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Maybe you’ve looked at BDSM-style crops and wondered if you could make your own — there’s something very satisfying about crafting something so personal to your exact specifications. However, the fact that it is so personal (you’ll likely be using it on sensitive naked skin) means that it needs to be made to the highest standard and with the highest-quality materials.
Excellent products such as the Bondage Boutique Faux Leather Crop are available under $30 (and with our discount code AFF-MSTG10, you get an extra 10% off), and we think that it’s a lot safer to purchase a crop that was made by people whose job it is to make them.
However, we know that folks are still going to want to DIY, so we’ve looked through what’s out there and have curated some suggestions.
Table Of Contents
Why You Should Trust Us
Our staff of product testers, sex educators, researchers, and journalists spends many hours every day evaluating sex toys and gear, including BDSM-style crops and paddles. We know what makes a good crop, and we also know what’s less safe and/or less satisfying. Our job is to help people find the toys and gear that are best for them, and you should trust us to do just that.
What Is a DIY BDSM Crop?
A crop is an impact toy typically used in BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism) play. It’s usually a short, flexible rod with a wrapped handle on one end and a flat paddle on the other. A BDSM crop is modeled after crops used by horseback riders to train and encourage their animals. A skilled Dom/me can deliver a variety of sensations, such as a dull thud with the rod end or a spank with the paddle.
The Slapper Crop from The Stockroom is one of the best that we’ve tested. The Stockroom is known for the quality and craftsmanship of their leather goods, and this is no exception. The leather tip is made to smack satisfyingly instead of stinging like a narrower piece might.
A BDSM crop is typically considered an entry-level piece of gear, meaning that even folks who aren’t dedicated to the lifestyle may still have a crop in their closets. You may think that because it’s less “advanced” than a St. Andrew’s cross, it should be fine to make your own, but please keep reading!
Is a Homemade BDSM Crop Safe?
Maybe, maybe not. We don’t know, and that’s the problem. Most of us do not have easy access to the premium materials that high-end sex toy manufacturers can commission, education and experience in product development, or quality control test facilities. It’s possible that you could produce a BDSM crop that is safe and satisfying but it’s also very possible that you can’t, and you won’t know until you try it out on yourself or your partner.
“But it’s just a sex toy, what could go wrong?” For one, it could break during use and this could injure either the Dom/me or the sub. The rod needs to be firm but flexible; if it is too rigid, it won’t bend and may crack on impact. Sex toy manufacturers have invested in research and development to find just the right balance, and you probably won’t find the same materials at your big-box hardware or craft store.
The Best of What’s Out There
If you’re still reading, you’re probably still interested in making your own leather BDSM crop. We think that these projects have a reasonable chance of success, especially if you use the best materials that you can source.
However, please note that any action you take upon the information on this website is strictly at your own risk, as laid out in our Terms of Service.
1. Leather Crop with Wooden Dowel Handle (Paracord Option)
Materials Needed:
- Wooden dowel of a width that feels good in your hand
- Leather for the tip
- Glue, screws, or nails for attaching the tip
- Length of paracord (optional)
- Glue or wire (optional)
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Cut the wooden dowel to an appropriate length. Sand the ends and any rough areas.
- Cut two pieces of leather into a shape that will serve as the tip of the crop (we suggest an oval or heart shape). Make sure that the edges are smooth.
- Securely attach the tip to one end of the wooden dowel using glue, screws, or nails. Make sure that the adhesive is completely dry before putting the crop to use.
Paracord Option (Step 2.5):
- Cut a length of paracord to fit between the dowel and the tip (increases flexibility and swish).
- Use glue or wire to attach one end of the paracord to the leather tip.
- Use glue, nails, or screws to attach the other end to the wooden dowel.
2. Fiberglass Rod with Leather
This comes from our friends at the r/BdsmDIY subreddit. It’s a nice light crop that spanks loudly but doesn’t deliver much force.
Materials Used:
- Fiberglass rod with plastic reflector (driveway marker)
- Leather or leatherette
- Heat-shrink tubing
- Walnut or similar wood for the handle
- Danish oil
- Glue
- Sandpaper (150 grit)
- Piece of scrap pine or similar for the mold
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Create a mold of the reflector by tracing the reflector onto a piece of pine screwed into a work surface. Use a plunge router to cut a slightly oversized, half-depth hole based on the reflector outline.
- Wet the leather pieces and press them into the mold using the reflector, applying weight.
- After the leather has dried in its new shape, trim the leather pieces and saddle-stitch them over the reflector. Sand and smooth the edges.
- Coat the fiberglass shaft with heat-shrink tubing.
- Create a short handle out of the walnut, drill a hole for the shaft, and finish it with Danish oil.
- Use the leather glue to secure the rod in the handle.
- Equestrian Crop
This isn’t so much a DIY as it is a repurpose, but if you happen to have a tack shop nearby, you can browse a wide variety of equestrian crops. They are intended for regular use on very large animals, so they are likely to be well made with good leather.
They are also often much less expensive than similar-quality crops sold with BDSM branding. (However, our first recommendation of the Bondage Boutique Faux Leather Crop is also budget-friendly and may be more aesthetically pleasing).
What’s Not Safe
This is, obviously, not an exhaustive list. There are a lot of ways to create unsafe BDSM gear! But we have seen too many amateur crafters make these mistakes:
- Not Covering the Wood: If you are making a crop with a wooden handle, the wood should be covered or sanded very smooth and then oiled or otherwise finished. This protects the hand of the person wielding the crop and also helps them maintain better control.
- Not Sterilizing the Materials: You don’t know where those have been before they enter your house! Seriously, stores are dirty, and because most wood goes to construction sites and the like, they don’t try very hard to keep everything clean. It’s a very good idea to wipe everything down with alcohol or another disinfectant before getting it near naked, sensitive body parts.
Why Is It Better to Buy a Commercial Product?
The main reason why it’s better to buy BDSM gear from reputable manufacturers and retailers is safety. This is their business, they have invested heavily in research and development, and they are invested in producing products that are safe to use (and even if we are cynical about how much companies actually care about their customers, we know that they don’t want bad publicity or expensive lawsuits).
Commercial manufacturers often add extra bells and whistles to their products to differentiate them. For instance, the Sex & Mischief 2-in-1 Feather Tickler Riding Crop below has feathers on one end and a wide leather tip on the other. You’re basically getting two toys in one so you can choose whether you want to tease, spank, or switch back and forth.
Sex toy and bondage gear manufacturers can get the tickliest feathers, butteriest leather, and other purpose-built materials that most of us don’t have access to. No matter how skilled a crafter you are, you’re only as good as what you’re working with.
Bottom line: it’s fun to think about creating your own crop, but it’s safer and smarter to buy one that was produced by professionals.
Happy spanking!
Maggie
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