The military is a family, but in your case, it’s your family. Whether you’re a military spouse or supporter, or have “Semper Fi” tattooed on your arm, the red, white, and blue runs in your blood. You want to show this support, but also feel the support around you when you get home. These Military Man Cave Ideas will help make that happen, no matter what your role in this family is.
1) Bullet Tank Decoration
If you were in the military, you’ve probably fired guns a lot. You know about the different military-style weapons, and you’re familiar with the feel of a weapon in your hand, even if it’s only at target practice. If you’ve had the fortune to work on, drive, or ride in some of the big military machinery, you know that it’s an unrivaled feeling. Well, somebody thought to combine those interests into this miniature tank decoration made from bullets. It makes a great shelf decoration, or a paperweight if your man cave has a desk.
2) DIY Ammo Crate Side Table
If you’re from a military family, you might have some old military gear around. If not, you probably have newer stuff, or you’ve found some military surplus or tag sale gear. This is a great do-it-yourself project if you have an old ammo crate lying around; you can also buy them online. With this tutorial, you can make a side table that’s attached to a wall and folds down. Consider using this for a man cave bar or liquor cabinet. You can even mount them sideways to make snack bar cabinets.
3) DIY Resin Bullet Table
Epoxy resin is a great tool for any do-it-yourselfer. If you’re willing to put in the work, you can come out with a great military man cave. This video shows you how to take your old brass and turn them into a cool table. If you don’t reload your casings, or if you have casings that can’t be reloaded again, they’re a great choice for this project. Make sure to measure the tabletop thickness and bullet casing width so you don’t have any casings sticking out of the top. Leave a little extra room just in case.
4) Decals
Decals probably sound like a sports thing or something you’d find in a child’s bedroom, but some decals just fit perfectly in a military-themed man cave. If you like military machines, then having a tank on your wall is pretty cool. If they’re a bad memory for you, maybe skip this one. This decal shows a tank coming right out of the wall. The decal is like a realistic sketch rather than a silhouette, so it almost looks like somebody drew the tank on your wall.
5) DIY Military Symbols
Every branch of the military has a proud and long history of serving the People. Recognize that with military symbols, like the air force symbol this family painted on a wall. Choose the image you want, print out a stencil, and trace it onto cardboard to cut it out. You can either use accurate colors for the symbol or match it to your trim colors to help blend the room together. You could even choose your trim color based on the colors in the design.
6) Gun Safe
Your military man cave is probably the best place in the house for your guns, whether you want to show them off or keep them for self-defense. You can restrict access to the area to keep kids out, and they definitely fit the theme. This safe is one of the best on the market for pistols. You can also use this link to browse for quick-access safes or larger safes for the whole collection.
7) DIY Military Style Lettering
Do you recognize this font? While fonts are often overlooked, they can set the tone for an entire book or art piece. Since your man cave is an art piece, make sure to use the right font. Paint at least one trunk, table, or canvass with your unit number, or a beloved military relative’s unit number. You don’t have to stop there, though. Use this writing on the bar and tables to make them look like military surplus, and make this your go-to military man cave font.
8) Military Branch Area Rugs
Area rugs are great for man caves in basements, garages, or other spaces that aren’t originally meant to be living space. They tie together areas of your man cave and make a softer feel for your couch and recreation areas. These area rugs are military-themed, so you can choose an army, navy, air force, or coast guard rug for your man cave. If you want to support multiple branches, get a couple of rugs for different areas of the man cave.
9) Flags
People in the military give more of themselves to their country than anyone else. Show respect for the military and the flag by putting a flag in your man cave. You can hang one in the corner, paint it on a wall, or even paint it on furniture if you’re comfortable doing so. That said, a military man cave is somewhere you may want to observe flag code carefully, so consider looking up flag code before you decide how to display our flag.
10) DIY Epoxy Gaming Desk
You’ll want a reloading station, cleaning station, and more for your real guns, but you won’t always be able to go out and do target shooting. When you’re playing your favorite first-person shooter or video game, you’ll want a cool military-inspired desk to go with it. Instead of hitting up an army surplus store, you can make this neat desk with shell casings, epoxy, and LED strips. This will be a cool ammo-themed place to sit and play your games, and you can be sure that none of your friends have a desk like it.
