Hello everyone, new to the forums as well.
Gag Ball, well, we tried buying one and it was awful, way too big for her mouth and it was hard plastic so it pressed in on the teeth, really uncomfortable. So i found some practice Golf Balls today, only 2 dollars, the size is perfect and it has holes in it for easy breathing. Still need a strap, so i will have to look around some more for a nice soft strap which won't do too much damage to the head. Any suggestions?
I have always called these wiffle balls. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are great first time gags for nervous bottoms. I typically use a length of silk cloth as a "strap", threading it through the holes off center, to make it more comfortable in the mouth and require less tightness out of the strap.
Unless you sew it onto something else, Velcro can bite into the skin quite a bit, especially if the bottom is able to rest their head on something. I shy away from it usually, preferring to tie things in place where possible, but that's just me. If you go that route, be sure to keep a set of medical scissors close at hand.
The best two places I can think of off hand for budget bdsm supplies are equestrian stores and... (I don't know the exact name in english) craft stores. My submissive tells me that one such store in the US is called Hobby Lobby.
Equestrian stores tend to sell riding crops at about half the price of bondage stores. If you get friendly with the owner or manager you can probably get access to a very large selection of products. I tend to buy them for 6-12 euros.
Making riding crops yourself is also very cheap, easy and rewarding. There are quite a few guides out on the internet, but here is the simplest I can think of:
From your local crafts store buy a fiberglass or plastic rod. The weight, width and flexibility of the rod are what really makes the crop, so choosing the base material is the most important step. Also buy a rivet (I think this is the english name? A bolt and nut that are smooth on both ends) and a square of leather. The texture of the leather square can have a huge impact on the feel of the crop, so again, choose wisely.
Start by making a small hole through the rod, about 1cm from an end. Then, cut your leather, pòssibly into the shape of a tongue, or maybe a long length for whipping, whatever you like. Once cut, poke a small hole through the end and use the rivet to secure it to the rod. I made one of these in about 10 minutes using a swiss army knife sitting outside the store in my car.
The tongue can take on a number of shapes and sizes. You can easily tie single tails, double, long, short, hard, soft, anything you want. Easily my favorite piece is a heavy rod about 18 inches long with a single 12 inch leather strap.
You can always add some style to it by leather wrapping the rod. The easiest way I can think of is to clove hitch a long leather strap.
This is a good guide.
