You’d do anything to keep your loved ones safe including fighting off the bad guys. It’s great if you can afford to build your own arsenal but not everyone can do so. If you’re one of those who are strapped for cash, you can use homemade weapons instead. Fortunately, you can find most of the things you’ll need to make DIY weapons in your home. Otherwise, you can easily purchase the parts you’ll need.
Pepper Spray
Pepper sprays normally cost anywhere between $10 to $25. They’re worth every penny if you ask me. But in case you can’t buy one or haven’t replaced your old one yet, you can easily make one yourself.
Of all the homemade weapons in this list, pepper sprays are quite the easiest to make. All you need is a spray bottle small enough to fit in your pocket, water, dried chili peppers (get the hottest kind you can find), and black pepper. You’ll also need a mortar and pestle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMwmv3pdLJ4&ab_channel=fpsw
To make your homemade non-lethal weapon, simply ground a handful of your chili peppers until you separate the seeds. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can place the chili peppers in a bowl and grind them with the back of a spoon.
Add water followed by some black pepper then stir to mix well. Pour the mixture into a small pot or pan, and heat until it boils. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Once ready, pour the mixture into the spray bottle. Now you’re ready to keep those thieves and perverts at bay.
Modified Baseball Bat
Baseball bats do more than just hit home runs. They are effective as weapons, too. In fact, it’s highly recommended to keep a baseball bat in your home in case you have to defend yourself against an intruder.
Bats are also popular weapons in TV shows and movies. If you’re a huge The Walking Dead fan, you know about Negan’s weapon of choice he named after his late wife. Lucille is a bat with the barrel end wrapped with barbed wire. Those who’ve seen Z Nation will recall the modified bat that Addy aptly named the Z-Whacker. Then there’s the DIY spiked bat that Steve used against the demogorgons in Stranger Things. Bats also made appearances in films like Signs, Zombieland, and Casino.
You can use a bat as is or modify it to make it look scarier and more effective as a weapon. You can let your imagination go wild and come up with different bat weapon modifications.
To make a spiked bat, you can simply drill holes through the barrel or thick part of the wooden bat. Next, secure the bat then drive steel spikes or long nails (6 to 10 inches) through the holes.
Slingshot
If you’re familiar with Dennis the Menace, you know that a slingshot is one of the title character’s favorite things. The older generation fondly remembers playing with a slingshot when they were kids. However, a slingshot can actually be a weapon. In fact, it was one of the common homemade weapons usually associated with vandals back in the day.
It’s pretty easy to make your own slingshot. You just need to find a forked tree branch that looks like the letter “Y” and remove the bark to make it smoother and more comfortable to hold. Tie the ends of an elastic strip like a piece of inner tire tube to the two upper ends. Secure them with a string, zip tie, or dental floss.
You need a projectile to hurl at the threat. Luckily, they’re everywhere. You can use stones, a small fruit, broken glass, and other debris. It’ll take lots of practice to be good at using a slingshot. You need to perfect your aim for this homemade weapon to be effective. It may not be that lethal but it will certainly hurt if you’re hit with the projectile. It’s also a lot more effective than throwing records at approaching zombies.
Knife
Yes, it’s a lot easier to buy a knife. But if that option is not available and you need something to defend yourself with, you can make do with homemade weapons such as DIY knives. Kitchen knives can also be used as a weapon, especially during a home invasion, but a homemade knife makes for an interesting DIY project.
To start off, find a butter knife that you can sacrifice for this DIY weapon project. Drill a hole on each end of the knife’s handle. Use a drill bit made of chrome vanadium, titanium carbide, or cobalt to make a clean hole on your stainless steel butter knife. You’ll need a vise grip to secure the knife while you’re drilling.
The holes will make it easier to wrap the handle with paracord. It’s okay if you don’t have a drill, though. You can just wrap the paracord around the handle but make sure it’s tight and secure. Next, use a metal file to sharpen the serrated part of the blade and make the tip more pointed.
If you prefer not to waste a perfectly good butter knife, you can fashion your full tang blade from a stainless steel sheet. This requires a bit of cutting so you’ll need a circular saw or angle grinder.
Spear
Let your inner gladiator out with your very own DIY spear. The simplest homemade spear you can do is to sharpen the straightest piece of branch you can find. This homemade weapon is something you can make when you’re out in the wild.