11) Gun Range
An at-home gun range sounds extravagant, but it’s a great thing to have if you have the space. If you don’t have the room or the finances for your own range, you can still make your man cave feel a bit like a gun range. Put these targets up as part of your décor, or take them with you for target practice. Hang up the used targets to show off your aim for any guests, and make the man cave feel like your own at-home gun range.
12) DIY Military Vehicle Model
The military gets all the cool guns and all the cool vehicles. Turns out, you’re not allowed to have a submarine in your man cave in most places. Instead, you’ll have to settle for a model. Try making a model jeep like this one if you’re into old school military vehicles. If you want to try something more challenging, make a model of an amphibious assault vehicle. You can always make a model plane from popsicles sticks if land and sea vehicles aren’t for you.
13) Vintage Planes
Vintage planes are always amazing to look at. When you think about the history of flight, and the innovations that came through the military, it’s mind-boggling. Classic military planes are highly collectible, and plane models are a neat thing to have around. Copy the old planes to make 3D models, or simply print your favorite plane and frame it to make your own posters and prints. We don’t recommend you get the actual planes, but if you have the room and the money, it would certainly catch visitors’ attention.
14) DIY Ammo Box Table
If you collect old military stuff, you probably have a few old ammo boxes lying around. Unlike metal ammo boxes, these old wood boxes are easy to turn into furniture because you don’t need metal cutting tools to work on them. This table is made from a large wooden ammo box and some simple metal pipe. You’ll need caps for the bottom of the table legs, and then you’ll have an ammo box table. Nail the lid shut, or leave it so the box can be used for extra storage, too.
15) Military Alphabet
Very few people know the military alphabet, but most people know that “alpha” is “a” and “Foxtrot” is “f”. This military alphabet poster will fascinate people who visit your man cave and give you a chance to show off your knowledge of the alphabet. Without the poster as a conversation piece, that knowledge becomes just another bit of useless information for a former military member. If you’re a military family member or collector, you’ll love this chance to learn the military alphabet and keep the knowledge fresh in your mind.
16) Vintage Military Jacket
Your grandfather’s World War II jacket has been sitting in a plastic tote in the basement since the day you moved into your house. That jacket represents an entire era of history and the incredible military efforts that went into that war. Perhaps you have a more modern jacket. Whether you have a uniform that went through Desert Storm or D-Day, it deserves to be displayed. Have your old jackets framed for display in your man cave. Just make sure they’re out of direct sunlight since the UV rays can damage cloth over time.
17) Helicopter Silhouette Decals
Vintage vehicles are cool, but helicopters are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you’ve ridden helicopters while in the service, it may have been a stressful experience, but it makes a cool story that everyone will love to hear. These helicopter silhouettes are a great way to tell the story and show some of the cool things people do in the military. If you weren’t in the military yourself, you’ve probably imagined climbing from a helicopter, just as the silhouette soldiers in this decal do.
18) DIY False Bottom Drawer
Some of your man cave items are for display, either to show some history and cool machinery or to show off the accomplishments of a military person. Some things in your man cave won’t be as visible, though. This video shows you how to add a false bottom to a drawer, so you can store your weapons, papers, or anything else you don’t want on display. If you don’t have something to hide, this is an impressive thing to show off to the next generation of military supporters.
19) Army Swivel Bar Stool
If your man cave has a bar, whether it’s a wet bar, snack bar, or drink bar, you’ll need bar stools. Since this is a military man cave, make sure your bar stools are military-themed. These barstools have a comfortable seat and swivel for added comfort. You can get a blue one that says “Department of the Navy” on it, or get the same stool with any of three US Army patterns. The vinyl stools are easy to clean and the color fits a green or black army theme or a blue navy theme.
20) DIY Ammo Box Lamp
Ammo boxes are a great material for do-it-yourself military man cave projects. They’re easy enough to find, and they have many uses. This do-it-yourself project is an ammo box lamp. All you need is the box, a lamp kit, and an old army helmet. This project uses a metal ammo box to house the lamp parts and an army helmet as a shade. It works as a real lap, but if you’re not confident in your electrical ability, you can always make a decorative version that doesn’t plug in.
