How to Make an Archery Target at Home

Archery can be an expensive hobby; buying arrow shafts, wooden arrows and bows can add up quickly. Archery targets, however, are easy to make at home for little or no money.

Things You'll Need

  • Hay bales, cardboard, foam or burlap bags
  • Rope
  • Canvas, old blankets or clothes
  • Cloth or old sheets
  • Paint
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Instructions

  1. Bales of Hay

    • 1

      Stack four hay bales in a two-by-two block. Align the bales so that the target side is relatively flat.

    • 2

      Drape a sheet or piece of cloth over the bales and

    • 3

      Paint a target or other shape on the sheet.

    Foam or Cardboard

    • 4

      Stack the cardboard or foam flat up to the desired height. Weight down the stack with a heavy object (use one that arrow's won't damage -- or something that you are fine with shooting at) or a larger box. Make sure that the front of the target surface is relatively flat.

    • 5

      Lash the stack together with rope and drape a cloth or sheet over the front. Pull the sheet tight, securing it under and around the sides of the stack.

    • 6

      Paint a target (or other shape to fire at) on the sheet. The arrows will be easy to remove from the stack of cardboard or foam.

    Burlap Bags

    • 7

      Fill several burlap bags with plastic bags or old clothes. If you like, you can fill them with sand instead, but only for using field tips; broad arrowheads will be dulled by the sand.

    • 8

      Arrange and stack the bags so that you have a relatively flat surface at which to shoot. Cover the bags with a sheet or a piece of cloth.

    • 9

      Paint a target on the sheet.