Can You Make a Homemade/ DIY Strapon?

All in all, strap-ons are a pretty fantastic toy! They're extremely versatile, and allow for lots of fun experimentation with the dynamics of penetration - where women can take their turn being "on top".

You can even use a strap-on for simultaneous penetration (using a double-headed dildo) or to penetrate two holes at once (using two toys or a combination of a penis and a toy to penetrate one person both vaginally and anally).

We fully believe that a strap-on is an integral part of any kinky couple's personal toy collection!

However, strap-ons cost money. After all, you have to both buy a high-quality dildo and a high-quality harness (unless you choose to go with a strapless strap-on).

Sometimes, you may even need to buy a few extra add-ons such as an O-ring to help your dildo fit better in the harness's provided hole without slipping out.

Even with our amazing prices, it all eventually starts to add up.

So, kinky people all around the world have done what people will do when confronted with such a situation: they have begun to create their own homemade imitations of strap-ons, including both the dildo and the harness component.

Various household materials have been used to mimic dildos, straps, O-rings, buckles, fasteners and more.

But, of course, that brings with it some extremely important questions:

Are these "homemade" or "DIY" strap-ons safe to use?

Are they effective?

Do they feel good?

Can you have a successful pegging or other penetration session using one?

Unfortunately, there is no one simple answer to these questions - which is the reason why we have created this helpful article focused entirely around the DIY strap-ons.

In general, some parts of a strap-on can be safely constructed out of household materials, while others definitely cannot and should always be purchased from a proper sex toy supplier such as Lovegasm.

The rules which we tend to follow when discussing homemade strap-ons and their relative safety and effectiveness are as follows:

  • You should never penetrate either yourself or your partner with anything other than a properly manufactured dildo designed specifically for sexual intercourse and made from ​an approved material such as silicone or hard plastic. Household objects such as bottles, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, and especially fruits, vegetables or any other edibles, should never be used for any form of penetration.

    They can contain a number of harmful bacteria or ingredients which can cause pain, discomfort, or even injury to sensitive areas of the body such as the vagina or anus. When it comes to purchasing a strap-on for you and your partner to use in the bedroom, the dildo is the one element on which you should never compromise.

    Spending a little bit of extra money to purchase a high-quality dildo is very much worth it, as it will keep you and your partner safe and healthy no matter how kinky things get in bed.

  • If you have a dildo but no harness and wish to attach the dildo to your body to mimic a strap-on, your best option is always going to be the purchase of a high-quality harness - either a "strappy" style made from leather or nylon or a "lingerie" style made from cotton, natural latex or other softer fabric materials.

    Alternately, if you wish to dispense with the harness altogether, why not try a strapless strap-on, which is inserted directly into the wearer's vagina or anus - head over here to learn more! However, if you want to experiment with a strap-on in bed while you are waiting for your brand new harness to arrive, you CAN safely create temporary "DIY" alternative harnesses using common household objects, which we discuss in greater detail in the next section of this article.

    However, keep in mind that these are only temporary solutions, and they should not be treated as a permanent replacement for a high-quality strap-on harness. In addition, while these "homemade harnesses" are typically safe and do not come with any major risks, they will be much less sturdy and durable than store-bought harnesses, and you may find yourself limited in terms of which sex positions you can use and how roughly you can pound your partner until your proper harness arrives.

  • Like dildos, O-rings are another area of your strap-on's anatomy on which you should not compromise if at all possible. O-rings are typically made from hard plastic (or occasionally silicone) and help achieve a better fit between dildo and harness.

    The development of O-rings in a variety of sizes have allowed strap-on harnesses to become far more versatile than ever before, as they now able to accommodate a much larger range of dildo lengths and girths.

    We strongly recommend that anyone who is interested in incorporating strap-ons into their sex toy collections also purchase a number of common O-rings (for example 1 inch, 1.24 inch, 1.5 inch, and 1.75 inch models). However, you should not substitute a store-bought O-ring, such as those sold in our catalog found here, for any household or DIY replacement such as rope, scrap plastic, or the circular plastic tabs used to hold 6-packs of beverages together.

