How to Make a Homemade Gravity Bong in 5 Minutes

You’ve used an apple and a soda can to get your smoke on—you should never underestimate the ingenuity of stoners! When you’re trying to get high, everything becomes a possible conduit for that tasty smoke that makes all your worries melt away. 

Gravity bongs use air pressure to push smoke into your lungs, and you might be surprised to learn that you already have the materials you need to make one—in five minutes or less. Check out how to make one, how to use it, and your options when investing in a high-quality gravity bong.

What You’ll Need to Make a Homemade Gravity Bong

Making a homemade gravity bong is surprisingly easy, and you don’t need too many things. All you need is:

• A clean plastic bottle
• Container that’s bigger than your bottle

First, you need to find a plastic bottle. If it’s not empty and clean, go ahead and empty the contents and ensure it’s clean. If you’re wondering what you might want to use, consider using a water bottle or a one-liter soda bottle. 

What size you choose depends on how big you want your bong to be. Obviously, a bigger bong means bigger smoke clouds, and a smaller bong can be a little bit more discrete.

If you’re planning to smoke by yourself, a regular water bottle could work just fine. However, if you are smoking with other people, you might want to lean toward a larger plastic bottle. 

You’ll also need a second container that’s bigger than the bottle you choose—that’ll be where you place your water. A homemade gravity bong requires the top half of your bottle and a larger container with water where you can submerge the tip half of the bottle.

Steps to Make a Homemade Gravity Bong

1. Take the cap off the plastic bottle, and replace it with aluminum foil. This is going to be your makeshift bowl. 

• The aluminum should wrap around the lip of your bottle but not too tightly. Eventually, you will be removing this aluminum piece during your smoke sesh.
• Once your aluminum foil is draped over the top of your bottle, take a toothpick or other sharp object and poke holes into it. Not too many, or your flower will fall through. 

• It should be just enough so that when you light your bowl, the cannabis burns, and the smoke can travel through. 
• Grab a knife or a pair of scissors and cut your bottle in half. You might be able to do this with just a knife or just scissors, but if you have both, it works better. 

• You can pierce the side of the bottle with a knife and then take your scissors to cut all the way around. 
• Discard the bottom half of your bottle—you won’t be needing this. 
• Now that you have your bottle cut in half with the top covered with aluminum foil, get the plastic container that’s a little bit larger than the base of the bottle. 

• This extra piece is what’s going to serve as the water container.
• Fill the large container with water. You can use warm water or cold water; however, cold water may be preferable. 

• Fill it until there are only one to two inches left at the top.

How to Use Your Homemade Gravity Bong

Now, you’re ready to use your homemade gravity bong. Grab the top of the water bottle with the aluminum foil on the mouthpiece and place it into the larger container filled with water. 

Put Your Flower On and Light Up

It’s smoking time! Place your broken-up flower on the aluminum foil where the small, poked holes are and light it up. As you hold the top of the water bottle underneath the water, keep your cannabis lit until the top of the bottle fills up with smoke. 

As the smoke fills up, gently and slowly lift the top of the water bottle. Don’t let it all the way up, or the smoke will escape. The point is to trap the smoke so you can inhale it.

Next is the part you’ve been waiting for. 

Inhale

Take the aluminum foil off, press your lips against the top of the bottle, and start to inhale. Be careful during this process because you don’t want to pull the top of the bottle all the way out; instead, you want to slowly push it back down into the water as you keep inhaling. 

Pushing it down into the water pushes that smoke into your mouth so that you can inhale it into your lungs. If it’s too much, just take your mouth off the bottle and cap it with your hand to preserve the smoke. The final step is to exhale and enjoy!

Where to Buy a Gravity Bong

Your homemade bong may not have gone as planned. Perhaps you made your holes in the foil too large, or you made a mess with the water during construction. If your homemade bong wasn’t quite a success, you could always buy a high-quality bong that will give you the high you’re looking for. 

Homemade vs. Bought Gravity Bongs

Okay, so a homemade gravity bong is super simple and typically really cheap. Yes, you did have to, at some point, buy a one-liter soda bottle, but that’s what? Like two bucks? And while it works, it’s not exactly a good look for a seasoned stoner. 

If you’re serious about your cannabis use, you need to invest in some high-quality pieces. When you purchase a gravity bong, you’re not just investing in a high-quality piece but also cementing your commitment to enjoying a high-quality smoking experience. You’re not a teenager anymore. 

The plastic bottles and makeshift devices have to be left behind at some point. There are so many features gravity bongs offer that you’re missing out on if you’re relying on makeshift devices.

Pros and Cons

A homemade gravity bong is relatively easy to put together, and you likely already have the materials needed to create one on hand. However, it’s not a durable piece, and while it may work for a single smoke sesh, plastic and aluminum foil aren’t materials you should be heating regularly.

When you invest in a high-quality gravity bong, you have a glass piece designed to last which can handle the heat while you’re smoking. Aesthetically, it’s a lot more pleasing too. You’re adding a nice art piece to your stoner arsenal.

Why Buying One is a Better Option

With homemade bongs, you’re dealing with several safety concerns. First, aluminum foil, when burned directly, can release harmful vapors. That’s unnecessary. You want to get high, not inhale aluminum foil vapors. 

Plastic is also unsafe for burning. Technically, you’re not burning the plastic with a homemade gravity bong but adding heating elements to it. These materials give off harmful fumes when you use a lighter against them. 

So, while a homemade gravity bong can work, it’s definitely not a long-term solution for your smoking needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a gravity bong?

A gravity bong refers to the method by which people smoke—these types of bongs use air pressure and water to draw the smoke upward.

Are gravity bongs easy to make?

Yes, putting one together is quite simple. You need a water bottle, a slightly larger container as a base where the water goes, some aluminum foil, and scissors. These materials can usually be found at home, making putting one together even easier.

Are gravity bongs expensive?

They can be, but not necessarily. On the lower end, you can pick up a nice gravity bong for about $40, while on the higher end, you may spend around $500.