21) Miniature Model Guns
It would be pretty cool to display guns in your man cave. Unfortunately, most guns are really better kept in safes. If you want to use guns in your décor, but don’t want to display the real thing, these miniature model guns are a good choice. Pick your favorite model out of nine options, or buy a few to display on a shelf. They come with scopes, stands, and other parts, and scale to about ¼ the size of the real guns.
22) DIY Photo Coasters
The military is about family. If you have pictures of your military family or your real family, you’ll want to show them off. While you may have old military pictures of relatives, this project probably works best with digital photos. Take some of those photos and make drink coasters with these instructions. You can also use photos of old military helmets and gear, or other military images if you don’t want to use personal photos. Coasters are useful for a bar area, or they can be used as a more durable decoration.
23) DIY Camo Curtains
When people think of the military, they often think of camouflage. That said, camouflage can be difficult to include in man cave décor. While it looks cool, it just doesn’t seem right to paint a whole wall in camo. Instead, you can use it for the cloth accents around the room. For example, you could use camo as a curtain like the one from this bedroom remodel. You can also use different types of camo for projects; try using your old camo clothes for DIY throw pillows.
24) Oath of Enlistment
If you’re a former service member, you probably remember the oath of enlistment. It was a big day in your life, and it symbolizes everything you went through in the military. It could be the same oath your father or grandfather swore once. This wood block art with the oath of enlistment can be displayed on a table or shelf, or hung on the wall to remind you and others what military members promise when they join.
25) Mini Flag Set
The flag is symbolic of everything military men and women fight for. If you’re dedicating a man cave to the military, you’re honoring what the flag represents. While full-sized flags may be difficult to fit in your man cave, this set of miniature flags would be perfect for display. It includes flags for each branch, including the US Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, POW/MIA, and the US Flag. All the flags are made in the US.
26) DIY Ammo Box Speakers
Ammo boxes are a versatile material for do-it-yourself projects in a military man cave. They can be repurposed into tables, containers, lamps, and more. If you like to listen to music, a sleek new set of speakers doesn’t exactly fit the theme. Include your speakers in the theme with this ammo box DIY project. This instructable has directions for turning a regular .50 caliber ammo box into a set of speakers. This does require some soldering, but the end result is pretty cool, and you can make it in an afternoon.
27) Patent Prints
The military holds a lot of patents. They’re some of the foremost innovators in the country, and many modern inventions start in the military. Show off that innovation with some military patent art. This artwork from Amazon includes patents for tanks, vehicles, and weapons. The six 8×10 pieces can be a centerpiece for a wall, or you can mix them in with vintage military art. They’ll make a great conversation piece, and impress anybody who comes into the man cave with an interest in military vehicles or weapons.
28) DIY Vintage Footlocker
Here’s another item that should seem familiar; a footlocker. While they’ve changed in appearance over the years, they’re a staple of military life. With this project, Robert and Lauren from Blesser House show you how they fixed up an old footlocker to keep the vintage look. Vintage is nice, but you want your man cave to look like you were shopping in an antique flea market, not the local junkyard. You can use something like this as storage or a table, or both.
29) Personalized Sign
Sometimes you want something customized, but you don’t have the time to do it yourself. Signs are one of the best things to customize because there are so many options out there for custom signs. This sign is for veterans, with a ragged American flag image, and army green wood pattern. You can personalize it by using your own name and rank, and it’s a museum quality print with archival inks. This means that it’ll still look good long after you’re gone.
30) DIY Army Green
The army isn’t the only branch of the military, true, but each branch sees its fair share of army green. It’s a common color for ammo boxes and military clothing, and it makes you think of the military when you see it. If you want to give a military feel to your cave, paint some of the furniture in that familiar army green with this milk paint. This will blend with any army green décor or military surplus you already have.
31) DIY Ammo Box Wine Rack
We’ve got another ammo box DIY, and this one is for wind lovers. If you love swine, you’ll want it in your military man cave. If wine isn’t your thing, you can always cut the holes to fit your favorite bottles. You can even make a horizontal rack for your drink of choice, or turn an ammo box into storage for your home bar glassware. Either way, it would make a great addition to your bar and drink storage, and you can customize it to fit your needs.
What would you put in your man cave? Was there an idea you liked in particular? Active duty military, veterans, and those who support them are a unique community, and we’d love to hear what you’re doing in your man cave. Tell us about it in the comments below.