Make a Hammock in an Afternoon

There is no better way to spend a lazy summer afternoon than in a hammock in a beautiful garden. This easy DIY only takes an hour and costs under $20 – now that’s pretty cool.







All you need is a throw (140x180cm), some rope, a wooden lath and a sewing machine. Oh and a drill.





Fold the throw in half length wise and then fold the outside corners in by 30cm as shown above. Cut away the folded corner pieces and zig-zag the cut edges so that they don’t fray.





If you're unsure of the measurements you can always ask Jazz to double check them for you :-)





Fold each cut side in about 4.5 cm and pin to create little pockets for the sisal rope to go through. Stitch up the pockets and reinforce the beginning and end with back stitches. Stitch twice to make sure the pockets are strong enough and then repeat on the other side.
To hang the hammock make a mark 9 cm and 14 cm in from both ends of the lath and using a 13 mm drill bit, drill through. Cut the sisal rope into 2 piece measuring 3 m each and use masking tape to seal the edges so they won’t fray. Tie a knot at one end of each of your 3 m ropes. Thread the rope down through the outside hole in your lath and into the top, narrowest edge of your hammock seat and through to the widest edge. Tie a knot about 170 cm from the first knot and thread it back up into the lath. Repeat on the other side. Adjust the knots up or down to make the hammock higher or lower. That’s it, your hammock is ready for a shady spot in the garden, just knot the two pieces at the top together and find a strong branch.
A word of caution. Make sure your hammock is fastened to a branch that is strong enough to support the weight of the hammock and whoever is sitting on it. You need to check that the hammock is properly tied so that it won’t come lose or fall when you get in. Kids should never be allowed to use the hammock without adult supervision.






Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/13320029/make-a-hammock-in-an-afternoon site