The idea of making your own dildo, masturbator, or vibrator might have crossed your mind. Maybe for budget reasons… Or perhaps to own a unique pleasure object that truly reflects you. After all, a sex toy is an intensely personal item, yet customization options are severely limited.
A sex toy comes into contact with highly sensitive parts of the body: toxicity is a serious concern. You can’t repaint it or decorate it with glued-on trinkets – glue is generally toxic, and there’s a risk of decorations getting stuck. Similarly, melting it to reshape it is out of the question.
Some shops let you choose size and color, while others offer vibrators with laser-engraved initials. But customization remains minimal. The only way to get a truly personalized sex toy? Make it yourself.
But how do you craft your own sex toy?
The existing methods range from slapdash to sophisticated. Let’s explore different approaches, from the haphazard to the high-tech.
The Dubious Methods
DIY Dildo: The Social Approach
Nothing like enthusiastic forum buddies to encourage you to shove something unconventional into a natural orifice.
On a popular medical forum (long since deviated from its original purpose), you’ll find countless threads like “I wanna make a sex toy.” The agenda? Melted candles in condoms, vegetables, clay… Plenty of objects that will surely amuse the ER staff during extraction.
In short, the social approach (online, at least) is best avoided.
“I Made My Own Sex Toy”: The Commercial Approach
Some retailers thought sharing homemade sex toy recipes would be a clever marketing tactic. The idea: readers, put off by the DIY monstrosities, might opt to buy a proper product instead.
But on the internet, even the weirdest ideas find fans. Case in point: the electric knife vibrator, judging by the comments on its tutorial. A real sausage fest…
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The site thoughtfully advises using condoms. Wise – if only they’d added, “Don’t use this abomination under any circumstances unless you fancy self-slicing.”
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Other, saner shops stick to harm-reduction tips for homemade toys:
- Watch for allergies, toxins (like pesticides on veggies), and bacteria. Vaginal and anal walls absorb substances easily (think suppositories). Condoms reduce risks.
- Ensure any inserted object can be retrieved. No exceptions.
- Avoid sharp edges or pinch hazards. Like electric knives.
Homemade Sex Toys: The Literary Approach
A book dedicated to DIY sex toys exists: “Make Your Own Sex Toys: 50 Quick and Easy Do-It-Yourself Projects.” Excerpts are on Google Books and here.
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Cue hole-punched soap, hollowed squash, bubble wrap, a hand-knitted penis cozy, and a condom-wrapped phone.
The Refined Methods
Cheating (a Little)
Not everyone’s a suicidal MacGyver. For cautious DIYers, there’s the Celebrator: a bizarre attachment that transforms an electric toothbrush into a vibrator.
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For dildo-making, there’s the infamous Clone-a-Willy kits. These let you replicate a penis in chocolate or as a vibrating toy.
But when it fails, the result resembles a turd. Sometimes you get a realistic yet oddly stubby creation. The chocolate version, however, seems legit.
The Edible Approach: Candy Sex Toys
Speaking of chocolate penises, Homemade Sextoys teaches how to craft candy dildos or penis-shaped ice pops.
Candy and ice cream sex toys by Homemade Sextoys.
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A moldable sex toy is required, and the final product is strictly decorative or edible. Remember: sugar and vaginas don’t mix.
Associative DIY Sex Toys
DIY sex toys can also be high-tech. The Usinette association hosted a workshop to design a vibrating dildo prototype using a 3D printer and assorted parts (including a Nintendo Nunchuk accelerometer!).
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Workshop photos here. The above image, from °°°paula°°°’s Flickr, shows the dildo emerging from the printer.
DIY Dildo: The Tech Approach
On December 3rd and 10th, 2012, 3Dea hosted a New York event where participants could 3D-scan their penises to create replica sex toys. Too late to sign up now – it cost $250.
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Pricey? Yes. New York-only? Yes. But the vibe and results? Impressive.
More DIY or Upcycled Sex Toys
- How to craft a BDSM paddle or spreader bar at home. Requires serious woodworking gear.
- Timothy Archibald’s brilliant photos of fucking machines.
- On Scanlime’s blog, “Hacking My Vagina” details building a hands-free remote for a LELO Lyla. The outcome? Next-level.
(Opening image source: sarahinvegas’ Flickr gallery)
