DIY Crib Mattress Porch Swing

May 12, 2020
IN: diy, diy project, tutorial

I built a porch swing, surprisingly all by myself, thanks to this incredibly detailed tutorial from Plank and Pillow. And trust me when I say, if I can do this, you can too! I tweaked their tutorial just a bit to make this project even easier than it already is. There are zero angled cuts, so it’s a great beginner’s project. And the bonus is it will likely cost less than $100 to build!

The DIY Details

All you’ll need is:

Finish Nailer
Miter Saw
Drill
Tape Measure
Wood Glue
1 1/4″ Finish Nails
2″ Finish Nails
1 5/8″ Exterior Wood Screws
2 1/2″ Exterior Wood Screws
Wood Filler

Wood: (I used kiln-dried pine)

4 pieces of 1″ x 4″ x 8′
6 pieces of 1″ x 3″ x 8′
2 pieces of 1″ x 6″ x 12′ or 4 pieces of 1″ x 6″ x 6′
2 pieces of 2″ x 3″ x 8′ framing lumber

*You’ll use wood glue and finish nails at every step of this tutorial and then reinforce the corners with wood screws at the end.

Step 1: You start by building the frame using 1×4’s.

2 pieces at 26 1/2 inches and 2 pieces at 52″

So that your frame is 52″ x 28″ to fit a standard size crib mattress. Here I used the 2-inch finish nails.

Step 2: Add a 1×3 to the inside of the frame at each end and one in the middle.

Be sure to attach the 1×3’s 3/4 inch from the top.

Step 3: Cut 4 pieces of 1×6 to 50 1/2 inches. Glue and nail to support.

*You can see from the above picture that I don’t always get the perfect cut. Guess what? It’s all good. Don’t let the idea that it “has to be perfect” keep you from taking on a project. The mattress is going to sit on top and cover this base anyway.

Step 4: Cut 8 pieces of 1×3 to 20″ to make the posts for each corner of the frame. Form an L shape with two pieces, then glue and nail the pieces together with 2″ nails.

Step 5: Glue and nail the posts to the frame using 1 1/4″ nails.

Step 6: Use 1×3’s for the side and back rails.

I used a level here to make sure they were straight. The Plank and Pillow tutorial calls for creating an x detail on the sides, which looks really pretty but seemed a little above my skill set. So instead I created a cross detail (which you’ll see bellow in step 8), which didn’t require any angled cuts.

Step 7: Once the side rails are attached to the corner posts, you can attach your top caps. Here again, instead of a 45 degree angled joint in the corners, I opted for a straight joint. Because why make it more complicated than it needs to be? 😉 I used 1×6’s for the arms, and a 1×4 for the back. Then you’ll also see from the pic below that I added a vertical support on the back using 1×4.

I opted for a 1×6 on the arms because I like that it’s wide enough to hold a glass of wine. 😉

Step 8: Attach 1×3 vertical support to both sides to create a cross detail to match the back.

*Step 9: This step may be optional. The Plank and Pillow tutorial does not call for using any screws at all. But I felt like reinforcing the corners couldn’t hurt. So I used a couple of 1 5/8″ exterior wood screws on all four corners.

Step 10: Turn the bed swing over and attach the 2×3’s to the bottom. I used wood glue and 2 1/2″ screws.

Step 11: Drill a 3/4″ hole through each end for the rope to run through for hanging.

Then all you have to do is use some wood filler to fill the nail holes, lightly sand, and either sand or paint. And then hang her up and enjoy! I can’t wait to get this swing up on my front porch!