Practice Arrows for the Littles

I found the best child's archery bow at a Goodwill outlet and knew I'd need to create some simple, but authentic looking practice Arrows for my little guys, Joseph (9), and Connor (4). We're gearing up to go to Crystal Chamfron next weekend, so I'll have a few tutorials to pass along here! My husband has begun to call me "Lucy" thanks to all my crazy ideas. Fortunately, they turn out so much better than the Ball-Arnez ginger queen.

For these arrows, I purchased 4 one-yard dowel rods that are slightly larger in diameter than a pencil. I already had fabric scraps, stuffing from an old pillow, and jute twine. The only tools I used were a hack saw, a vice, a Swiss army knife (the saw blade), scissors and a hot glue gun. If you'd like to print or copypasta, here's the same thing in list form.

Tools List
Hack Saw
Vice
Swiss Army knife (saw blade)
Scissors
Hot glue gun
Sand paper

Materials
4 dowel rods (1 yd ea)
Fabric scrap
Pillow stuffing
Jute twine

Instructions
1. For each dowel rod, mark the halfway point, and secure the rod close to the mark into the vice. Use the hack saw to cut each dowel rod in half. Sand the cut end a little. 18" dowel rod.

2.  In the uncut end of each rod, use the Swiss army blade to saw a notch (the arrow's nock) about 1/4 inch deep. Securing the rod very close to the end in the vise will make this very easy. You'll need to rest the string of your bow into the nock to make sure it comfortably fits without getting stuck before moving onto the next rod. Take away a little at a time until it just fits. Sand away any little jagged pieces. Set aside rods.

3. Preheat your glue gun with a paper plate under it to catch drips.

4. Grab handfuls of pillow stuffing that will compact down to about 3" balls once wrapped in fabric. Set up 8 of these balls in your work area (near an outlet for your hot glue gun.)

5.  Cut 8 squares of approximately 5"x5" fabric scrap. I used a heavy linen that I had in my scrap stash, but anything with a heavy texture should work. Set near your stuffing balls.

6. Cut 8 pieces of the jute twine about 6" each. This doesn't need to be perfect, you're just wrapping it multiple times around the outside of the fabric to cinch it to the rods. Set in your work area to be grabbed quickly when the time comes.

7. Now, center your stuffing ball on one fabric square and have twine ready. On the smooth end of a rod piece (not the end with the nock), put a copious amount of hot glue, turning the rod quickly as you coat it. Plunge it into the stuffing ball. Gather the fabric up around it all and tightly onto the rod.

8. Holding the rod, gathered fabric, and one end of the twine in the palm of one hand, wind the rest of the twine around the "neck" of the fabric ball tightly. Double-knot to finish it off.

Repeat steps 7 and 8 until you have your arrows! Then enjoy!