How to Design a Porch Swing

Porch swings are a great way to relax for the outdoor lover in all of us. Porch swings can be bought pre-made, or with a little creativity and a lot of time one can design the porch swing of their dreams. Below are a few steps to help you design a porch swing.

1. Research and collect pictures of many different styles of porch swings to get an idea of what type of swing that you would like to design.


2. Choose a scale ratio before starting to design the porch swing.


3. Draw a horizontal line on a piece of graph paper to represent the bottom of the chair as if looking at the porch swing from one side. Mark another line on one side of the horizontal line at a 95 degree angle to represent the back of the chair. As you draw the lines, write down the desired dimensions on the side of the graph paper. The chair bottom needs to be at least five feet long and the chair back three feet tall.


4. Repeat the above mentioned step to complete the design for the other side of the chair jotting down the dimensions as well. Draw the other lines so that they are symmetrical to the first set of lines drawn. Proper planning is a big step in getting a well designed finished product.


5. Pencil in the places where the rungs will be located to connect the porch swing to the roof. Create parallel lines when drawing the rungs to ensure that they are symmetrical on both sides.


6. Mark the length of the boards that will be used to create the seat and the top of the back rest.


7. Mark the spot on the ceiling for the eyelet hook which will attach the swing to the stand. The chains and hooks that are attached to the swing will be mounted on the eyelet hook.


8. Design the swing stand. Draw two vertical lines on each side of the chair from the bottom of the chair to the top of the chair for the swing stand.


9. Give the design to a contractor for approval and to further discuss any questions that you may have about designing the porch swing.