How to Make a Jockey Stick

A jockey stick (also know as a riding crop, jockey whip or jockey bat) can be an excellent prop for a horse jockey costume. It is not necessary to spend a lot of money on one, as you can easily make a fairly passable replication for half the money if you invest a little bit of time in this easy craft project.

Lay out newspaper in an outdoor area. Spray paint the wooden dowel black all over, including the ends. Allow it to dry in a well-ventilated area.

Once the dowel is dry, use your box cutter to cut a groove 1/8-inch deep across the end. Put some hot glue into the groove. Fold your vinyl in half to create the flap of the jockey stick. Wedge it into the groove/hot glue. Allow it to set and dry.

Once the flap is secured in place, use the scissors to cut the excess vinyl from the flap. You want to create a V shape with the smallest end being fixed into the dowel and the largest end being the original 3-inch size at the free end of the flap.

Wrap black electrical tape around the flap end of the jockey stick to conceal where the flap and dowel are joined. Wrap the electrical tape around the top end of the stick to create a grip. You want to create a grip that resembles the grip of a golf club. The tape should be wrapped on the diagonal and go about five inches down the dowel.