You may have been shopping around to buy a punching bag for yourself or as a gift and started to notice how expensive they can be, depending on weight and materials. Here is a way that you can make your own at home for much less than you would pay in retail stores.

The Shell
There are two ways to go about getting a shell. You can either buy one from a retail store or on a website like Ebay or you can use something similar. Canvas is cheaper than leather but cheapest of all is to buy an army ruck sack from an army surplus store. These bags are long and cylindrical and were made to hold 80-100 pounds of gear so you know they will hold up to your beatings. Once you have chosen a shell, move on to the weight.

Weighting the Bag
The easiest way to weight the bag is with play sand. You can find play sand in most home improvement stores for very cheap. DO NOT use concrete. Though it starts out fluffy like sand as moisture gets into the bag from humidity it will harden. Even tough guys don't like to punch a cylinder of rock. Once you get your sand roll it into a ball that will fit down into the bottom of the shell. Roll the ball in many layers of trash bags to keep it from splitting and pouring sand everywhere. Roll the wrapped ball to the bottom of the shell.

Filling the Bag
It's a good idea to first buy a piece of foam from a crafts store to line the inside of the bag. This will keep the bag from getting lumpy. Next use old rags, clothes or pieces of foam to pack the bag tightly. If the bag is not heavy enough from the first ball now is the time to roll another ball of sand into the bag. Pack the filling materials in tight so that the bag doesn't get dents in it as it is used. Tie or zip it up.

Hanging the Bag
Hang the bag using a heavy gage chain and ceiling hook that can hold the load. Make sure to screw the hook into a beam in the ceiling that can bear the weight. Get the chain cut to length so that the top of the bag lines up with your sight line. You should be able to punch strait out and hit the bag.

Have fun with your new inexpensive punching bag. Remember that over time the materials will settle and you will need to stuff more packing into the top of the bag. Other than that it should be ready to go. Have a great workout!