    These "improvised O-rings" will not be nearly as sturdy as the real deal, and are likely to crack or snap quickly due to being unable to stand up to the pressure, friction and intensity of rough sexual activity.

    This can result either in injury to yourself or your partner or permanent damage to your dildo or harness. O-rings are both affordable and easy to obtain in a wide variety of sizes, so there is absolutely no reason why you should need to compromise by substituting a lower-quality improvised attempt.

  • Lastly, although it is not a physical part of the strap-on apparatus itself, it would be greatly remiss of us not to mention the issue of lubrication. Many sexual acts, such as anal penetration, should not be performed without the assistance of a sexual lubricant.

    This is because parts of the body other than the vagina - again, like the anus - do not naturally produce lubricating fluids of their own, and non-lubricated sexual activities in these areas can lead to itchiness, discomfort, and even pain and tearing which will often persist beyond the duration of your bedroom romps.

    Recently, pornographic materials both visual and literary have begun to feature couples substituting household amenities - such as olive oil and shampoo - or bodily fluids - such as saliva, sweat, blood or urine - for proper lubricants. However, this is an extremely dangerous practice which we DO NOT recommend engaging in under any circumstances.

    Makeshift lubricants will not provide you with the comfort and protection necessary to perform proper anal penetration, and could easily still leave you bruised and itching for days afterward. In addition, some of these substances contain ingredients which are extremely harmful to the human body, and can even lead to the development of a bacterial or fungal infection in your genital or anal area.

In conclusion, it is highly recommended that you avoid replacing any part of your strap-on apparatus with a "homemade" or "do-it-yourself" alternative.

Products such as those found in our catalog are safer, easier to use, will last longer, and are extremely affordable to boot.

Rather than attempting to jury-rig a strap-on out of items you found around your house or purchased at the grocery store, head over to our catalog and pick out a strap-on - or several! - to enjoy together with your partner.

However, in some TEMPORARY circumstances, such as if your dildo should happen to arrive before your harness, or you wish to test out what type of harness style would work best for you before committing to purchasing one particular model, there are a few ways to safely create a homemade harness without any major accompanying health or injury risks.

Keep in mind that, even in such a situation, ONLY the harness should be of the "do-it-yourself" variety, with all other parts of the set-up, including any and all lubricants used, should be properly manufactured products such as those found in our catalog.

In addition, any do-it-yourself harness should only be a temporary replacement intended to tide you over until a higher quality, store-bought harness arrives, as there is the possibility that long-term use of any of the "DIY variations" discussed below could still result in damage being done to your dildo which will shorten its lifespan dramatically.

​Creating Your Own Temporary DIY Harness Lingerie Style

The lingerie style harness is the simplest variety to create yourself using items easily found around your house.

This is because the lingerie (aka underwear) style harness is, in general, the type which features the most straightforward design, without any complex straps, knots, buckles, or fasteners.

Most lingerie harnesses resemble nothing more than a pair of standard underwear - usually "brief" or "panty" style but occasionally "boxer" style as well - with a hole in the front through which the dildo can be inserted.

A number of modern designs feature a built in O-ring which is sewn directly into the fabric, with the ability to place smaller O-rings inside the larger one should a dildo be just slightly too small.

It is also possible to find lingerie harnesses which can accommodate a wide variety of O-rings, although these are generally less common compared to the "sewn-in" variety.

As you may perhaps have guessed by now, the simplest method of crafting a DIY lingerie-style harness is achieved by cutting a hole in an existing pair of underwear, which can then be used to accommodate a dildo.

In general, we recommend purchasing a pair of underwear specifically to use as your impromptu harness, rather than repurposing an existing pair.

This is because a newer pair of underwear will last longer than one which already has several years of wear to its name.

Not just any pair of underwear will work as a homemade harness. Thin, flimsy fabrics such as lace or fishnet are generally not sturdy enough to support the weight of a dildo. They will rip or tear far too easily the very first time you try them out in the bedroom.

Look for thicker, higher quality materials - some good examples would be thicker cottons, natural latex, or even "exercise" undergarments made from synthetic materials such as nylon, spandex or Lycra.

