How to Make a Bow and Arrow
It may take some time to perfect your technique for bow making well enough to survive in the wilderness. These clear directions, however, will help you to get a start. Practice your bow-making skills, and practice your shooting - you just might become good enough to shoot a deer - or a bull’s eye on your target!
Required Materials
- Piece of deadwood 5 to 6 feet in length. The wood should be as long as the user is tall. Some possible choices include hickory, yew, ash, or hazel. The piece you select should be at least one inch in diameter and somewhat flexible.
- 6 pieces of wood 1 to 2 feet long. Use one of the choices above, or find some pieces of oak, black locust, or elm. Each of these pieces should be ½-inch in diameter.
- A length of hemp string 3-¾ feet to 4-½ feet long.
- 3 pieces of cardboard, 12 inches x 10 inches
Required Tools
- Sharp knife
- Utility knife or craft knife
- Rubber cement or craft glue
Instructions
- With your knife, cut a notch 1 inch from either end of the piece of wood you are using as your bow. Cut the notch deeply enough so that it goes halfway through the diameter of the wood. The notches should be shaped in a half-circle. Cut them at a 90-degree angle, on the side of the bow that will arch outward.
- Whittle the inner and outer sides of both ends of the bow. The bow should be wide in the center, and narrow and flexible at each end. Take your time so that you do this right; failure to whittle properly will cause your bow to break or snap easily.
- Whittle the entire length of the wood that will form your arrows in the same fashion, removing the bark and whittling the wood straight and true. Cut a straight notch in the end of each arrow. This is where the arrow will rest on the bowstring.
- Tie a loop at each end of your bowstring. The loop should be of sufficient size to fit securely around the notch you carved at each end of the bow.
- Fit the first loop around one end of the bow. Using your foot as leverage, apply power to the opposite end, forcing it into a curved arch small enough to pass the second loop over the other end of the bow. Be sure the loops are secure at each end of the bow.
- Cut triangular-shaped pieces of cardboard that are 1-¼ inches wide and 3-¾ inches tall. You will need three triangles for each arrow. Glue each of the pieces of cardboard about ¼ inches from the notched end of your arrow, so that the tall part of the triangle lies along the shaft of the arrow. Space the cardboard pieces so that they are at an even distance from one another. Allow the glue to dry.
Tips
- Whittle carefully. If you remove too much wood from one end or the other, your bow will become unbalanced.
- Use hardwood, not pine or another soft wood. Pick wood that is straight, not curved or bent.
- Be sure that the length of hemp is shorter than the bow. This will give you the necessary curve to create enough tension on the bowstring to make the arrow fly.