Learn how to make a bow and arrow with pvc pipe and easy to find supplies. This bow and arrow is super simple to make and makes a great party favor if you are hosting a party! The best thing is the kids love them and it can ecourage hours of creative play.
Keep kids busy with these fun crafts!
How to Make a Bow and Arrow out of Pvc
When my boys were little we did several parties centered around this PVC bow and arrow. Now we have a little girl who just saw the movie Brave, so these wildly fun bow and arrows have made another appearance. This DIY bow and arrow made out of PVC is really cool. It is an easy way to learn how to make a bow and arrow for kids.
PVC Bow Supplies
You will need the following supplies:
- 40″ of 1/2″ PVC pipe (these come in 10′ sticks of schedule 40 thickness)
- 16″ X 3/8″ dowel rods (purchase a 48″ piece that makes three arrows)
- 6″ of foam pipe cover (use a 3/4″ diameter piece that is sold in 6′ lengths)
- thick nylon string (I used very heavy duty nylon string)
- a lighter to seal the ends of this string
- scissors
- a hacksaw or fine tooth jig saw
- duct tape
- zip ties
- foam cut into triangles (I used 2″ thick foam home insulation cut into approximately 3″x 3″ triangles)
One 10′ pipe will make three bows. Cut pipe into 3 equal 40″ pieces
How to Make a Bow and Arrow In Easy Steps
Tie a large knot into the end of the nylon string. It needs to be big enough to not slip through the notch in the PVC. Use a lighter or match to burn the end to keep it from fraying.
Cut a one-inch long notch into one side of the PVC pipe on each end. Next place the knot into the notch. Pull tight and make sure the knot is big enough to not slip through. A bead can also be tied to the end to keep it from slipping.
Pull the string tight along the cut PV pipe and cut sting and tie a knot about 4 1/2 inches from the other end of the pipe. Bend the pipe and slip the knot into the other end.
Wrap a piece of duct tape (or electrical tape) around each end of the pipe to keep the string from popping out.
Place the pipe insulation foam around the middle of the PVC pipe. Bring edges together and secure on each side with a zip tie. Trim the ends of the zip tie close to the handle.
Stick the dowel into the foam and remove. Now coat the end of the stick with hot glue and place back into the foam. A slit can be cut into the end of the dowel to make it easier for the child to place on the string of the bow. Such a simple PVC bow. You could easily make this good bow look even more realistic with a little spray paint.
Bow and Arrow for Kids
It takes some practice and patience but these girls mastered it. The PVC bow kept our Brave girls busy until sunset!
![DIY Bow and Arrow [PVC]](https://i1.wp.com/www.skiptomylou.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/PVC-Bow-and-Arrow-Tutorial.jpg "PVC Bow and Arrow Tutorial"){kind=icon}
I hope you love this kids pvc pipe bow and arrows and that it will bring you loads of fun! This DIY movie screen is pretty amazing and here’s are a couple of other ideas to keep the family creating and having fun.
I would love to keep you fully stocked with creative ideas, yummy recipes, fun crafts, and loads of free printables. Subscribe to Skip to my Lou to get new ideas delivered to your inbox. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram for all my latest updates.
Cathy,
Above someone said to use a blow torch gently to brown the pvc and give it the look of real wood. Could maybe cover up the ink?
We are doing this in a few days, my kids can’t wait! Neither can my husband!
Does anyone know how to remove the ink writing on the PVC ? I have made six so far for our family reunion. I do like the erasers better, less bulky. I am having fun shooting them myself. Thanks for the instructions .
I can’t seem to get the arrows to go straight. any help?
My coworker and I made these for a youth group. We used those little pencil top erasers for arrow tips, with the tips cut off. They work great. Also, we had the kids dip the arrows in washable paint before shooting at a paper target. We also ended up adding an arrow rest with some of the leftover foam. It makes for a great activity for a wide range of ages!
If you have older children 17+ and they want a bow and arrow you can use 1″ pvc piping markin the midle and 2″ down each way from the center, use a heat gun to heat it up one side at a time and flaten it with a 3 ft 2×4 this will make the bow stronger and provide more pressure, although it requires a real bow string you can purchase from bow shops for about $15
The same thing is happening to me as to Terri (above). The string is hitting my thumb joint and it really hurts. I want to fix this before I try to give this to my kids.
When I saw this, I immediately went to HD and got what I need to make one. I am hoping to use these with our youngest girls at girl scout day camp. My only problem is when I pull back the string then release it, it hits my thumb joint. Did I do something wrong? It seems like the bow doesn’t have much curve.
Did this today! Thanks for the instructions – very fun!
I would like to make a couple of these for a kindergarten Valentine’s day party. Wondering if I can use an elastic cord and run it all the way through the pvc as time is limited (school party) and it sounds like it may take a bit of time to become comfortable with this instrument. I’m thinking the elastic will offer immediate bouncy and kids won’t get discouraged if their arrow goes haywire,everyone goes home happy, etc. Thoughts?
Wonder if you could give an approx length of the nylon cord for the bow. I would like to have everything precut to make ‘kits’ for the children to put together. Thank you.
yeah then what happens when the kid decides to take of the foam and put a rock on how strong is this bow 5, 10, 20 pounds?
thanks so much for the great project. we made 3 bows and arrows today with my son and his friends (ages4-7) and it was a really great project to do together. and, of course, once we were finished they had a blast.
i can see making more for gifts in the future. again=thanks!
Thanks for sharing! I made 25 of these today for my daughter’s Brave party this weekend. I had a very tough time bending that sch 40 pvc pipe. I found some sch 20 1/2″ pvc at my local hardware store (a local chain; HD and Lowes doesn’t have it). It has thinner walls than the sch 40 and a lot easier to bend. I saw some similar to these on Etsy, but they were spray painted so that’s all I have left to do. 🙂
Thank you for sharing, I’ve been looking over your website as some inspiration for babysitting my nephew, and this one got me excited to try even on my own 🙂
Loved this so much we had to share on our blog today! Thanks for the inspiration! http://www.allfortheboys.com/home/2012/9/5/bow-arrows.html