You should also choose a pair of underwear that fits you well and will be able to stand up to large amounts of motion without slipping or becoming twisted.

In general, you want to gravitate towards a tighter fit over a looser, as this will provide the greatest amount of support for the dildo and will be more likely to remain still during the energetic, athletic movements of sexual intercourse.

You may even want to look at underwear a size or two smaller than what you typically purchase for yourself - don't go too tight, though, or you could risk cutting off circulation to your legs and the lower areas of your body if you wear the "harness" for a long period of time.

First, put on the underwear.

Use a fabric marker to indicate the area where the dildo should rest - ideally, we recommend the area over the pubic bone, as close as possible to where a flesh and blood penis would be located.

Draw an "X" or circular mark, and then remove the undergarment. Then, take a pair of sharp scissors - ideally, you should use a pair which are specifically designed to cut fabric, such as sewing scissors, as there will be much less risk of the fabric becoming frayed as a result of your cuts.

Cut an "X" shape into the fabric at the location where you made your mark. Stick with ONLY the X-shape - do NOT under any circumstances cut a full circle or hole.

This will make your "harness" much less flexible and be able to incorporate a far narrower range of dildos than a simple, versatile "X" cut.

In general, our advice would be to keep any cuts you make small at first, and then widen or lengthen them later if necessary to fit whichever dildo you have chosen.

It is extremely easy to make a too-small cut larger - it is much more complicated and time-consuming to sew a too-large one back up again.

While simply cutting a hole in a pair of underwear may be sufficient to serve as a harness, you will most likely find that it is still too flimsy, and the dildo will merely slip through the fabric and fall out onto the floor - probably making a decidedly unsexy "plop" noise as it does so.

Therefore, we recommend also attaching an O-ring to your setup, as this will dramatically increase the stability of your entire homemade strap-on apparatus.

There are two methods which you can use to attach an O-ring to your "lingerie harness".

The first is less comfortable, but is designed to be temporary and will allow you to easily remove the O-ring and use it with other harnesses - including your model from our catalog when it arrives.

The second method is designed to allow the wearer greater comfort, but is far more permanent and will require a decent amount of effort if you later find yourself wanting to re-purpose the O-ring which you have chosen to use.

We will be discussing both in this section of our guide, as which will best suit your needs will vary entirely from individual to individual or couple to couple.

The first method is to attach the O-ring to your improvised harness by using safety pins to pin it to the edges of the cut you made in the previous step.

This is generally considered to be the less comfortable alternative, as the pins can be bulky and the metal can be cold against the sensitive areas of your body while you are wearing the harness.

However, removing the pins is extremely easy to do, which will allow you to reuse the same O-ring over and over again with other harnesses.

If you plan to employ this method, make sure to first try on the "harness" OUTSIDE the bedroom and move around while wearing it, so you can feel if any of the pins are sticking into your skin and fix them before you and your partner get down to business.

After all, there's nothing that can kill the mood faster than suddenly feeling a pin stab you in your soft ass cheek as you're pounding away on top of your partner!

The second, and more long-term, method involves sewing the O-ring into the fabric - mimicking the style which is often used in the design of professionally produced lingerie-style strap-on harnesses.

Flip the underwear so that it is "inside out" and lay it on a flat surface, such as a table or desk. Place the O-ring where you want it to go (if you are worried about it slipping or shifting around, you can put in some temporary safety pins to hold it in place until you are finished sewing).

Then, fold the edges of the cut over the O-ring until it is completely surrounded by fabric, leaving only a cloth-covered "hole" in the middle. Sew the fabric together until the O-ring is snugly held against the material of the "harness" and will not slip or fall away.

Make sure to remove any needles or pins used after finishing - like we said earlier, very few things will ruin an orgasmic strap-on session faster than sharp metal objects stabbing into your soft, tender flesh.

Once you've attached the O-ring, you're ready to go!

You now have a temporary, homemade lingerie-style harness, which will be able to stand up to at least a few intense pegging experiences.

Of course, it won't last nearly as long as an store-bought harness such as those sold right here at Lovegasm, but it will serve its purpose in the short term.

