going to be needing an ergonomic design, something that can be available on the internet very easily. Make sure you use power tools because they will make the job easier for you.
You can use wood or PVC to make the stand and you can give it all the shape of a hanging chair. The stand’s frame will be placed like a swing and you will hang the hammock on the poles that are on either side and then sit in the space made by the piece of fabric or netting.
4. Portable DIY Hammock Stand
Did you read that right? Yeah, you did. You can make a DIY hammock stand that can be portable. These hammock stands are a great idea if you are someone who travels a lot and finds themselves in the need of a hammock wherever they go.
If you have a hammock at home and you go out on trips, I am sure you would miss your hammock when you have to sleep on a hastily made mattress or anything else. You just get used to sleeping on hammocks and there is nothing like it once you get the feeling of it.
The portable DIY hammock stands can be made by making the joints foldable or having attachments that are like slots that you can easily assemble and disassemble. You might think that these hammocks must not be that safe or sturdy but if you follow the instructions correctly and do not mess anything up, you will have a safe hammock.
You can install small safety latches at the joints or slots that will keep the wooden pieces in place and you would not have to worry about them getting disassembled on their own. When you make the frame of the hammock foldable, you can easily carry it in your car.
You can even use PVC instead of wood but it would be better if you went for the wooden option because they are sturdy and easy to handle.
5. 2 x 4 DIY Hammock Stands
These DIY hammock stands are not much different from the homemade hammock stands, their basic frame structure is the same. These hammock stands are not very conventional but people love them nonetheless.
You can get the plans for the 2 x 4 hammock stands on the internet very easily and just like the homemade hammock stands, they are very easy to make. These types of hammocks can be found in many households because they are sturdy and easy to make.
The 2 x4 hammock stand is made from lumber and it makes the lumbar support very easy. It just takes away your worry about hanging your hammock from its poles. It becomes essential that you get the measurements of this hammock stand accurate because the making of a 2 x 4 hammock depends a lot on that.
To know how you can make this type of hammock stand, you should read ahead, you find instructions and tools to be used in the making of a hammock stand in a later sub-topic. Make sure you use 2 x 4 lumber to make this hammock stand.
The name might make it sound complicated but it is a very easy hammock to make, not unlike the other DIY hammock stands on this list.
6. Arc DIY Hammock Stand
The arc DIY hammock stands are not very different from the 2 x 4 hammock stands. The main difference between this type of hammock stand and any other type is obviously the arc shape of the base of the frame.
In this type of hammock stand, instead of having a 7-8 feet long wooden plank making the base of the frame and then two poles at both the ends of the wooden plank, you have an arc shape that includes the poles and the base.
It is all basically a big arc that makes the base and the poles themselves. Obviously, it needs to have a base to support it and keep it from tipping but that is like the most basic thing and you will obviously know to keep that in mind and even if you do not, you will figure it out while you are making the arc DIY hammock stand.
The hammock hangs from the top of the arc on both sides. Due to the arc shape, this hammock stand looks very regal and the finishing gives it a very good look as well.
These arc hammock stands are usually made from wood but PVC can be used to make them as well but like any other hammock stand, using wood would be better because they provide better sturdiness.
7. Wooden DIY Hammock Stand Plans
Most of the DIY hammock stands that I have told you about so far are to be made using wood. When you make a wooden hammock stand, it will last very long and will obviously be sturdy.
Apart from the durability and sturdiness that wood provides, it looks great too. You may polish them and you can use different types of woods to make the hammock stand look prettier. Carvings could also be made in the wood to give it some style. Using wood will also give you a sort of a natural feel because hammocks used to be hung from trees.
Wood has a big range of the color spectrum that you can use in your hammock stand. Another advantage that using wood would give you is variety. Woods comes in a wide range of tones and colors. Different types of woods look different and they add different kinds of touches to the whole look, whether you install them indoors or in a backyard.
