# Lawn Swing Crafts
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Arbor Frame
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Hang your lawn swing from a free-standing arbor. Build a free-standing arbor frame for your lawn swing. Purchase four 12-foot, 6-by-6-inch pressure-treated lumber posts. Sink these posts 42 inches below the grade of your landscape. Building the arbor 76 inches wide will allow 18 inches of clearance for a standard 58 ½-inch swing. For additional shade, train grape vine or Carolina jessamine to climb and cover your new arbor.
Cushions and Pillows
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Re-cover your lawn swing cushions and pillows yourself. Accessorize your lawn swing as you would your indoor sofa. Sew your own pillows with natural or synthetic weather-resistant fabric available at your local sewing center. Re-cover old pillows and seat cushions by taking the worn cushions apart, tracing its individual pieces on butcher paper or newsprint, cut the fabric and sew it together. This project can be done in a day and is simple for the average seamstress.
Insect-Repellent Pillow
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Add dried lavendar and mint oil to pillow inserts to repel insects. A twist on the pillow project is to make a small cut on each side of your pillow insert and stuff in half a cup of dried lavender and five drops of peppermint or spearmint oil in each side of your pillow insert's surface. When the pillow is squeezed or leaned against, the lavender and mint scent is released, helping to repel insects around your swing. To refresh your insect-repellent pillow, remove the insert and add more oil drops.
Rope
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Hang your swing from marine-grade rope for a nautical touch. Replace the chains on your lawn swing with marine-grade nylon- or polyester-braided rope. Connect with eye-bolts and S-hooks with 4- to 6-inch shafts. Rope lengths of about eight feet can be knotted and adjusted to suspend the swing about 18 inches from the ground. Attaching to rope support to the seat of the swing will provide the smoothest ride in your porch swing.
Complementary Design
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Add a seagrass cushion for an island touch. Add special touches to your porch swing to blend it in with your home's décor. Paint your swing a bright blue or orange to add a Mediterranean flair. Use seagrass cushions, and add thatch to the top of your swing for an island touch. Ornate wooden trim added to the bottom of your swing's seat or the top support will help your swing become a part of your Victorian décor.
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