As a bonus, crafty "stitch-witches" will be able to close up any cuts and holes and use the underwear as a normal pair of lingerie once it has finished doing double duty as an interim harness.

​Strap Style - Two-Strap

Making a strap-style harness yourself is a slightly more difficult task, primarily because it will involve either a solid knowledge of knots or enough sewing experience to attach buckles or other types of fasteners to a rope or fabric frame.

In general, making a homemade strap harness will require more time and effort than simply cutting a hole in a pair of panties and pinning in a temporary O-ring.

The time and effort required is probably something which you should carefully consider when trying to decide if making a DIY strap harness is right for you.

However, if you are up to the project, there are a number of materials which can be repurposed into a temporary harness.

Most ropes and straps - "anything that is long, skinny, and can be tied in knots" will serve such a purpose quite admirably.

Therefore, your primary concern when choosing a base for your latest DIY project should be comfort:

 

 

 

If you notice any problems, immediately stop, remove the harness, and make any necessary adjustments before continuing.

Remember, even the most minor irritation can develop into a large-scale injury if ignored and left unfixed for too long.

In general, we recommend softer materials such as scarves or gentle ropes.

Ropes specifically manufactured for bondage purposes, such as those commonly sold at adult stores, are another excellent option due to specifically being made with the sensitivity of the human skin and body taken into consideration.

Rougher ropes such as those used for outdoor and yard work or ropes made from harsh synthetic materials such as nylon should ideally be avoided at all costs, as they can cause nasty rope burns which can be both itchy and painful and take up to several days to heal.

The simplest method of making a strap-style harness involves nothing more than two ordinary scarves.

As a bonus, neither scarf will be permanently damaged, as they are affixed to the body/dildo using only knots.

This means that you will still be able to use both scarves for their original, intended purpose and will not have to permanently sacrifice their functionality as articles of clothing in order to use them in crafting this harness.

Tie one scarf around your waist just below the level of your belly button. Use a small piece of tape or a safety pin to mark the spot where you want the dildo to rest (which will generally be right in the middle of the scarf, resting against your pubic bone).

Then, remove the scarf and tie a simple, standard knot at the location you marked.

If you used something sharp such as a pin to mark where the knot should go, don't forget to remove it before putting the "harness" on a second time.

Slip the dildo through the knot, making sure to pull it as tightly as possible so it does not slip out during intercourse.

Then, tie the scarf around your waist once again to check that the dildo is resting in the proper place.

If it doesn't feel quite right, don't panic, just take your time, make some adjustments, and try again!

It can take a little time to get the dildo into its proper place, especially if this is your first time crafting a homemade harness.

Once you have secured the first scarf firmly around the waist and the dildo is where you want it to be, run a second scarf between your legs and tie or pin it to the first scarf in both the front and the back.

This second scarf will help to keep the entire apparatus stable during rougher penetration sessions - and, as an added bonus, can even rub pleasurably against the wearer's sensitive genital area as you thrust back and forth into your partner.

This is the basic "two-strap harness," and is by far the easiest and least time-consuming to make using entirely "do it yourself" materials.

You will likely not even need to purchase any additional items, as scarves are something that most people have easily accessible in their home closet.

However, if you are more of a fan of the "three-strap style" harness - which features two straps around the upper thighs, rather than one running between the legs - you might have to put in a bit more time and effort to create a reasonable, functional homemade approximation.

​​Strap Style - Three-Strap

For a three-strap harness, we recommend using soft ropes or straps, such as bondage ropes used for BDSM, or the type of wide straps found at hardware or construction stores.

You will most likely need to cut and sew the materials used to create the harness, so do not use any items such as scarves which you hope to use again for their original purpose once you and your partner have finished your play session.

Cut the rope or nylon into three sections - one longer section to go around your waist, and two smaller ones for the inner thigh.

You should carefully take needed measurements several times using your own body before cutting, as straps which are too short will lead to your harness being too tight and extremely uncomfortable to wear for any extended period of time.

We also recommend using a lighter, candle or match to sear the ends of each cut piece so they will not fray, as the friction caused by sexual intercourse can often result in harness materials fraying or tearing far more quickly than they otherwise would.

