In archery, as in most sports, practice makes you better. The best way to improve your accuracy is to put in long hours shooting at targets. Archery targets are expensive, ranging from $40 to $200, depending on the type and materials. If you're interested in practicing your archery at home, you can make your own targets out of things you have around the house.
Step 1
Use hay bales to make archery targets. Stack tightly-packed and tied bales of hay to your desired height. Shoot into the sides of the bales. To practice precision, draw a target on a piece of paper and use rope or twine to attach it to your hay bales.
Step 2
Use old feed sacks. According "Michigan Sportsman" magazine, gathering 20 or more feed or grain sacks and stuffing them into one feed sack will create a sturdy target that stands up and stops arrows about one-third of the way through. Paint a target right on the feed bag or draw it on paper and attach it to the front with glue, staples or rope.
Step 3
Save packing foam from packages or old bedding. Tightly pack the foam in a cardboard box. Fill it with any other materials you might have on hand, like bubble wrap, old plastic bags or cardboard scraps. Another method is to tightly pack full rolls of toilet paper inside a cardboard box. Tape the box shut with duct tape or another sturdy tape.
Step 4
Reuse Styrofoam coolers. For a smaller target, make two holes in the bottom of the cooler, thread rope through the holes and string the cooler up on a tree branch. If it sways too much, use rope to tie weights to the bottom. Anything will work as weights--like sandwich bags filled with dirt or actual fishing weights.
Step 5
Stack sand bags on top of each other until you reach the desired height. Reinforce areas you suspect will get the most arrow traffic with duct tape. Attach targets to the front of the stack if you wish. If you use this method for a long time, you will develop a large sand pile, which you can also use as a target.
Step 6
Create a cardboard target template. Cut out about seven layers of old carpets, rugs or other pieces of cardboard to match your template. Create a matching cardboard template for the back. Sandwich your layers between the front and back templates. Use a strong adhesive to glue everything together. Set this on a target stand or make holes in the templates for rope. Tie to a tree limb.
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