How to Make a Rope Tree Seat

Trim 1-by-8 pieces of softwood lumber board such as red cedar or redwood into three planks that are each 16 inches long. Do not use deck boards that are pressure-treated, as these boards often contain arsenic, which is toxic.

Apply wood glue to a long edge of one of the three 16-inch-long planks, and attach a long edge of the second 16-inch-long plank to the glued area, pressing them firmly together. Allow the glue to dry. Put the third 16-inch-long plank of wood underneath the rectangular seat so it is centered over the seam where the first two planks meet. The third plank makes up the bottom part of the seat. Screw this third plank to the rectangular seat using a screwdriver and wood screws. Screw down rather than up so the screw tips go toward the bottom of the seat, and place the screws closer toward the perimeter of the seat -- the area where a person likely will not sit.

Draw a pencil mark about 1.5 inches in from both ends of the top of the rectangular seat to mark where the tree swing seat’s rope will go. Cut a hole where these pencil marks are using a drill with a 3/4-inch bit.

Sand the rectangular seat using rough sandpaper to remove any sharp areas of wood that potentially make swinging uncomfortable. Make the sharp edges of the seat round using a wood rasp as well. Pay special attention to the part of the seat that will be the front when a person swings, as this area contacts the person’s thighs and legs.

Pull a rope through the hole on one side of the rectangular seat, and tie a tight knot in this area. Do the same thing in the hole located on the opposite side of the rectangular seat using another piece of rope.

Choose a tree limb that is about the size of a 2-by-8-inch board and is horizontal. Climb a ladder to reach the limb, carrying with you the free ends of the two lengths of rope you attached to the seat in step 5. Tie each rope end to the limb, creating a knot at each rope end and placing each rope end about 18 inches apart for stability.