Of course, as with anything involving an open flame, you should be extremely cautious, work away from any flammable items such as fabric furniture, do not wear any long-sleeved clothing or dangling jewelry, and seek help from your partner or another trusted individual if you do not feel comfortable performing this step by yourself.

Sew the ends of the two thigh straps to the waist strap. Note that while you can also use safety pins or other temporary measures, the resulting harness will be extremely fragile and completely unable to stand up to even slightly rough activities.

Finally, attach an O-ring - again, sewing is recommended for maximum sturdiness and stability - in the space where the waist strap and the thigh straps intersect, which, as with the two-strap harness, should be the area just over your pubic bone, as close as possible to the real-life location of a penis on the body.

If you have the time and wish to make your improvised harness more adjustable, so that it can be comfortably worn by multiple individuals of various sizes, you can also attach sliding buckles to both the waist and thigh straps.

Detached buckles can often be purchased alongside nylon straps at your local construction or hardware store.

Of course, this will make the process a little more complex and time-consuming, but the result will ultimately be more versatile than if buckles are not utilized.

​​Other Alternatives

Possibly the most "quick and dirty" method of creating an improvised harness involves simply purchasing a tight-fitting pair of jeans, slacks or other type of pants featuring both a zipper and a button closure in the front.

Fastening the button or buttons but leaving the zipper fully or partially unzipped will allow you to fit a dildo into the impromptu "hole" which is created as a result.

On a standard pair of jeans, this may result in the dildo sitting slightly higher on your body (closer to your belly button than your hips or pubic bone) than is comfortable for you, so we recommend purchasing low-rise jeans for this purpose or simply wearing your jeans lower than you are accustomed to doing.

This is probably the least stable and sturdy of all the improvised harness options, but it can be effective if you are just looking for a quick, simple solution only meant to last through a single pegging session.

Aficionados of bondage may instead prefer to craft more elaborate harness-like setups using ropes (again, if you choose to go this way, prioritize comfort when selecting a type of rope to use) and complex knots to hold the dildo in place.

Instructions for such setups can be found on bondage-focused Web sites or in published BDSM guides which can be purchased in adult bookstores or online.

Keep in mind that this is probably the most complex of your available options, and will often require a great deal of knot-tying and rope-handling practice before you are ready to don one of these harnesses in the bedroom.

However, the final result is undeniably extremely sexy to observe and can be quite erotic and empowering for the wearer because of its beautiful appearance.

​​Treat Yourself To A High Quality Strap-On - After All, You're Worth It!

Ultimately, if you and your partner are looking to add strap-ons to your bedroom play, your number one option is always going to be purchasing a properly manufactured model that's best suited for both of you.

These strap-ons will be high quality, sturdy, have an expected lifespan of several months to years, easy to wear and clean, and - best of all! - will not come with any associated health or safety risks that homemade versions may have.

No household object - or anything bought at an ordinary store - will ever be able to match our products in terms of quality and performance.

You should never, ever, utilize a homemade or "DIY" substitute for a dildo, O-ring, or especially lubricant.

These will not only be extremely fragile, but also could contain potentially dangerous bacteria that could result in developing illness or injury which will keep you out of the bedroom for several days or even weeks.

However, it is possible under some circumstances to create a temporary harness to use alongside your store-bought dildo, O-ring and lubrication.

Lingerie-style harnesses are the easiest to improvise, because you can use a pair of underwear which you already own, while strap-style harnesses are more complex and difficult to create and will often involve having to purchase specialized materials.

Learn more about our amazing variety of strap-ons which we have available for purchase; we're sure you'll find one or more that will suit your needs.

And, of course, make sure to give our catalog a thorough look-through - we can guarantee that you and your partner will be able to find a sexy new toy which you can't wait to add to your collection!


Read More:
So You Want to Be Pegged - How to Bring Up Pegging With Your Partner
How to Peg Your Man
Exploring Simultaneous Pleasure With Strap Ons
Homemade Vibrators
Can You Make a Homemade/ DIY Strapon?
Homemade Pocket Pussies
Introducing The Idea of Being Pegged To Your Partner
How to Use a Strap On