How to Hang a Patio Swing Bed

Here is how to hang a patio swing bed using rope, eye bolts and extra support to ensure your patio bed swing is safe for all to enjoy.

In a previous post I shared with you the plans I used to build our patio swing bed and now I’m going to show you how to hang it. Making the patio swing bed was the easy part; trying to hang this solid wood heavy bed was another story. I knew I wanted it hung with one inch rope from the ceiling of our front patio, but how? I build it and it’s my husband’s brain power that figures out how to make it work.

Affiliate links are provided below. Please see my full disclosure.

Supplies to Hang Patio Swing Bed

• 3/4″ or 1″ Rope – Consider the height of the ceiling, the knots and how much excess rope you might want to hang to determine how much rope you will need
• 2 – 5/8″ 12″ Eye bolts and washers for ceiling
• 2 – 1/2″ eye bolt and washer for swing
• 4 – shackles

Tools to Hang Patio Swing Bed

• Drill with drill bit
• long screwdriver
• hammer
• five gallon buckets or something similar in height

Step 1: Locate the Ceiling Joists

This swing is pretty heavy since it is constructed of solid pine boards. It has substantial weight to it alone and once you had a twin size mattress and people you must ensure the swing is hung properly. The swing must be hung from something very strong and ceiling joists are necessary.

It can be difficult to locate the ceiling joists especially if you have something covering the joists. We have stained tongue and groove wood on the ceiling of our patio and found the easiest way to locate the ceiling joists with is to look for nail holes in the planks. We also took a tiny drill bit to drill a small hole into the tongue and groove and stuck a wire through to locate it in the attic to see where our swing positioning was.

Step 2: Determine Swing Placement

We set our swing on the patio how we wanted it to hang and then made any adjustments based on where the ceiling joists were and marked the area with painters tape. We also had to take into consideration the ceiling fan and avoid any mishaps with the rope.

For a bed swing you will need to use four large eye bolts for each corner and place the ceiling eye bolts directly above the corresponding eye bolts on the swing. You will also want to keep your swing at least 24 inches aways from any walls to avoid hitting them.

Step 3: Attach the Eye Bolts

We used different eye bolts on the ceiling than we did on the swing itself. For the swing we used these galvanized 1/2″ eye bolts and washers that we found at Tractor Supply and for the ceiling we used

Pre-drill your hole so the wood won’t split and then add your eye bolts to the base of the swing.

Add your eye bolts and washers to the ceiling and floor joists. We used the washers for added protection so the bolt wouldn’t pull through and it also gave it a nice finished look.

Step 4: Add Shackles (optional)

Instead of just tying the rope to the eye bolts from the ceiling, we actually attached shackles to the eye bolts first and then tied the rope to the shackles.

This is totally optional, but it allows us to take the swing down without having to undo the rope (which is almost impossible). As the rope ages and stretches, it is not something you can just tie and untie at your leisure. If we chose to take the swing down over the winter we can just simply undo the shackles and move the swing rope and all.

This is not something that you need to do, but I like to have the ability to be versatile in case we need to move it easily. These are the shackles we used.

Step 5: Tie The Knots

If you are using rope, then you will need to tie knots to connect the swing to the eye bolts on the base of the swing and to the eye bolts (or shackles) on the ceiling. We used two different knots for each location we tied the rope.

Ceiling Knot: For the ceiling we used a double tie over knot

Swing Knot: We just used a regular, basic knot that connected the swing to the ceiling.

Step 6: Attach the Rope to the Swing

You now have your rope tied to the bolts on the ceiling and you are ready to attach the swing so it is able to hang. Working the rope through the eye bolts was a little tricky.

Wrap some electrical tape around the ends of the rope so they won’t fray and you can easily slide them into the eye bolt on the swing because with the 1″ rope it’s a tight squeeze.

Place the swing on five gallon buckets so the swing has something to rest on while you tie your knots. Once all the knots are tied you can remove the buckets and the swing will drop and the rope stretch into place.

Hang Patio Swing Bed with Rope or Chain?

You will need either rope of chain to hang your patio swing. I prefer thick rope because it has a really nice aesthetic. The look of the rope is prettier than the chain, IMO, but you can use either product to hang your swing. The rope is super strong and since we used four pieces of one inch rope I’m not worried about the rope breaking.

You can use chain and follow the same steps as above.

This is the rope we used; it is a 1″ Manilla twist rope. We used this exact rope on the patio swing of our previous home and were super happy with it. You can purchase it by the foot or in a spool of 75 feet. That sounds like a lot but we used most of our rope and glad we purchased the spool instead of per foot.

I made one swing and stained it black to match our barn, but then realized I didn’t like the black on the patio. It felt to harsh for me and not the look I was going for. I plan to hang this out inside the barns enclosed patio. We made a second swing and stained it a wood tone to blend better on the patio.

Adding Decor

Since we made a twin size patio swing we needed to add a mattress. I did not purchase an outdoor mattress but you can; we just purchased a regular twin size mattress and covered it.

In order to protect the mattress I enclosed it with a waterproof zipper mattress cover since it will be sitting outside. Even though it’s on a covered patio sometimes the rain can blow and get everything rather wet. Here is another option if you don’t wan to add a protector and a sheet.

I just added a regular cotton sheet on top of the mattress protector although you can purchase an outdoor mattress cover, but they are rather pricey. You can purchase an entire outdoor mattress, cushion and cover set but it will cost you so I went with a mattress protector and a sheet for now.

Add some pillows, plants and a blanket and your swing is ready to enjoy with friends, family or just take a nap all by yourself. Find lovely outdoor patio planters {HERE}

Mattress & Decor:

Final Thoughts on Hanging a Patio Swing Bed

Hanging a swing can be a little tricky, but can be done easily once you understand what is needed and now to ensure you are hanging it safe and secure. It took us some time to find all the right eye bolts and washers we needed to work for us, but hopefully the tips and supplies listed here will make it easier for you to hang a swing…if you decide to build on. Or, if you purchase one already built but still need to hang it.

You can find all the details of how we built our bed swing {HERE}

RELATED DIY POSTS:

• How to Build a Patio Swing Bed
• Easy DIY Coffee Table
• DIY Wood Closet Shelves

How to Hang a Swing Patio Bed

Love this Post? Share It!