How to Make a Punching Bag

Co-authored by Derrek Hofrichter

Last Updated: October 17, 2024 Fact Checked

Punching bags are used to increase strength and stamina in athletes. They are used by people who practice martial arts or boxing to perfect their technique. However, punching bags can be very expensive, and this can be problematic for someone training on a budget. A cost-effective solution to this problem is to make your own punching bag.

Quick Guide: Making a DIY Homemade Punching Bag

Cut a 3 ft (0.91 m) long piece of PVC pipe.
Drill two holes at each end of the PVC pipe.
Cut a 10 in (25 cm) circle out of plywood for the base.
Attach the base to one end of the PVC pipe.
Wrap carpet padding around the pipe and secure it with duct tape.
Run a piece of rope through the two holes at the top to hang the bag.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using PVC Pipe

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Measure the pipe and draw a line where you will cut using a maker. Use a PVC pipe cutter or a hacksaw to cut the PVC pipe.^{[1]
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One set of holes will be used to attach the base. The other set of holes will be used to hang the bag.^{[2]
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Trace the outline of where you will be cutting with a compass. You can also trace the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket. Use a saw to cut a 10” diameter circle out of the plywood. Then draw a 4-inch diameter circle and cut that out of the plywood.
Place the plywood inside of the PVC pipe so that it’s even with the holes you drilled. Drill screws through these holes to secure the plywood to PVC pipe.
Place the 10-inch piece on the bottom of the pipe where the 4-inch piece is. Drill screws through the 10-inch and 4-inch pieces of plywood so that they are connected.
You want the carpet to roughly match the size of the PVC pipe. You want to leave about four inches of pipe uncovered at the top of the punching bag so that the holes you drilled are exposed.
7
Wrap the carpet padding around the PVC pipe. Start by taping one edge of the carpet padding to the pipe and then slowly roll the pipe until the carpet padding is completely wrapped around the pipe. Once all of the carpet padding is on the pipe, tape down the loose edge of the carpet using duct tape.
- Make sure you wrap the pipe as tightly as possible as you want the bag to be solid when you punch it.
8
Cover the carpet padding in duct tape. Take the roll of duct tape and attach a piece of tape to the carpet closest to the base. Start rolling the tape around the carpet padding on the PVC pipe. Make sure you overlap as you tape so that you have very tight layers. You will cover every bit of exposed carpet padding that runs the length of the pipe with tape.
- Apply as much tape as you can to the top of the carpet, but don’t worry about completely covering it.
Make sure both ends of the rope are equal in length and then tie them together.
10
Hang the bag. Find out where you want to hang the bag. If you are hanging the bag from the ceiling, be sure to hang it from a stud so that the bag does not fall and injure you.
- Adjust the height of your bag from the ceiling based on your own height.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using a Concrete Base

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x 4 in. 8 in. boards. These boards will make up the post to the punching bag. To create the shape you need, place two boards on top of each other and then place the remaining board along their 2-inch sides. Glue the boards together using wood glue. Make sure you run the glue along the lengths of the boards. Once they are glued, screw them together.^{[3]
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You want them to stick out so that they can help the board stay in the concrete mix.
Nail the plywood into the bottom of the boards. The plywood needs to be big enough to support the three boards while standing...
You want the glue to dry completely before moving on to the next steps.
Make sure they are evenly stacked. The tires will form your base.
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Dump the concrete mix into a wheelbarrow. Use four bags of concrete so that you have enough to fill the inside of the tires. Place the bag of concrete inside of the wheelbarrow towards one end. Cut the bag open using a hoe. Once it’s open, pour out the mix and remove the bag.^{[4]
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- A wheelbarrow allows you to mix the concrete easily.
- You can use a shovel or spade instead of the hoe.
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Add water to the concrete. With the concrete on one side of the wheelbarrow, pour the required amount of water into the other side. To find the required amount of water, read the bag of the concrete mix. Adding more than the required amount can render the mix ineffective.
- Make sure to keep about 4 cups of water nearby in case you need to add more to the mix.
Using a hoe, gradually mix small amounts of the concrete into the water. Keep mixing until the mix is completely wet. As you mix the concrete, make a pile of wet mix on one side of the wheelbarrow.
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Add the concrete mix to the tires. Place the post inside of the tires and then fill the tires completely with concrete, making sure there are no empty spaces left inside. While the concrete is still wet, make sure that the post is leveled and centered in the tires. Smooth the top of the concrete.
- Make sure you wear gloves and safety goggles when pouring and maneuvering the concrete. The concrete mix can cause serious burns.
If you move on to the next steps and the concrete is still dry, then the post will be uneven. Once the mix is dry, the base will become very heavy. To maneuver the stand, angle the post down and roll it using the tires.
11
Cut an old futon mattress in half. The futon mattress will be used for the padding of the punching bag. Lay the post down. Attach one end of the cut mattress to the post by using duct tape. Wrap the remaining part of the mattress until it is completely around the post. Tape the loose end of the mattress down with duct tape. Make sure the mattress is wrapped tight so that the punching bag has structure.
- Check with your local classifieds or online postings to find a futon mattress if you do not want to purchase a new one.
Now that the mattress is secured to the post, wrap the exposed area with duct tape. Make sure you overlap as you tape so that you have very tight layers. You will cover every bit of exposed mattress that runs the length of the post. This will completely secure the mattress and make it suitable for punching.
The pad will help keep the bag quiet when you hit it.

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Question

Should the kicking bag be hard?

Shrek33sander

Community Answer

To a degree, yes, but it shouldn't be any harder than a regular bag.

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Question

What is the use of that rope in step 9 in method 1?

Community Answer

I presume that the rope is intended to hang the bag from, but the following picture shows a different way to hang it.

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Question

How do I hang a punching bag?

Community Answer

Use a support beam. Take a look at this wikiHow article.

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