Wood is very versatile as well. You can make a hammock stand using wood and it is going to look good anywhere. If you keep it in your backyard, it will just fit in with your plants and trees. You can use oil finishing to make it last longer and not get affected by the weather much.
Wood is easy to carry around as well and if you make a portable DIY hammock stand, then it will be easy to make using wood. There are a lot of plans available on the internet that tell you how to make foldable hammock stands.
To make this arc DIY hammock stands more attractive, you can paint them as you like, and doing that will also have the added benefit of prolonging the lifespan of the hammock stand.
8. PVC Hammock Stand
I have been mentioning using PVC in your DIY hammock stands, the question is, how good is PVC when used in a hammock stand. PVC is a very strong type of material and you will also find that the PVC pipes have very high tensile strengths, so you can be assured that they are not going to break easily even if you move a lot on the hammocks.
The PVC pipes can be easily handled and deformed to make the hammock stand that you want to make. A lot of people prefer to make their DIY hammock stands using PVC for a lot of reasons. One of them might be because they do not want to cut down trees and another could be because PVC might sometimes be cheaper than using wood.
PVC pipes are easily available in the hardware stores and you are only going to need some piping nails and you can start making the hammock stand that you dreamed of owning.
To make a steady stand for the hammock, you can refer to any plans or designs that are available on the internet that use PVC as well as follow all the instructions that I am going to list later in this article. PVC is going to be very easy to handle and you will not face many difficulties constructing a hammock stand using this.
You need to make sure that you make the DIY hammock stands according to the weight of the people that are going to be using it. If you create a weak frame and a heavy person tries using it, it could break easily. The farther you keep the poles or posts, the lesser weight capacity the hammock will have. Make sure you make a sturdy base.
9. Hanging Chair Stand
The hanging chair might not be what some people might call a hammock but many people consider it as a hammock and that is good enough for it to make it to this list.
The hanging chair is called a hanging chair because it really kind of looks like a chair hanging in the air. You can make these hanging chair stands at home using wood or PVC like any hammock stand.
The hanging chair stand basically has a base that can be of any shape, it just needs to be wide enough to support the weight of the chair and the person sitting on it. The base has a pole protruding from one of its edges that goes up and comes down in an arc over the base where the chair is hung.
While making such hanging chair stands, it is essential that you make sure that the weight of the whole thing is balanced even after you install the chair and then sit on it. The chair can be of a cage-type chair, bucket type, etc, basically anything that you can hang and then sit on.
Besides making these stands at home, you can buy the kits from a store and then bring them home and assemble them. These hanging chair stands are mostly used indoors but you can use them outdoors as well, maybe on the porch. These hanging chairs can be used by children and they are amazing as gifts as well.
10. Indoor DIY Hammock Stands
Almost all the hammock stands that I mentioned are mostly suitable for outdoor use because they occupy a lot of space wherever you install them. Most of the hammock stands are installed outdoors because it feels good when you get to feel the air outdoors and it just does not feel like something that you will keep indoors.
Despite that, some of you might be living in an apartment building and might not have a backyard. In such cases, what you can do is make a small and compact hammock stand and use it indoors.
You could install these hammock stands near the windows and still get the experience of feeling the air flowing over you when you are swinging and sleeping in the hammock. You can make mini-hammock stands or rather what you would call a hammock chair and use it for sitting indoors.
If you are going to be making a DIY hammock stand to be used indoors and do not make it sturdy enough or strong enough because of the non-availability of space, it would be good if you just let your children use them and not use them yourselves.
Now that you know about all the types of DIY hammock stands that you could make, let us talk about the factors you should consider before you start making a hammock stand.
Factors To Consider Before Starting With DIY Hammock Stand
A DIY hammock stand is not something you build every weekend. It requires various tools and materials and you will have to spend a good amount of time building it, that’s usually 2-3 days. Therefore, putting some thought to plan and arranging material will be a clever thing to do.