The branch you’ll turn into your survival spear should be a few inches taller than you. This will give you better reach. The thickness, meanwhile, should be around 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter.
Hopefully, you brought a knife or hatchet on your outdoor adventure. You’ll need it to clean the branch and sharpen one end to make your spearpoint.
Finally, start a small fire then “bake” the pointed end of your spear. Hold that end over the fire and make sure to turn it around to completely heat it. This will remove moisture from your spear tip making it harder and lighter.
Another option is to attach your knife to one end. It should be secured tightly, though. You don’t want your knife to fall off and risk losing the only survival tool you have. As such, it’s a good idea to make this kind of spear if you have a spare knife or blade.
To make a knife spear, you have to cut off long vertical strips from one end of the branch. This will create a shelf where you will offer better support when you attach your knife. Secure the knife with a paracord or any kind of rope. If you don’t have one, make a rope out of vines or other plant parts.
You need to wrap the rope around the branch and knife as tightly as possible. One way to do this is to tie one end of the rope to a tree and the other end to your knife. Walk away to stretch the rope. Lean back and use your body weight to keep the rope stretched. Wrap the rope around your spearpoint from the bottom up to the knife’s heel. If you have enough rope, keep wrapping but this time going down. Tie the end securely. And voila! Your very own DIY survival spear.
Flamethrower
We’ve seen it done in movies and TV shows before – a homemade flamethrower using an aerosol can and lighter. It looks fun and it actually works but you really have to be careful with this homemade fire extinguisher. As a matter of fact, homemade weapons involving fire should be handled with utmost caution.
For one, you can get burned by the flame produced. Also, if the aerosol might explode if it gets too hot. The fumes also smell bad and may be toxic. If you’re in a life or death situation, though, you can use this DIY weapon to protect yourself.
To make your homemade flamethrower, simply take the lighter cover off and adjust the wheel to full blast. Lift the tab to keep it from touching the wheel then adjust the wheel back down. Give the lighter a go and check if the flame is about 3 inches or higher. If not, repeat the process until the flame is high enough.
Hold the lighter with one hand and the canister with the other. Make sure they’re far from your face and body. Ignite the lighter and spray your aerosol directly at the flame.
If you rather not risk your pretty little hands (well, at least one of them), you can turn an aerosol can into your fire extinguisher. This one can be used with just one hand since there’s no need to hold a lighter.
Place a 90-degree angle wall bracket on the side of your aerosol canister and secure it with rubber bands or electric tape. Make sure the bracket doesn’t slip to prevent any accident. Glue a candle on the bracket with Plasti-tak or any strong adhesive. If you can’t find any, reach into your inner MacGyver and use chewing gum instead. Adjust the tip of the sprayer so that it faces the candle. Light the candle and spray away.
Bow and Arrows
You don’t have to be the prince of thieves and steal from the rich to give to the poor just to have the license to shoot an arrow. You don’t even have to buy one of those fancy compound bows they use in archery. Owning one and knowing how to use it properly is a good thing, though.
Unlike the bulky, complicated, and expensive compound bows, English longbows are simpler, more portable, and more affordable. They’re ideal if you have to consistently be on the move. Longbows are also the perfect long-distance weapons aside from rifles since they can shoot arrows as far as 200 to 350 yards. Plus, they’re really quiet, unlike guns. That makes longbows an effective weapon against zombies.
If you don’t have an English longbow, you can make one. First, find a sturdy branch or sapling (young tree) that’s about 5 feet long and up to 2 inches in diameter. This will be used for the bowstave. It should not break even if you bend it.
This material is ideal if you’re in a hurry to make your homemade weapon but if you’re dead set on making a professional-level longbow, you’ll need the right wood. Some of the best kinds of wood for longbows include yew, hickory, American elm, red elm, red oak, and white oak.
Going back to your sapling or straight branch, find the center then measure 3 inches up and 3 inches down. Mark the two points. This middle part will be for your grip or handhold.
Now try bending the branch to see where it bends more naturally. This will help you determine the inside of the belly or the curve of your stave. The opposite side will be the back of your stave.
