Hammock In, Out and All About

July 22 also happens to be a Hammock Day and the idea behind this day is to enjoy summer and not do any work at all except to snack and lounge – I can live with that!

Lying in a hammock and snoozing in the shade sounds like heaven.  Too bad I don’t own a hammock.  These days, you can purchase hammocks that rest on a steel/wooden stand so that you can still enjoy the sensation of being cocooned.  If you do want shade though, you’ll have to come up with a solution there.  There are plenty of creative ways to include a hammock in your life and its use doesn’t just have to be limited to the outdoors.

​Image from Kingspond

​I think someone on my social media feed shared this particular hammock with me. It is available to purchase through Amazon.  It’s called the Hamakua stand and it is a frame that can be assembled, upon which you can set up 2 hammock chairs or a hammock at the back of your vehicle.  I think it’s a really interesting idea but it’s not one I would honestly use.  I’d be too focused on the bug splatters on my car and I’m also very sensitive to smells so relaxing in the presence of carbon monoxide and car exhaust isn’t exactly appealing.  That being said, if you are really into the outdoors and often take road trips where there is a lot of open roads, this could be a way for you to kick up your feet for a bit.

​To be honest, I’m not a camping girl, I’m more of a cottage girl, and even though I don’t go as often as I am a beacon for bugs and end up swelling big time.  According to the folks at Eagles Nest Outfitters, you could use your hammock as a temporary food bag to keep bears away from your camp.  If you camp, let me know if you’ve tried this.  They have also listed other ideas for how you could also re-purpose a hammock but I don’t know if they mean these functions are exclusive to their products since the material they use is a parachute-like material.

​A brilliant mommy hack that I saw was using a fitted bed sheet as a beach towel to keep the sand out and create a space to chill. I’ll definitely try to give this a shot when we head to the beach this summer.  The folks at Adventure Sports Network also suggested that you could use a hammock instead of a beach towel.  Many hammocks made these days are spacious enough to fit two, are more lightweight than beach towels, and hence easier to clean off the sand and hammocks tend to be durable.  Check their site for more ideas on ways to use a hammock outdoors.
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When it comes to hammocks, I think the outdoor ideas are really great.  It’s just the summer months are not that long where I am and I’d love for much longer use of them so here are some ways that you can use a hammock indoors.

​​Image from Jungalow

If you have a hammock that’s got a great pattern or texture, one way that you could repurpose it is to use it as a curtain hung either length or width-wise.  The benefit of this is, you could simply drape over the rod and you have built-in tassels or ends to attach to your rod!

​This idea also comes from Jungalow.  I have to say that this particular idea is very creative but a little out there for me at least and I think I would be paranoid about dirt dropping through the hammock and if a liner was used, I also worry about ventilation.  Talk about a catch-22.

That being said, the idea of planter hammocks is not that foreign to me.  Growing up, we’d have hammocks such as the one below all over the house.  Some had more intricate patterns and others would be much larger sized to hold my mom’s bigger potted plants like her jade plant.    This particular one hangs in my mom’s kitchen and was handmade by her.  In fact, all the ones in her home were handmade.

​Are plushies taking over your home?  Too many linens and towels?  Bath toys all over the tub?  No worries, hammocks to the rescue!  Keep your home organized with a clever storage hammock.  A little different than your traditional hammocks, these hammocks are triangular in shape, made out of stretchy mesh, and sit right in a corner of a room.  Hang it high, hang it low, hang two in a row, it’s really up to you.  If you are wondering just how much you can tuck away in a storage hammock, check this video out – you’ll be amazed.  MiniOwls which sells the hammock you see above sells the hammock in many other colors. You can see what works for your space.  They also have a bath toy hammock that is held by suction cups to keep the mess at bay!

​If you have a hot tub or a spa-like bathroom, you can also install one of these hammocks to hold all the few towels for a spa-like feel!

Got a fur baby that you just adore?  Well Settle Down Slinky has some great instructions for a DIY cat hammock for underneath the coffee table.  It’s the perfect hang-out space for a small pet.  The best part, no sewing is required.  My mom is fantastic at sewing, but sadly those skills are lost on me.  This pet hammock isn’t just for cats though, I have a friend who actually used it for her bunny.

​For pet parents who don’t mind splurging a little more on their fur babies, and want to have a separate space for their pet, an actual hammock bed might be the answer. Cat above has a number of cute cat hammock beds that you can consider. I thought the one featured above was a pretty neat one since it’s quite portable and has a little bit of peek-a-boo fun to it.

​I’m actually reminded of a Kickstarter project that I saw called the Crescent Womb, pictured below. In my opinion, it’s essentially a hammock that hangs over a crib.  Baby looks comfy, what do you think?

​Image from Online Therapy

A while ago, I went to visit a friend in her new home and completely fell in love with her window bench.  Nestled in a sunny bay window and soft cushions, I could picture myself spending countless hours curled up with a good book.  The day I build my home from the ground up, I’m definitely going create a little reading nook for myself (hubby wants a Bat cave).

If you are going to hang a hammock up in your home, it is important to do so properly or else your walls or home may sustain some damage.  Hammock Universe has some helpful tips and considerations for those thinking about hanging a hammock indoors.

How else would you use a hammock indoors or outdoors?

May you hang happy no matter the season!

Julie