Additionally, it is important to consider several factors before commencing the DIY process. It will help you prepare and plan things well in advance so that you won’t end up exhausted and irritated at the end of the job.
Let us see what are these factors that you need to consider before getting to the steps for a DIY hammock stand.
Style and Design
The first and the most basic factor to consider is the style or the design of the hammock stand you are planning to make. Most people are aware of 2-3 styles of hammock stands but you will get surprised if you see the number of designs and styles a hammock stand comes in.
There are various options for DIY hammock stands from simple and lightweight ones to stylish and heavy-duty ones. Each design is different and you will require a different plan and material for each design type.
Thus, it is necessary that you choose what type of DIY hammock stand you are looking forward to building and that will help us to collect the material and tools required for that specific type. That brings us to our next important factor, materials.
Material Required
Prior to proceeding as per plan, check once if you have enough material to complete the stand. The required material can vary as per the type of hammock stand. Also, consideration should be given to the environment under which the hammock stand is going to work.
Choose materials like wood, the material of screws, and the fabric used according to the weather. Also, always keep an extra amount of resources, so that you will always have a backup even if you mess something up.
Expected Strength
Every hammock stand has a certain limit to which it can carry the load. You should consider the weight of the people who are going to rest on this hammock. It will help you to build the hammock stand considering the ideal load it has to carry.
Decide Portability
Know your usage first. If you want a hammock stand that can withstand more load while being stable then choose to make a fixed DIY hammock stand. It will be a lot more durable and stable than the portable one.
Whereas, if you wish to move your hammock stand in your backyard in the future, a portable hammock stand is the one for you. It won’t be as stable as a fixed DIY hammock stand but it will give you the freedom of placing this stand wherever you wish to.
Select The Size Of Stand
DIY hammock stands can be made in three sizes, you can choose whichever size that suits your needs. The material required will vary with the size you choose. Also larger the size, the more the durability.
A single hammock stand will be able to accommodate an adult easily. They are generally 5 ft in width and 79 inches in length. For most people, a single hammock stand will work and for others, the following sizes are available.
A double hammock is wider than a single hammock. Double hammock has a width of 5’3 inches and it can accommodate 2 adults at the same time. For making such a DIY hammock stand, it won’t be much difficult as it is very much similar to a single hammock.
The third size is queen size which can accommodate two adults as well as a pet or a baby. The dimensions include the width of 5’ 3” to 5’11”. Whereas a king-size hammock can accommodate three adults having a width of more than 5’11”.
Cost
The last factor to consider is the overall cost of the DIY hammock stand. Although the costs depend upon the material you choose, it is possible to make a DIY hammock stand for under $25.
Now that you have noted the above-mentioned things, it’s time to jump to the actual procedure of making a DIY hammock stand. But first, let’s see what all tools and material you will need before starting the actual work.
What Are The Materials Required For Making a DIY Hammock Stand?
The materials and tools listed below can vary a little as per the type. You can also use some alternatives if available, otherwise, you will get most of the material on e-commerce sites like amazon.
Material Needed
- 2×4” wood lumber (ideal length: 8 foot)(×2)
- 6” Hexagonal Nut and Bolts (×12)
- Washers (×24)
- 3½ inch screws (×6)
- 2-inch screws (×24)
- Clamps for lumber
- 4” metal brackets (×4)
- Wood stain (For exterior use)
- Hitching Rings (×2)
- 3/8″ Steel Snap Link Hooks (×2)
- Varnish (of your choice)
- Paintbrush
- Sandpaper
Tools Required:
- Portable circular saw
- Portable hand drill machine
- Set square
That is all you will need to begin working on your own DIY hammock stand. I am sharing a detailed procedure for making a hammock stand. Follow these steps and within 2 or 3 days, your brand new hammock stand will be ready.
Steps To Make DIY Hammock Stands
Now, we are beginning with detailed steps for making a simple, attractive, and working DIY hammock stand. Before that make sure you have all the tools and equipment ready which are mentioned above.
