If you have come looking to make TRULY dangerous toys for boys you are at the right spot! Or maybe you have finally succumbed to the constant whining about “needing” a bullwhip since the release of the new Indiana Jones movie. Either way, this easy homemade bullwhip is sure to contribute to hours of playing Raiders of the Lost Ark.

DIY duct tape bullwhip
How to Make a Bullwhip

If you’re looking for a safer activity to do with your boys, check out this super cool glow-in-the-dark slime, and these outdoor games are fun for the whole family!

Thank you to Wesley Scoggins Indy Mogul for the clever idea to use duct tape for this Indiana Jones bullwhip. The brown duct tape makes the bullwhip look real and it really is an easy diy whip that even your kids can help with.

How to make a duct tape bullwhip

Supplies Needed:

  • Brown “Duck” tape (we found this at Wal-Mart) cut into 3- 12 foot lengths
  • 10″ piece of 3/8″ wooden dowel rod
  • a foot or so of twine for the “popper” if desired

1.Begin by placing two chairs 12 feet apart. Place three strips of tape between the chairs.

3 strips of duct tape
3 Strands of Duct Tape

2. Fold each of the pieces of tape in half length ways-leave attached to the chair.

Fasten 3 strips of tape to back of chair

3. Leave tape hooked on one of the chairs and begin braiding. Braiding 12 feet of duct tape isn’t really pleasant but is certainly less painful than paying $50.00 plus for a bullwhip! We tried several methods: hanging it up high, and laying it on the ground. We found it easiest to leave it attached to the chair and have another person help untangle the strips of duck tape as you braid. My eleven-year-old Harrison Ford wannabe was able to do most of the braiding.

braid three strips together

4. Once you have reached the end take another piece of tape and wrap it around the braid to fasten off.

fasten ends with small strip of duct tape

5. Remove the other end from the chair and attach these ends of tape to the wooden dowel.

attach wooden dowel to end of bullwhip with more duct tape

6. Begin wrapping the dowel with tape until you have completely covered the handle. When finished we took a small piece of tape and covered each end and then wrapped a small piece once again around the dowel to make it secure.

wrap duct tape around wooden dowel

7. If you want to make the popper. as it definitely adds to the authentic look of the Indiana Jones bullwhip.

add a small nylon string to end of bullwhip for popper

Finished! How does it work?—–Probably not well enough to kill someone or allow you to hang from a tree (we’re trying though) but well enough to cause some damage to your house and possibly harm a friend, so please be careful cracking a bullwhip!

duck tape bullwhip coiled and attached to belt loop on pants like Indiana Jones

Hopefully, I have shown you how to make a whip in under 30 minutes. Although it took us a few tries, we definitely had a great afternoon together with lots of. laughing and brainstorming. I’m always amazed at how creative kids can be, especially when they want something as cool as an Indiana Jones whip!

Duct Tape or Duck Tape

Duct tape, also known as duck tape, is a widely used adhesive tape. It was originally developed during World War II as a waterproof adhesive for bandages and ammunition cases. Its versatility soon found other uses – from patching up leaky pipes to taping pieces of cardboard together to make a makeshift shelter.

Duct tape is still one of the most useful tools to use in a survival situation or just fixing something around the house.

Duct tape refers to a broad range of tapes, while Duck Tape® refers to a specific brand of duct tape.

More Duct Tape Crafts

Now that you have the duct tape out here are a few more things to make.

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.


About Cindy Hopper

Learn More

you may also like

Comments

  1. My son was literally begging for an Indy whip today! How lucky am I to have found you?? THANK YOU for saving me sooo much money and for giving me an excuse to go shopping at Wal Mart! 🙂

  2. This is great, the boys are doing an Indiana Jones themed father’s day gift and this will be a perfect addition. I’m sure they will all want one of their own too.
    I was wondering does it matter what the popper is made out of? Thanks

  3. Creativity at it’s best moment. I admire your patience. The stickiness of the duct tape is the number one enemy here.

  4. Haha oh wow that’s wicked! Much much better than the crap whip Hasbro put out. Thanks for sharing this!

  5. What a good idea – I’m filing this one away for an Indiana Jones Halloween costume.

  6. Totally love this! I’m the mother of five boys and four of them are oohing and aahing as we read through your instructions…now my oldest is asking if you have any other cool ideas…like making a storm trooper mask???? etc….
    Thank you for a GREAT DIY project!

  7. May I make a suggestion? If there is only one person working on the braid and that person needs to detangle the other end, how about using clothespins to secure the work you’ve done so far?

  8. Thanks for posting this….my 34 year old cousin will love it! He’s always looking for new toys to play with. Stu will really appreciate it.

  9. especially for kids who will knock around the yard with it. Professional made bullwhips can go anywhere from $400 to over $900 or more depending on the work..

  10. Oh thank you soooooo much for this post. My 9 year old has been using everything immaginable to fashion a bullwhip(since I refuse to buy one) and this looks just perfect! He will be so pleased! 🙂

  11. Very cool. I sent it to my daughter who does home school for my 12 year old grandson. He’s home schooled, and it looks like a great project.

  12. Thanks for that – currently my 8yo is not wanting one, but I am sure when we get through the series and see the new ones, we will have a need for two of them (one for my 4yo daughter too) – thanks for a cheaper alternative. I agree, two rolls of duct tape is much cheaper than $50 each for something that may have a shelf-life of about a few weeks.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *