Hey all I am
Looking to make a really easy hammock and I am trying to do it without sewing. Is there a tied end version? Sorry, I am sure this has been best to death but I am very new here. I just love lounging in my yard in my ENO double and want another that I made.
Even if you "whip" (gather and tie) the ends of your DIY hammock, you will still have to hem the edges of a fabric rectangle to make your hammock body, which will require you to sew some simple, long, straight seams on a machine. Even heat-sealed fabric edges may fray over time and use, and they are less strong at the critical entry/egress point than a roll hem. Machine-sewing a long, straight row of stitches is pretty easy if you take your time (and maybe build a stuff sack to practice first); it is less like learning to drive a manual transmission and more like changing a tire or hooking up jumper cables -- something most people can and should eventually learn (except if you have a car built in the last 20 years with ridiculous electronics inside that get damaged when giving a jump to another vehicle...but that's what those nifty jump boxes are for...)
The only possible true "no sew" DIY hammock options I can think of are...
1) Tablecloth hammock -- Many members here have built their own hammocks out of correctly sized synthetic rectangle tablecloth material, which comes pre-hemmed. This will constrain your hammock body choice on size, aspect ratio, and material options, but it is a "whip and go" solution, requiring only that you gather and bind your ends and then attach your suspension. Search this forum for examples.
2) Thermal hem binding tape -- I've never tried it, but it might be possible to bind the raw edges of your hammock body fabric with a folded or rolled hem using the thermal hem binding tape they sell at fabric shops and big box stores. Dritz makes some in different widths and strengths, and you just sandwich it between fabric layers and iron over it to "glue" everything in place. It is meant for things like pants cuffs, so I hav no idea how it will work on ripstop nylon hat will be subjected to repeated cycles of lots of tension, to say nothing of eventual environmental extremes, but it's a theoretical option.
HTH. Good luck...
Smart graphic design for all your needs by BGD
Plus 1 on above
And I think you can get kits in various stages of completion from cottage vendors.
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Yes, it is possible to make a hammock without any sewing. The first one I made was from a heavy, textured nylon fabric from Walmart's bargain bin. I left the selvedge edges as is (the long edges as it comes off the bolt). There are several methods of gathering the ends- I found simply scrunching up the fabric across the short ends works well. Once scrunched, tie an overhand knot in each end. The cut edge will be sticking out of the knot but won't affect anything- it would have to unravel clear through the knot to cause trouble. That never happened during several sessions of Boy Scouts trying out the hammock(boys are definitely not gentle with hammocks). The selvedge edges are still intact too. On a lighter fabric I don't know if these edges would hold as well. For a suspension I use 1" webbing only. I buy 25', cut it in half and tie a loop in one end (water knot). This loop gets attached to the hammock just behind the overhand knot on the end(larkshead knot). The plain end of the webbing goes around the tree, tied with 2 half hitches(second half hitch is slipped). Take into account that the overhand knots will use up quite a bit of length- I would start with 4 yards of 60" wide fabric.
Just tie knots in the ends, and use a hot knife / woodburing tool "seal the edges if you want.
Good advice, slugbait. I never considered leaving the factory-bonded selvage edges as they are, but it's good to know what an expedient "knot and go" hammock is possible, if clearly less than ideal.
Smart graphic design for all your needs by BGD
tablecloth blanks is the way to go if you can't sew
easy to get 12 foot by 6 foot pieces and just whip, add ridgeline and suspension and be done
and usually all for under 20 bucks
Check Risk's QuarterWeight Hammock (via the Internet Archive).
He refers to Speer Hammocks (Internet Archive again)
The deal is to take a rectangular piece of fabric, sort of fold one end at a time into "pleats", then tie an overhand knot in each end. Then you tie your suspension to that. You may find a picture somewhere on Risk's defunct site or on Speer's defunct site.
No sewing, although there are the edges to think about.
After getting my hammock I found that all the nieces and nephews wanted to play in it. An assortment of bright colored 126"x60" tablecloths from tableclothsfactory.com with double wrap larks head CL's on each end was a quick and dirty way of getting them to leave my stuff alone. They have stood up surprisingly well to their play for three seasons now ... ages 5 to 18. The 18 year old is in process of making their own higher quality and better sized version now.
For length, per ED Speers, the rough rule for someone 200 to 300 pounds is your height + 2 feet + 28" + 3 inches with the 28" being for the knot on each end and the 3" for any end hems, or you could just use a hot knife or a lighter to seal the end edges. If you leave the selvedge on the side edges, you should not have any raveling or ripping; it will just look fuzzy. I have made one of these as my first DIY hammock. It served me well for several years. You could certainly make yours longer than the formula above. You can gather the ends pretty much however you like. Go to Just Jeff's webpage (tothewoods.net) for some ideas on gathering the ends and DIY hammocks.
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