Make sure you have electricity as well as access to the electricity ports for your drill machine and electric saw. Having a partner while making this stand will make the work easier for you as well as a lot of fun. Now, let’s straightaway get to our first step.
Step 1:
First things first, take your wood lumber out. We will need two of those and the dimensions will be 2×4” lumber with a length of 8 foot. These will act as the foundation of our hammock stand.
Place these two planks on the ground with their 3-½ inch sides facing the ground. Take a 30 degree set square and place it at the top right corner of your plank and mark a 30-degree angle from the top corner towards the center with the help of a pencil.
Now, using a hacksaw blade or a power saw, cut the end of the plank at the marked 30-degree line. Repeat the same procedure for both ends of these two planks. After cutting the edges at this angle, file these edges using sandpaper.
Step 2:
Now we have the two 8 foot long planks whose edges are cut at an angle of 30-degrees. We need to cut these two planks in half so that we will get 4 planks, each 4 feet long. All four pieces will have one straight age and one angled at 30-degrees.
To do so, first mark the exact center of one plank, that will be at 4 foot. Then cut the plank at the marked point, place the set square for a reference 90-degree straight line. Repeat the same procedure for the second plank as well.
Step 3:
Now we already have our base ready, the next thing we have to do is create slant timbers that are going to support our base as well as lateral posts. For that, you will need another 2×4” plank. Find the center of this plank as we did before and cut it into half so that we will get two 4 foot long planks.
This time, we need the edges at 60-degrees. Therefore again take out the set square and mark the 60-degree angle at both ends. Cut the edges on the marked line and we will have our slant timbers ready with 60-degree edges.
Don’t forget to file the edges using sandpaper, otherwise, it will cause trouble during installation.
Step 4:
Now, take another 2×4” plank and cut 15” pieces from that. From those pieces, leave two of them with straight 90-degree angles at one end. We will use these to join the upper part of the lateral posts which we already have created.
Then coming to the other two pieces, leave their either edge straight and the remaining edge should be cut at an angle of 30-degrees. File them using sandpaper. We will use these to increase the strengths of joints where the base meets lateral posts.
Now that we have all pieces cut at the required size, it’s time to arrange them in proper order. The arrangement goes as follows.
- For the base, take the longer lumber whose longer side should be facing above.
- Take two lateral posts and place them at the ends of the base in such a manner that they touch each other properly. Do not overlap them.
- Mark 20 inches from both ends of the base. Take slant timbers, place them overlapped on base at the 20-inch mark and on the lateral posts.
- From the four 15-inch pieces, take the ones without angles and place them above the lateral posts.
- The other two pieces will be placed in such a manner that they overlap with the base and lateral post touch.
Step 5:
Now we are done with the arranging part and we are going to proceed with the assembly of these pieces in the exact position as we arranged earlier.
Take out your drill machine and the bolts, it’s time to do some interesting work now. You will need clamps to hold the whole structure together until you assemble them permanently. Let us begin from the right side.
We have a total of 12 holes to drill, let us begin. First, pilot drill two holes at the top of the 15-inch piece which is overlapping with lateral posts. Drill one hole each at the end of two slant timbers. Another two holes are to be drilled where the 15-inch cuts are overlapping with the joint where the base and lateral post are connected at an angle.
Once these 6 holes are drilled, you can proceed to the left side and drill similar holes. Always drill in a straight line, otherwise, you are going to face problems while installing the nut and bolt. We will proceed to the next step once you are done with drilling holes.
Step 6:
Now, take out the remaining pieces from the arrangement for now. Place the base and two lateral posts on the ground in the way we had organized them before. Drills are not always long enough to drill through 3 wooden pieces at the same time.
Therefore we will mark all the points precisely with the help of a pencil. Place these pieces onto the new pieces which are not yet drilled. Replicate the points marked on the drilled pieces. Once you have marks on the untouched pieces of base and lateral posts, drill the holes in a similar way as we did previously.
