DIY Life

Plans for homemade hammocks range from the complicated to the super-simple. Let's focus on the latter: those made and hung in an hour or less using easy online instructions. You can have it done in plenty of time for your 4th of July get-together!

You will need an eight or ten foot length of any sturdy fabric and about 50 feet of equally sturdy rope. Both must be tough enough to suspend your weight without snapping.

Bre Pettis, appearing in an Etsy clip posted on You Tube, beautifully demonstrates what happens when you don't choose your rope with care. Bre shows viewers a fast route to homemade hammock bliss, using just a length of heavy duty cotton, a sewing machine, and lots of rope. No fuss. No measuring. Unfortunately, the cotton clothesline-type rope he uses is just not strong enough. It snaps the moment Bre lies down to test out his creation, leaving him sprawling on the city pavement. Ouch.

For a super no-sew hammock how-to, check out this "Instant Hammock" video featured on Instructables.com. Here, intrepid DIY guy Tim Anderson demonstrates how to rig a hammock using nothing but old curtains and rope. The secret is all in the knots, apparently. Darn impressive work with the rope, Tim. And the finished hammock looks mighty comfy.

More useful ideas and links (such as how to make a classic-style woven rope hammock) can be found at Mother Earth News.