A homemade bong or pipe is not always the best smoking solution, but it can sometimes be a life saver! If you have ever been in a desperate situation with nothing to use, then you know how a homemade bong can come in handy. Although they are typically not preferred by many to use as a daily driver, almost every smoker has encountered a homemade bong or pipe at some time. Most homemade bongs are cheap and easy to make and can be assembled with everyday objects you find around your house. They are typically not made to be used long term, but instead are quick alternatives for smoking when you do not have a regular glass pipe. Below we will go into the different types of homemade pipes that are most common as well as the instructions to make them.
Types of Homemade Bongs
We first must start off by saying that almost anything can be jimmy-rigged into a homemade bong or pipe. To make a homemade bong you just need something you can inhale through that is airtight and a spot to safely hold the material. Of all the homemade bongs that smokers have come up with, there are several different kinds that seem to be favored more than others and those are soda cans, apples, and water bottles. Of all the handmade bongs and pipes that you can make, these three are the most popular.
Soda or Beer Can
It is safe to say that almost every smoker at one point in their life has smoked out of a can. Whether it’s a soda can, beer can, or whatever, they all work the same. This is a super convenient homemade pipe to make because cans are easily available everywhere and are very incognito when carrying around. Making a pipe out of a soda or beer can is one the easiest processes for making a homemade pipe.
This pipe can literally be made in just two easy steps. First, you must crush the can slightly so there is an indent on the side of the cylinder for the material to sit in. Secondly, you poke small holes at the bottom of the indent that holds the material. That is, it! After that you are ready to go. One note to make is we recommend fully emptying what ever can you are using so that you do not have anything splashing into your mouth.
Apple
An apple homemade pipe is easy to make and has even been rumored to “add flavor” to your smoke. Whether or not that second part is true, a homemade apple pipe is another great homemade pipe that is easy and cheap to make. You just need an apple (although most round fruit will work) and something small and sharp to poke through it, preferably something the size of a pencil.
There are several different methods to making a homemade pipe out of an apple, but most commonly you poke a hole through the top of the apple that goes about halfway down, then poke a hole through the side of the apple connecting the two to make a single air chamber through the apple. The material goes on top of the apple because the shape of an apple has almost a built-in bowl. You then inhale through the side of the apple to make it work. If you have one lying around, sometimes a small wrench socket is good to insert into the top to use as the bowl. This keeps the material dry and makes the apple lasting longer, so it does not burn up.
Water Bottle
A water bottle can be used to make several different homemade bongs or pipes. With a water bottle, you can make it into a dry pipe, a water pipe, or a gravity bong. All different types will work for you and require minimal work and material.
Dry Water Bottle
A dry water bottle pipe is easy to make and really packs a punch. It is the equivalent of hitting a steamroller pipe. To make a dry water bottle pipe you need an empty water or soda bottle, and a bowl piece to hold the material. For the bowl piece we recommend using a small wrench socket like mentioned above with the apple as they are easy to get and work very well as a bowl. There are just two easy steps to get you dry water bottle pipe up and running.
First, you must melt a hole with a lighter on the side of the water bottle that is just slightly smaller than the size of your smoking bowl. Secondly, while the plastic is still hot, you insert your bowl slide into the water bottle. If you have done it right, the bowl will fit perfectly, and the hot plastic will create an airtight seal around the bowl. This may take some time to get it right, so unless you are an expert at this, you probably want a couple extra water bottles around in case you make some mistakes when trying to make this. *Note* make sure you are not smoking any material off of the plastic bottle directly as that is incredibly harmful. You want to get either a metal or glass bowl piece to hold your material in for this.
Water Puff
If you want to easily turn your water bottle into a water pipe bong, you can just add the Water Puff attachment and your good to go. This is an attachment made by Water Puff that connects to any standard water bottle and converts it into a mini bubbler bong. This is an item you can not necessarily get around the house, but once you have one you can easily have a homemade water pipe on the go anywhere. If you have this attachment piece, it will make for one of the easiest and most convenient homemade bongs possible.
Gravity Bong
A gravity bong is the 3rd type of homemade bong or pipe that someone can make from a water bottle. To make a homemade gravity bong is a little more of process than any of the other bongs on this list as it takes more time and materials to make. To make a homemade gravity bong you need a water bottle, scissors, bucket filled with water, and a bowl piece. The first thing you must do to get the process started is fill up a bucket of water that is bigger than the water bottle itself you will be using for the gravity bong. After that, you cut a large hole in the bottom of the water bottle. Lastly, you melt the top of the bottle cap to insert the bowl like you would for a dry water pipe. To make putting the bowl in the water cap easier, we recommend putting small slits in the cap to help get the hole started.
In order to make it work, you must load your material in the bowl that is attached to the water cap and secure it to the water bottle. Please know that you want to have the water bottle submerged before screwing on the cap or else your material will get blown away once you submerge the bottle in the water. You want to bring the water level inside the bottle almost to the top, but not all the way. Make sure there is a little air pocket in the bottle like in the picture below. (If you go too far, you will soak your material and render it useless).
Once your bowl is loaded, and the bottle is submerged almost to the top, you simply start to light your material and slowly begin to lift your bottle out of the water. As the name entails, gravity will start doing its work and begin pulling the smoke down and filling the water bottle. At this point depending on how big of a hit you want; you raise the bottle out of the water until there is only a little water left in the bottle and the rest is filled with smoke. Be very careful not to fully raise the water bottle out of the water as the smoke will begin to empty out of the bottle and you will start to lose your hit. Don’t pull this rookie move! Once the water bottle is filled with smoke and still has some water in the bottom, unscrew the top, put your mouth to the tip of the water bottle, and start pushing the water bottle down slowly while inhaling at the same time. By pushing the water bottle back down, it pushes the smoke out.
Using a homemade gravity bong can be a little tricky and take some time to master, but it is always a big hit! If you really want to go all out, you can even use a two-liter soda bottle which will provide more smoke in a single hit. What ever you chose, making a homemade gravity bong is never a bad choice. *Note* make sure you are not smoking any material off of the plastic bottle directly as that is incredibly harmful. You want to get either a metal or glass bowl piece to hold your material in for this.
Other Homemade Pipes
As mentioned above, almost any object can be turned into a smoking device, and the homemade pipes on this list are just a small fraction of the pipes that can be made from materials around your house. There are so many other objects that can be used to smoke out of that if we included everything, the list would essentially go on forever. You can make homemade wood pipes, pipes from various types of food, pipes made from writing pens, and more. You can also use empty cigarettes to makeshift a homemade joint, use empty toilet paper rolls for a steam roller, or use toy building blocks to make a pipe. All in all, there are lots of different homemade bongs or pipes that can be made.
Conclusion
Using a homemade bong or pipe is not always the most ideal situation. Although they do not function or work as well as a standard pipe that you would get from an online headshop, sometimes you just have to make do. Although homemade bongs and pipes are not top notch, they get the job done and can help you in desperate times. There are many different types you can make such as the ones listed above. Although apples, soda cans, and water bottles are the most popular types of homemade bongs, there are many other variations you can create. If you just have a little bit of ingenuity and the right materials, you can make almost anything into a homemade bong or pipe.
