Easy Ways to Make Bow & Arrows

Materials &Tools

• The wood is the most important part to making a working bow and arrow set. Find at least two large straight sticks of elm, willow, hickory, locust, ash, yew, osage, birch or maple wood. You may need a backup bow if your first piece breaks. Collect a few 24- to 30-inch straight sticks from the same tree to use as arrows. Look for trees near water and avoid dead tress that are still rooted in the ground. The stick will need to be approximately your height and no more than an inch and a half thick. Choose a piece with as few branches and knots as possible.

  You will need a strong flexible string for your bow. Find a piece of string or nylon cord that is at least twelve inches longer than the bow. In a pinch, two long shoelaces that have been tied together will work. The only tools you will need for this job are a good sharp knife, and a piece of fine grit sandpaper.

Bow Assembly

• Remove all the bark from the surface of the wood. Do this with your hands as much as possible, rather than the knife. Scrapes and scratches in the woods surface will weaken your bow. Allow your wood pieces to dry out of direct sunlight for a day. Use the knife to cut V-shaped notches in the top and bottom of the bow. This will provide a groove to hold the string in place.

  Attach your string with a solid knot to the top of the bow. Then step on the center of the bow and lift the bottom end four inches of the ground. Now attach the bottom string onto the flexed bow. Ask a friend to help you tie the knot if you have difficulty doing it by yourself. If the bow breaks during this process you may need to use your other piece.

Arrow Making

• Fashion arrows from the small sticks gathered earlier. Strip off all the bark with your hands and allow the sticks to dry in the shade for one day. Use fine grit sand paper to smooth the surface of the bare wood. This will give the arrows a straighter path of flight. Sharpen one end of every arrow with the knife. Then use the knife to score the back end of the arrow with a small notch. This notch should be slightly larger than the thickness of the string so it can release when fired. Be careful not to make the notch too deep or it will split the wood and make the arrow useless.