Carefully carve the middle of the stave with a knife to form the belly. Be careful not to remove too much wood so it won’t get too thin. Then, make a 45-degree notch on each end using your knife.
The next step is stringing the bow. To do this, you need to tie a piece of paracord or any kind of cordage at each end of the bow. Make sure there’s a space of 5 inches between the belly and the string.
Next, you need to tiller the bow. Suspend the bow horizontally from the handhold. You can hang it from a tree branch or anything high and sturdy. Pull the string down and check the curvature. The two ends of the bow should curve equally. If one end curves less than the other, carve out some more wood from the belly of that end.
Now that you’re done with the bow, you need arrows. Use small, straight, and flexible branches from dogwood, maple, or willow trees. Get rid of the bark and smoothen as much as possible. Heat the bends over a fire so you can bend it in the opposite direction. Hold it in place until the branch cools down. This should make the arrows as straight as possible.
Next, cut the branches to your desired length then carve out a nock on one end. Grab some feathers or pine needles then glue them near the nock. Finally, sharpen the other end with a knife or sharpener. You can also make an arrowhead and attach it to the branch.
Nunchucks
Bruce Lee you are not but with tons of practice, you can effectively use nunchucks as a weapon. First, you need a nunchaku. You can make your own version of this traditional weapon using wooden dowels and rope.
Get your hands on a couple of wooden dowels that are as long as your forearm and about 1 inch in diameter. Drill a 1 1/2 inch deep hole on one end of each dowel using a 3/8 bit. On the same end of the dowel, drill another hole on the side that’s about an inch from the tip. The two holes are supposed to meet like destined lovers.
Slip the end of a 2-feet long piece of rope or paracord into the side hole and through the other hole. Tie the rope tightly. Do the same thing with the other dowel. After this, your two dowels should be connected by the rope.
Pour glue into the holes to help keep the rope ends in place. Wait for the glue to completely dry before practicing your nunchaku tricks.
Grenade
You’re probably hesitant about grenades as homemade weapons. Just thinking about making one is indeed a scary thought. There are other DIY weapons at your disposal but if things get really bad, a handmade grenade may be what you need.
The cardboard grenade seen in the video below actually explodes. It’s enough to scare away threats and make rhythm rethink their lives long enough for you to seek safety or find your other homemade weapons.
The problem with this DIY grenade is that it requires lots of matches. If you’re in a survival situation, those matches would be more useful in starting a fire than making a grenade.
Sound Bomb
A sound bomb may not have any dangerous explosives but it still packs a punch. To make one, you just have to fill a quarter of a plastic bottle with vinegar. Pour four tablespoons of baking soda vertically onto a spread out napkin. Roll tightly then tuck the top and bottom of the napkin. Place the rolled napkin into the plastic bottle then close the lid tight.
It’s now ready for action. When you need it, just shake the bottle and throw it at your target. Your DIY sound bomb will explode with a loud sound and send plastic shards flying.
Taser
Aside from pepper sprays, tasers or stun guns are also popular and effective non-lethal weapons. Like pepper sprays, you can also make your own versions of these self-defense tools.
To make a DIY taser, you need the lighting mechanism of a continuous piezoelectric sparker. Don’t throw away the case and screws just yet after removing the mechanism.
Remove the wires by cutting them from the base of the lighter’s metal neck. Get two thick electrical wires that are longer than the metal neck and attach them to the contacts where the wires were cut. Check if the battery holder is connected to the battery wire then place everything back into the casing. Use Dremel to polish the plastic in case some parts don’t fit well.
Next, strip and tin the ends of the thick wire near the base. Cut two 2.5 cm pieces of standard wire, tin their ends, then connect them to the thick wire. Use glue to secure the wires. Give it a test run then close the case if it works. Try your homemade taser on your annoying neighbor and laugh to your heart’s content while he’s wriggling in pain. Just kidding.
Knowing how to make homemade weapons is a vital skill during a zombie apocalypse or in a The Purge-like scenario. While you can always find something to use as a weapon while scavenging or on a supply run, it’s still a good idea to make your own.
Always be on the safe side and do your thorough research before proceeding with your DIY weapon projects. Make sure to use the right tools and wear proper safety attire, too. Discover more amazing DIY projects, self-defense tips, and other useful survival hacks over at Gentleman Pirate Club.
