Solano County, California

do-it-yourself

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The Homemade "Taco" Sensory Swing is a do it yourself sensory swing designed for parents to make at home for children with Autism. Important safety precautions and reminder:

Do not use stretchy fabric for this swing.
Make sure the thread strength matches the fabric used. Also, make to use the appropriate needle on the sewing machine
Always test homemade swings first before letting children play with them.
Do not leave children unattended in swings.
Put swings away when not in use.
Make sure the swing is in a clear, unobstructed space.

Technical Specifications:

Step One: Gather materials.

1.7 meters (1.9 yards) of canvas or other non-stretchy fabric
1-inch thick wooden dowels (36 inches length)
Carabiner hooks
¼-inch nylon diamond braid rope
Drill with ¼-inch drill bit
Sewing machine
Scotch clear tape
Heavy duty thread for sewing upholstery

Step Two: Assuming dowels are shorter than width of the fabric, cut the fabric to be about 40 inches wide, just slightly larger than the length of the dowels (36 inches).

Step Three: Fold the edge of the fabric along the long side of the fabric and tuck the raw edge inside. Parent likely use about 2 inches-2.5 inches worth of fabric for this hem. Pin and sew. This edge will be the front (or back) of the swing.

Step Four: Repeat on the other long edge, making sure that the finished rectangle is shorter than the length of the dowel.

Step Five: Now parent to make pockets for the wooden dowels, fold the fabric around the wooden dowel, tucking the raw edge inside, to create the pocket. Don't make the pocket too tight. Pin into place. Remove the wooden dowel. Then sew.

Step Six: Repeat step four on the remaining edge of the fabric.

Step Seven: Drill two holes in each wooden dowel, about 1-inch in from each end.

Step Eight: Determine the length of rope to use. This step depends on the height of the space. For instance, if parent hangs the swing in an extra wide doorway, they are to use about 70 inches of rope per side.

Step Nine: Put a piece of tape on the end of a piece of rope. It makes threading the rope so much easier. Plus it keeps the rope from fraying. Tie a knot or two on the underside of the dowel. Repeat for all four holes.

Step Ten: To attach the carabiner hook, locate the middle of the rope for each side. Loop the rope around the carabiner hook.

Step Eleven: Now that the swing is assembled, the parent installs some hardware to hook the swing onto. Use two eye bolts (about 18 inches apart) screwed into the frame of a large doorway. Swing hooks should always be installed into a ceiling joist or door frame.

Step Twelve: The parent tests its capacity out.

Step Thirteen: The child swings on the Homemade "Taco" Sensory Swing.