Floggers....and Paddles....and Whips....
OH MY!!!

Building a Toy Chest
or
How to Keep A Dom Busy

Note: this page is still under construction
and will be until a certain Domly sort gets moving and
finishes taking some pictures!

When Swddancer and I began to investigate BDSM we, like many other couples found the cost of toys exorbitant.  Shoddy materials and poor construction seem to be the norm rather than the exception.  Good quality items could be found, but they are many times more expensive than we could comfortably afford.

You don't have to spend a lot of money on toys.  Some of our best finds have been cheap in comparison to what was offered at the local adult store.  Many stores sell equestrian tack and we were able to find a very well made crop for about six dollars.  Wal-Mart sells a brand of rope that we love, it has a silky texture, good weight and a bag of 50 feet runs about 4 bucks.  Wander through your local hardware store with an with your mind in BDSM mode. You'd be surprised what you come up with.

One of the first things we discovered was that many common everyday items could be used in a BDSM context with just a little imagination. 

For Bondage try using : rope (various kinds, weights, widths, and colors, the different varieties provide different sensations), silk scarves and neckties (careful of knots, they tend to slip), Ace bandages, bun gee cords, dowel rods (canes and spreader bars), weight belts.

To add an element of domination you can try: Dog collars and leashes, the various sizes can be used for the neck or light bondage cuffs.  We find the nylon woven type to be more comfortable.   Also, NEVER use a dog collar as suspension cuffs,  invest the money in a good set of suspension cuffs for both wrist and ankle if this is your aim.

To add the element of pain to your activates try: your own nails and teeth, wooden clothespins (may need to stretch the coil a bit), wooden or plastic hairbrushes (rounded edges), wooden spoons, rulers (remove the metal edge if it has one), paint stirrers, belts, spatulas, ping pong paddles

To change the sensory input try: sleep masks, surgical gloves, cotton balls, feather dusters, ear plugs, scarves (for gags), headphones, ice cubes, loofah sponges, bath mitts, baby wipes, rubbing alcohol, baby oil, scented massage oils, body lotions

Throughout high school and college I had been heavily involved in some area of art, be it drawing, sculpture or photography.  I enjoyed turning my imagination into something concrete. Our exploration of BDSM renewed the interest in crafting something with my hands and I discovered that if I could conceive it, I could create it.  I went to work making items that Swddancer and I would use in our play together, with remarkable success.   

We've always had a problem finding Swddancer a mask that fit properly and would stay in place.  I made the mask at the top of the photo by cutting out a paper pattern and fitting it to her.  I then used the pattern to cut a piece of scrap leather, added the ties you see at the side (I also put a bit of Velcro inside each of the ties to secure it) and then cut a piece of soft fur and glued it to the inside of the mask.  She can't see a thing now!

The cuffs you see below the mask are simple dog collars we found at a local store.   They were a bit sharp around the edges so I cut some of the soft fur and glued them to the inside of the collar.  She can squirm all she wants but she's not going anyplace <grin>.

I'm not really sure what to call this.  Is it a paddle?   Is it a slapper?  Or is it a combination of both?  I made it using scrap wood on which I traced my pattern and cut out with a jigsaw.  I made a groove in the bottom to insert three inch and a half wide strips of leather and glued them in place.  The writing and engraving was done with a wood burning tool.  The overall effect is quite intimidating to say the least.

(picture to be added)  This bench is nothing more than a folding plastic saw horse I found at Lowe's one afternoon.  The padded top is formed from a piece of scrap plywood covered with an foam egg crate (the kind you put on a bed to make it comfy).  I then covered the egg crate with a plastic table cloth and stapled it to the plywood.  The saw horse has a groove in the top of it and I needed the padded top to be stable so I added a piece of 2X2 nailed into the center of the top.  This slips right into the saw horse's groove and is easily removed for storage.  Later I drilled a couple holes in the legs of the saw horse and added bolts with rings.  Its a nice way to make sure she doesn't decide to go some place.

(picture to be added)  The spreader bars you see here are simply wooden dowels with a eyebolt screwed into them.  Very cheap and depending on how wide you want the legs you can make a variety of them. 

(picture to be added)  The yarn flogger pictured here is a great warm up/cool down instrument.  I formed it by measuring out 30 pieces of yarn about 18 inches long. I secured these by wrapping more yarn firmly around the top to a measurement of about 6 inches to form a nice handle.  After I trimmed the ends and fluffed them out they made a very sensuous toys that teases but wont hurt a bit. 

Some other great ideas we've run across

To make a simple Flogger: silk scarves tied together at one end for a handle make a good sensory flogger, to add a bit of sting, tie knots in the ends of each scarf. A length of rope, knotted in the middle and unraveled to the knot will give it a bit of a bite. Knots tied at the end of each strand will increase the effect.  boot laces can also be used as a cheap flogger, just tie a bunch together at one end)

If you would like to include your ideas for making toys, please feel free to add them to the guest book or contact us at swdandsun@zensearch.net
We'd love to add ideas to the site for other couples!

©copyrighted by swddancer July 1999