Whether you’re on a budget or not ready to invest in an expensive sex toy, making your own vibrator can be an exciting DIY project. It also saves time and energy.
Vibrators can enhance sexual arousal and lead to orgasm alone or with a partner. They can be placed over the clitoris or inserted into the vagina.
Materials
Whether you’re just curious about vibrators or you’re looking for new ways to satisfy sexual pleasure, you can create a simple homemade vibe by finding the right materials and using your creativity. Most DIY sex toys can be made using materials already found around the house, but some require special tools or skills like soldering. Those projects will have more of a learning curve and may take longer than simpler DIY options.
Buying the right kind of material can also help keep your toy safe and comfortable. Avoid plastics that contain phthalates, especially those with a pliable feel. These chemicals aren’t body-safe and can cause irritation, so opt for glass, metal or shatterproof silicone instead. Some sex toys also have multiple arms to target different erogenous zones, so make sure you choose one that’s designed to do what you want.
Porous sex toy materials, including jelly rubber and elastomer, can allow bacteria and germs to seep in, so they’ll need frequent cleaning with warm water or mild soap and detergent. Nonporous materials, such as plastics, are less likely to harbor bacteria and can be cleaned with disinfectant sprays or wipes.
Another essential consideration when choosing your toy materials is that they need to be safe for clitoral and anal stimulation, which means that any holes or rough surfaces must be smoothed down with sandpaper before you can use them. For safety’s sake, you should also choose a toy with a handle that can be gripped tightly, as well as a base that can withstand pressure when pressed against the genitals.
If you’re not ready to take on the challenge of building your own vibrator, there are a number of inexpensive store-bought vibrators available that can be used for clitoral or anal stimulation. Alternatively, you can try a finger massager or a wand that’s designed to stimulate the G-spot with intense vibrations that will make your partner moan and groan. Just remember to always use lubrication with these kinds of toys, and always stop if you feel any pain or discomfort. It’s also important to note that, no matter what kind of sex toy you choose, it is always best to masturbate with a friend or partner and to use a condom during all sex experiences.
Design
As with many DIY projects, a homemade vibrator will require creativity and some technical know-how. However, it will likely be less expensive than a store-bought device and can be tailored to the user’s preference. It can also be an excellent way to explore masturbation — whether as a hobby or a means of exploration — and can provide a sense of accomplishment, especially if the creator has used their engineering skills to design the device.
Vibrators are sex toys that use internal motors to create buzzing, thrumming, throbbing, pulsing and other sensations that can’t be replicated by the tongue or penis alone. They are designed to mimic the stimulation of the clitoris or penis, and can be shaped or adjusted to a variety of shapes to accommodate different areas and types of sensual stimulation.
When designing their bespoke sex toys, LELO’s in-house designers “work with CAD, 3D modeling, clay, wood, you name it,” says Sedic. Taking inspiration from their own experiences, the team strives to make products that are sleek and unapologetically sexy. This aesthetic is evident in the designs of the latest LELO vibrators, which feature a minimalistic, future-by-Stanley-Kubrick look.
While a simple vibrator can be made out of everyday items like a plastic bottle, it is important to note that making a more complex homemade vibrator will usually involve the use of tools or materials that can be dangerous if not handled properly. For example, if using metal wires in a DIY sex toy, it is important to wear appropriate safety equipment such as a mask or gloves when soldering them together. Similarly, using a power drill in a DIY sex toy may cause the battery to short circuit and potentially cause a fire.
With the onset of the COVID lockdown, some users have turned to their video game consoles and controllers as DIY vibrators. Many new controllers have a built-in rumble function that triggers vibrations during specific on-screen events, and there are also downloadable games available for Xbox that turn a handheld controller into a vibrator. However, this method can be inconsistent and is not guaranteed to work.
3D Printing
In the sex toy industry, 3D printing is becoming more popular. It allows users to make toys based on their own body parts, and it can be cheaper than traditional methods like clay molding. One small business that has used this technology is Dame Products, which makes a hands-free vibrator called Eva. The company’s founders say that the use of 3-D printing allowed them to develop and test numerous prototypes of the product, bringing it much closer to its final design than would have been possible with other methods.
But the use of 3D printing in sex toys has some risks. Many 3D printers create objects layer by layer, and these layers can leave microscopic holes or cracks in the finished object. These can be a breeding ground for bacteria, which can lead to infections or even sexually transmitted diseases (STDs / STIs). In addition, the surfaces of most 3D-printed objects are rough and may cause chafing.
To avoid these problems, some people have been 3D-printing sex toys and then filling them with silicone, which is the safest material for this purpose. But this can be a tricky process, as the print needs to be sanded and sealed thoroughly before use. The sealant should also be food-safe and used in a sterilized environment, which is not always possible in a home 3D printer.
The 3D-printing process is not yet able to generate a completely porous, ready-to-use silicone sex toy, but some specialized sites allow users to design their own dildo and then buy a mold that will be printed to produce a real-life version of it. This allows people to customize the sex toy to match their anatomy, which can be especially pleasurable.
A dildo mold will also have to be made from a plastic that can withstand the high heat of a 3D printer, which typically uses hot resin or filament. Silicone-based printers are in the works, but they are not yet available to the general public. And, even when they are, using them for sex toys could present serious health concerns, such as bacterial vaginosis, cystitis, and urinary tract infections or STDs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and herpes.
Wiring
When assembling a homemade vibrator, you’ll need some electrical wiring to connect the components. This requires soldering, which can be dangerous if you don’t have experience with it or aren’t careful. It’s also important to use non-porous wire, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), which is safe and easy to sterilize. Porous wire, on the other hand, can suck in and retain bacteria, explains a sex expert to SELF.
If you don’t have the soldering equipment, you can still make a DIY vibrator with items found around the house. For instance, a pillow massager is the perfect base for a ride-on vibrator. You can find these online or in stores, and they’re usually made of a soft material that feels good on the clits. They can be shaped to target specific areas of the body, such as the G-spot or clitoris.
An Xbox video game controller is another great option for a homemade vibrator. With a few simple modifications, you can turn one of the longer arms into a G-spot vibrator and use the short arm as a clit stimulator. You can control the intensity of the vibrations and rumbling by going into your controller settings. You can even download apps for a more realistic feel to the clit stimulation.
The key with any new sex toy, regardless of how you make it, is to start slowly and work your way up to more intense feelings. You should also always use a condom with any device that has the potential to introduce bacteria or foreign objects into your anus or vagina.
Homemade vibrators are a fun and creative way to experience internal pleasure. But they’re not a substitute for professional sex toys, which are designed to be used safely and for extended periods of time. If you’re interested in a new toy, consider a real one that can be bought for under $30 or less and is more discreet. For safety, sex experts recommend separating any household items you use for kink from those of your loved ones to avoid any accidental sex.