How to Tie a Knot for a Disc Swing

Take the rope for the disc swing and cut a 14-foot line. Use a lighter to burn the ends of the line to ensure that there is no fraying later. Check the line for signs of fraying or chafing. Inspect the hole in the center of the disc for hairline cracks that could result in weakness later.

Tie a bowline knot on one end of the line. To do this, create a loop 12 inches from the end of the line. The end of the line is known as the bite. The other end of the line is known as the working end. Pull the bite of the line up through the loop. Wrap the bite around the working end and pull it back down the loop. Pull to tighten. This will leave a loop in the line. Another explanation often used when teaching a bowline is that the rabbit goes up the hole, around the tree and back down the hole again. (See Resources for video on how to tie a bowline.)

Swing the rope over a tree limb and thread the working end of the line through the loop. Bowlines are the king of knots, but you can add two half hitches for additional security. A half hitch is a simple overhand knot that is not often used by itself, but is used to lock other knots. To tie a half hitch, take the end of the line and make a loop directly under the bowline knot. Bring the end of the line under the standing line and through the loop. Repeat for the second half hitch, feeding the end through the middle of both half hitches. (See Resources for video on how to tie a half hitch.)

Thread the rope through the hole in the disc from top to bottom. On the underneath side of the disc, tie a double overhand stopper knot. Stopper knots are one of the easier knots to make, and are very popular among sailors and rock climbers. To make a double overhand stopper knot, take the end of the line and make a loop. Then, bring the end of the line through the loop two times and tighten. Tie two half hitches to secure. (See Resources for video on how to tie a double overhand stopper knot.)