Drilling all pieces altogether is not always possible, thus we use such methods. The only precaution which we have to take is that the holes should exactly replicate the previously drilled holes and all holes should be straight.
Step 7:
Now, we will be dealing with one layer at a time. First thread a 6-inch hexagonal bolt along with a washer through the first layer of the structure, i.e the base plank and lateral posts. Then apply the wood glue on each lumber and place all the overlapping layers.
Once this is done, we can now assemble the 2nd layer of base and lateral posts onto the first layer. Insert the nut and bold along with the washer and tighten the nut securely.
Step 8:
Before proceeding with step 8, keep the structure open for a while and make sure the applied glue has dried completely. Now for stability, we will cut a 2×4 inch lumber and cut it in half. These will help to make the DIY hammock stand stable on the ground.
To accomplish this, we will cut a notch in the center of the 4-foot long plank we just made. The notch should be 3½ inches in width. You can use a chisel and hammer to make this notch. Repeat the same procedure for making the other leg on the opposite side.
Step 9:
Now that we have prepared the two legs, apply glue to one of the feet. Make sure its side with 3-½ inch side is facing the ground. Slide the notch of the leg into the DIY hammock stand base. We will use metal brackets to assemble the foot.
Take the metal bracket, we will connect the leg to the lateral post of the hammock stand. Repeat the same procedure on the other side for the 2nd leg.
Step 10:
So far, we have made the basic structure of our DIY hammock stand along with two strong base legs. Place the hammock stand vertically on its legs to check whether it’s properly balancing or not. Give a light jerk to see if it is able to stabilize that jerk effectively or not.
Before proceeding ahead, inspect the structure once carefully for any loose fits or missed alignments.
Step 11:
The DIY hammock stand you just made is going to be used outdoors in all weather conditions, therefore we are going to protect the wood structure from moisture. Take wood stain of any color as per your choice and paint all over the structure. Make sure it is specified for exterior use.
Use a paintbrush to apply the stain evenly with a fine grain texture. After that, allow the stain to dry. The amount of time required to dry the stain is always specified on the package. Refer to that package and leave it untouched for that period. Usually, it takes 24 hours to dry the stain.
As an alternative to the exterior wood stain, you can apply 2 layers of varnish. Varnish is cheaper than the exterior wood stain and can serve the purpose of protecting your DIY hammock stand from moisture just like the wood stain.
Step 12:
It’s done! you have made the DIY hammock stand all on your own. What will you do with just the hammock stand? You will need to hand the hammock too right? Well then let us make our final adjustment for the hammock.
Take out the hitching ring you bought from the store and fasten it using 2-inch screws at the top of each end of the hammock stand. The final thing which we need to do is attach a spring link to the end of the hitching ring.
Once it is done, you can hand the hammock on the hooks and spend hours and hours in your backyard chilling with a harry potter book and a glass of orange juice.
Closure | DIY Hammock Stand
Making a DIY hammock stand is not very hard. You only need to keep in mind what you are going to make, what your needs and requirements are and you will have a clear picture as to how you should proceed.
You should start by making a plan as to how you are going to make the hammock stand. If you are having any difficulty while making the stand, you can refer to the plans or go online or ask a carpenter. All these methods will help you make the hammock stand smoothly.
If you follow all the steps that I have listed in this article, then you will be able to make the hammock stand very easily. Using wood or PVC is a great idea to make these stands. There are also various types of hammock stands that you can choose an option from.
Basically, just make what you think is best for you and enjoy the feeling of relaxation and contentment and let all the worries leave you. When you have your own hammock, you will feel the great power napping and Percy Jackson once said, ‘With great power…comes the great need to take a nap.’ What can I say? Percy is very wise.
So make yourself a hammock stand and leave this world for the temporary feeling of bliss in the land of dreams. Also if you have any questions or suggestions, make sure to mention them in the comments section below.
