I made hammocks for my kids about a year ago, and they're still a huge hit,
and have held up well despite weekly washings, although they're looking
faded now.  Here's the cheap side o' life:
 
Needed: good, solid sewing machine, grommets, 4 clips or hooks.
 
I went to the store, bought 1 yard of wooly stuff, one yard of the cheapest
on-sale denim (warning - the first time you wash it, it will bleed
profusely) and cut them to desired size, laid them together wrong sides out,
sewed them mostly shut, inverted the now pillow-like shell so that the fuzzy
side of the fleece was out and the seams were inside, and sewed up the
remaining hole.  Punch a hole in each corner, install grommets, attach
clips, stick into cage, presto.  Takes about 15 minutes per hammock,
excluding shopping time.  Costs about $3 ea.  1 yard will make three or four
hammocks.  yay!
 
Melissa
 
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      Melissa Litwicki                              "Is it ... atomic?"
      [log in to unmask]                             "Yes! VERY atomic!"
[Posted in FML issue 1672]