Make Your Own Backyard Swingby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 10 May 2007 07:47 AM Forget those expensive play-sets that cost thousands of dollars. With a few simple instructions, you can build your own. My husband and I have been seriously thinking about saving up for one of those wooden play sets. You know the ones? They come with everything from towers and rock walls to traditional swings and slides. The kids have been spending more time outdoors since we moved to a house with a large backyard, so a play set made sense. Those sets are big investments to make, so our decision would not be made lightly. We do have a couple of small plastic backyard toys, but the kids are quickly outgrowing them, and the plastic just doesn't fit in with our scenic view of the woods and brook. But, in a bit of frugal serendipity, I came across simple instructions about making a backyard swing from scratch. It is really pretty easy to do, and I'm not sure why we didn't think about doing this before. In fact, it is so simple, that we could make two swings, so there will be no arguing by the older kids. I'm sure the adults might just enjoy it, too. It looks like we have another Saturday afternoon project! Here are the instructions to make your own backyard swing: Scout out your tree. You should find a thick, sturdy branch that is 12- to 16-feet high. You'll also need a wooden board for the swing, and a 3/4-inch twisted polypropylene rope. In a pinch, you can use a traditional rope, but the polypropylene will last longer and won't shred or fray. Drill holes in the bottom of the board and thread and tie the rope. Then tie the rope to the tree branch. Simple! And it has a nice rustic look to it. You can also jazz it up by painting the board and choose a bright color for the rope. Related Articles: Frugal Kids: Free Home Depot Workshops Frugal Kids: Free Building Set Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags backyard, craf, frugal, swing set Discuss this article
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