BDSM on a Budget: Sex Toys You Can Make at Home

By Agnes Teesdale

BDSM and D.I.Y. craftiness go together like Lindsay Lohan and prescription drugs. But getting kinky can
sometimes be daunting to the novice player, what with all those expensive toys and fancy
outfits. Even if you're an experienced player, making something for the special sadist in
your life can be a nice way to express your dirty, dirty feelings. With that in mind, here are three sex toys that are
easy, quick, and made with items you probably already have at home.

Rubber band flogger

This is an easy project that can be done fairly quickly. It's a great toy for light flogging or for flogging sensitive areas, like genitals or nipples. All you need are some rubber bands, a needle and thread, an unsharpened pencil or dowel rod, and some tape (I like duct tape or electrician's tape). Tip: If you want a flogger to throw with more force, use a longer dowel rod.

Cut the rubber bands in half, match up the ends, and run the needle and thread through.
Once you have a chain of rubber bands long enough to wrap around the end of your
pencil or dowel rod, tie them on with the ends of the thread. To make this secure, wrap
the end of your pencil or dowel rod with tape, and voila -- happy flogging.

Clothespin zipper

Wooden clothespins are a staple for D.I.Y. BDSM. You can pick them up at the drug store
and use them as nipple clamps, on genitals, or on skin. They come in all kinds of shapes
and sizes. The smaller ones are great for the truly devious sadist.

A clothespin zipper is a fun toy for teasing and then tormenting. You place the clothespins along the inside of a thigh, the breasts, or some other soft part (be careful on the genitals!), and then slowly or quickly pull the clothespins off. To make, you need six to eight wooden clothespins, a drill, and a length of thin
nylon rope.

Drill a hole about 1/4" to 1/2" up on the lever end of the clothespins, just on one side.
Start with an excess of about 6" of nylon thread, then thread the clothespins onto the nylon rope, spacing about 1/2" to 1" along the thread, secure with a double-knot, and
leave another 6" of nylon on the other end.

Inner tube flogger

TheRecycledBicycle/Etsy

This is a slightly more advanced project for more serious back and ass flogging. Get
yourself a bike tire inner tube (unused, preferably) and a suitable length of PVC pipe for
the handle. You can dress this flogger up however you want once you make it.

Slide the inner tube through the PVC pipe to about halfway and then fold the inner tube
back over the outside of the PVC pipe. Carefully cut the hanging end of the inner tube
with a sharp knife or scissors into strips of about 1/2" to 1" wide. This part is optional, if
you want to hang your flogger on the wall. Get your drill and carefully drill two holes at
the hand-end of the PVC pipe. Insert your grommets or your D-ring.

These are just a few projects to get you started. Once you get crafty with your BDSM
toys, your trips to Home Depot will be a lot more exciting.