Want a quick and easy weekend project? Look no further than this DIY porch swing! I made this swing about a year ago, and it is one of my favorite features of our outdoor living area to date. I had originally looked into purchasing one pre-made but was shocked by the prices. Custom made swings started at $3,000 (gasp)! I was able to make this swing for around $500 total, including a new mattress from Costco.

To make this swing, I followed these plans from Plank and Pillow. I only had a miter saw, drill, and brad nailer at the time, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. Overall I would say that this build is very beginner friendly, and it only took me the weekend working by myself from start to finish.

All of the wood used was either pine 2×4’s for the framing and select pine for the outer visible surfaces. I prepped it by sanding all the boards down up to 180 grit, applied wood conditioner, and then stained using Minwax’s Mission Oak. I then applied 3 coats of poly, and I have since applied one more coat about a year later as additional preventative protection. The swing is not in direct weather elements but on stormy days, some rain/snow does come underneath the overhang so I want it to be as protected as possible. I also cover it throughout the winter when not in use.

Originally I had planned to just use rope to hang the swing, but after hanging it I felt that it needed more support so opted instead to use chain wrapped in rope for aesthetic purposes.

I plan to eventually either make or purchase several more chairs for additional seating but the swing can comfortable accommodate up to 3 people as is. With the lights it can be used either day or night, and I think our dogs enjoy it as well when we aren’t home. I hope this inspires you to tackle that weekend project you’ve been putting off!