Have you ever wondered how to make a shrimp slurp gun?  If you’ve ever spent an afternoon at the beach watching kids slurp ghost shrimp from the sand, you’ll know exactly what this little slurp gun is for.  If not, you might think I’m crazy.  But trust me, this simple contraption will provide hours of beach entertainment for the kids and adults!

Last year we spent a week at the beach and a little boy had a shrimp slurp gun.  Luke spent hours with him, slurping up inedible ghost shrimp, feeding them to the birds, and catching them in a pail to be released later.  Unfortunately, when the boy left, so did his slurp gun.

I priced the guns online and in a few stores and found them for $20-40 but knew I could make it for much cheaper.  I found a helpful tutorial online and added a few components to improve it.  This year at the beach my kids will be slurping ghost shrimp all week long!

Here’s how you can make your own shrimp slurp gun.

Supplies Needed for One Shrimp Slurp Gun

2 inch PVC pipe x 20 inches long

2 inch cap

2 inch PVC test plug

washer that is 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter {not pictured below}

another smaller washer if the center hole in the large washer is large {not pictured below}

3/4 inch PVC pipe x 23 inches long

3/4 inch cap

3/4 inch elbow

3/4 inch PVC snap fitting {not pictured below}

PVC cement

a tape measure

a hacksaw

How to Make a Shrimp Slurp Gun

Using a hacksaw, cut the 2 inch PVC pipe to the 20 inch length if your piece is not already pre-cut.

Drill a one-inch hole in the 2 inch PVC cap.  {I made two slurp guns so you’ll see two caps pictured.}  Place the cap on the PVC pipe, sealing it permanently with PVC cement.

Remove the top red piece of the test plug {which is bigger than two inches} and replace it with the washers.  If the hole in your large washer is small, you only need to place that one on.  {You just need to prevent the wing nut from slipping through the hole.}

Drill a hole in the top of the 3/4 inch PVC cap to match the size of the screw/bolt in the test plug.  Attach the cap to the test plug as seen in the pictures below.

Cut the 3/4 inch PVC pipe to 23 inches and attach it to the cap using PVC cement to seal it permanently.

Place the 3/4 inch PVC pipe through the hole in the 2 inch cap, with the test plug inside the 2 inch PVC pipe.

Attach the 3/4 inch elbow to the top of the 3/4 inch PVC, sealing it permanently with PVC cement.

Adjust the wing nut on the test plug, tightening it to give the test plug a tighter fit inside the PVC.  This provides the suction needed for the slurp gun to work properly.  If your slurp gun isn’t working, continue to tighten that wing nut until you get adequate suction.

The final step is to make a stop so the test plug won’t constantly fall below the pipe.  Cut the end from the 3/4 inch PVC snap fitting …

… and attach it to the 3/4 PVC pipe, sealing it with PVC cement.  You’ll want to place it so that the test plug is at the bottom of the PVC pipe and can’t go any further.  {See the last picture to see how this piece stops the test plug from falling too low.}

And that’s how to make a shrimp slurp gun!  It might sound complicated but once you make one, you’ll realize it’s super simple!  Not including the PVC cement {which I already had at home}, each gun cost me about $7 to make.

You’ll have to let me know if you make one!

For more beach fun, be sure to check out this tutorial for a pillow towel …

… an upcycled earbud container to throw in the beach bag …

 

… and a simple monogrammed beach tote tutorial.