Any ideas on making a bow and arrow?
by
Debbie
+9
My daughter has to make one for a school project. Many thanks.
11 answers
-
google it
Peggy M
on Oct 27, 2014
-
Our neighbor made a couple for our kids using PVC pipe :) they are very durable, with lots of hours of pretend play possibilities :)
Jennifer
on Oct 27, 2014
-
I remember my mum making some for myself and the kids in the neighborhood with a wood coat hanger, you have them thicker curved once that look lovely for a bow or crossbow, some string or elastic and you are good to go
Mall
on Oct 27, 2014
-
I guess my first thought would be does this have to actually work, or just look nice? My first thought is a coat hanger, cut the wire and bend it into a bow shape, attach cord...for arrow....another coat hanger (keep straight) and cut a piece for the arrow...attach paper at the very end for the feathers (or you could use real feathers if you have them).
Elizabeth
on Oct 27, 2014
-
You don't have to buy a thing. Sticks work nicely (I have lots of experience) and they actually shoot. Choose a nice supple branch, but not too flimsy, or it will bend too easily and won't give the string enough rebound. It needs to be green, not dry, or it will crack. It should probably be about 2 cm thick and a bit taller than your daughter so that when she bends it, it will come to the right height (but there's no one "right" way to do it; it depends on her size and strength, if the bow is for actual use. It can take a bit of practice to get the strength to bend it far enough, so she may prefer using a shorter and thinner stick). Use a penknife to notch the stick on one side about an inch from the top, and on the same side about an inch from the bottom. This will give your string a grip. Wind the string around the bow at the top notch, tie it, bend the bow, and wind and tie the bottom in the same manner (note: slippery string does not work well). The string should be tight enough to give a nice twang when plucked but not so tight that a child can scarcely pull it. Remember when testing the tightness that the child will be pulling with an arrow gripped between thumb and forefinger, which is more difficult than just gripping the string with thumb and forefinger directly. NB: the bow should ideally be seasoned a bit (left to "age" for some days) before use. Arrows can be made with fairly straight, thin sticks (eg. 1.5 cm thick). The stick needs to be longer than the width of the "D" that you create when you bend the bow (sounds obvious, but children don't always think of that). Use a penknife to peel the bark off and shave one end down to a point and to notch the other end a bit so the string will fit in. You may wish to make several arrows and test them to compare effectiveness as there tends to be a fair variation based on the balance of the sticks, slight warps, and so on.
Shanandoah
on Oct 27, 2014
-
Try a piece of bamboo
Debbie Harris
on Oct 28, 2014
-
Depending on the size she needs, we made a small one out of a Popsicle stick and the arrow was a Q-Tip for a project.
Anne Peck
on Oct 28, 2014
-
TV show Sasquatch showed how to make one. Pretty close to what Shanandoah explained. I made a small one with wire hangers for the American Girl dolls. All depends on the size she needs.
Letty
on Oct 28, 2014
-
The Boy Scouts have some great how to articles on this sort of thing. Have fun!
Adrianne C
on Nov 21, 2014
-
you can find many tutorials on DIY
Deborah M
on Dec 10, 2014
-
Try sticks.
Grady
on Dec 18, 2014
Sign Up to Answer
