Dogs are the most playful among all the domestic animals around the world. In order to improve their instincts, motor skills and prepare for unexpected incidents, they need to play. To play, they definitely need toys.
Now, these toys are found in all kinds of pet-stores. In most cases, the toys are pretty expensive. Whatever the price might be, your furry friend will barely care for it because all he/she needs is something to play with!
So, if you make these toys at home, it will definitely save you a few bucks. Also, you can ensure the toys to be free of any harmful chemicals or dust.
How To Make Dog Toys?
You can easily make dog toys at home by recycling stuff you haven’t used in a while and don’t even intend to use in the long run. Such toys are stuffed toys mostly. Using sew, glue, braid, or stuff method you can make dog toys at home. These homemade toys are eco-friendly and also safe for your dog.
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Making toys for your dog is as simple as that. All that requires is researching on the internet. Also, you need to use your own creativity as well.
Researching means collecting the necessary information for tips on how to make dog toys at home. We’re going to tell you plenty of how to do it properly. Just follow up sincerely!
How To Make Dog Toys Out Of Shirts?
Dogs love to chew! Also, dogs love to play throw and fetch! Keeping these in mind, there are plenty of ways to recycle an old shirt or a t-shirt. Just go grab an old t-shirt and follow these steps!
P.s. we recommend using stretchy t-shirts rather than cotton shirts. Stretchy t-shirts are suitable for most DIY projects.
Step 1: Cut Off The Sleeves and Unstitch Any One Joint
You need to cut the sleeves off and keep them for another toy model. After cutting off the sleeves, you need to unstitch the t-shirt from one side to make it bigger in length.
Step 2: Cut The T-shirt Into Long And 2 Inches Wide Strips
Now that you have a pretty long fabric, you can easily cut through the length. The perfect length of the strips should be 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. Note that the length might vary from t-shirt to t-shirt.
However, it’s totally okay if the length is short. You can always tie a knot between two strips and make it longer.
Step 3: Tie A Knot Among Several Strips And Make Simple Braids
This is an important step. Braiding is necessary to complete this project. You can braid however you want to. You just need to have the image of the outcome already in your vision.
Braided Toys
If you want a simple braided sausage-sized toy, you can do the regular braid and tie a knot to put the ends together after a designated size. If you want to make a rope, just braid the strips longer. In both cases, remember to tuck the ends inside the braid with a big needle.
Knotted Dog Toys
Surprising but true that the knotted toys look prettier than the braided ones. You have your freedom here. You can use two, three, four, or even more, strips to tie knots and go back and forth in a circular repetition. Again, remember to tuck the ends!
Doughnut Dog Toys
Remember the sleeves we kept for another project? This is where we use it. Roll the sleeves and make a doughnut-shaped bun.
Now, to secure the end of the rolled fabric, you need a long rope, or even a thin fabric strip will do. Just roll the strip across the bun, maintaining the circle, and tie a knot at the end, and it’s done!
How To Make Dog Toys Out Of Socks?
Puppies are mostly teething. They intend to chew anything that they feel like chewing. Shoelaces, for instance!
Toys made of socks are more suitable to them than any other toys. It might sound weird, but it’s true that socks taste good in their mouth. If your dog is older and it still chews the socks, it has to be because your buddy absolutely loves the sock-toys.
Well, making toys out of your old socks is easier than a lot of homemade toys. Longer socks are preferable, but shorter socks will also do!
Stuffed Sock Toys
The first thing you can do is, stuff the sock with cotton or any kind of stuffing that isn’t harmful to your dog. After that, tie a knot to where the stuffing ends. You can tie several knots till the end of the sock.
Ball Sock Toy
Get a small-sized tennis ball or any small ball and put it in the middle of the sock. Tie two knots at both ends of the sock to secure its location. Just continue the knotting process, sparing some space in between, and tie the ends together. Off you go with a round ball sock toy!
Knotted Sock Toy
It’s just a simple process. You just need to continue knotting, leaving some space. It will make a simple long knotted toy, and your dog will still love it.
How To Make Dog Toys Out Of Fleece?
Unlike t-shirts and socks, fleece is not something you can recycle. Fleece itself is an element of crafting or any DIY projects. So, you need to buy fleece for making dog toys. Nonetheless, if you have some fleece left from your previous DIY project, you’re welcome to use that!
Fleeces need to be braided or knotted for this project. For that, take a big fleece sheet and cut it in strip-length. Fleeces don’t need to be hemmed because there’s no risk of threads coming off.
Now that you have fleece strips, you can either braid or even knot the fleeces to any shape you like. It might need stitches to be secured sometimes.
Fleece is a kind of woolen fabric. Some wonder if it’s harmful to your furry friend. Well, fleece might be woolen, but this is not harmful to your dog.
How To Make Dog Toys Out Of Rope?
There are many kinds of ropes out there. Among all kinds, the nylon ropes are mostly suitable for dog toys DIY. They are pretty irresistible and strong and often thick. As they are strips-kind already, you don’t really need to cut them into strips.
You just need to-
- Cut the rope to your desired length.
- Take a few cropped ropes and knot them together.
- Now, braid or keep knotting until you reach the perfect shape you have thought of.
- Finally, knot the ends back together.
How To Make Dog Toys Out Of Fabric?
Any fabric aka scrap fabric, can be used to make dog toys. The ways to make dog toys out of fabric are all the same. Whatever the fabric you may be using, you’ll definitely need to cut them into strips before you can start. Tie the strips together and braid or knot!
How To Make Dog Toys Out Of Jeans?
Almost all of us wear jeans. Jeans are a fabric that is extremely handy while crafting or making any DIY project. It is not only a strong fabric but also makes the projects look beautiful.
So, just the way we’re doing it, cut the jeans into straps. Most importantly, the jeans straps have to be cut lengthwise. Only then can you have long strips. Therefore, the process is applicable here as well!
How To Make Dog Toys Out Of Paracord?
Paracord is perfect for a teething dog because this is a perfect chewable rope. It has high resistance. It can easily withstand a lot of bites and pressure. And over everything, dogs love toys made of paracord.
Paracord is sometimes a tough material to keep in shape if tied loose. So, we recommend using the knotting process to make a preferable shape instead of braiding. If knotted tightly, you can give the project any shape you like. For example, a ball, a bone, a ring, etcetera.
How To Make Dog Toys Out Of Pants?
Making dog toys out of pants is very simple. Pants are easy fabrics found in your home. Basically, we’ve been talking about dog toys made of fabric all the way long.
Let the pants be made of cotton fabrics or even jeans; it is actually too easy to make dog toys out of fabrics.
How To Make Braided Dog Toys?
Braiding is almost like a compulsory process of making dog toys out of any fabric or rope. Braiding is easier to handle and to do! Just follow the steps below, and you’re good to go!
- Take a minimum of three strips of fabric or rope or even chord.
- Knot them together by one end.
- Now criss-cross each strip with the other and continue this process.
- After continuing this process for a while, you’ll have a medium lengthed braid. Now, tie a knot on this edge of the braid with a view to securing the end.
How To Make Indestructible Dog Toys?
Any homemade toys made for your dog are mostly indestructible. Some contrary instances are- newspaper, paper boxes, paper crafts, any natural septic elements, etcetera.
Apart from these, toys can be pretty much indestructible. For example-
- dog toys made of old t-shirts are often long-lasting.
- jeans are one of the strongest fabrics out there, which is why toys made of jeans are basically irresistible.
- yarn-made balls are sometimes strong yet soft, and your buddy must love it!
- a plastic bottle wrapped with any soft fabric and tied on both ends is pretty much indestructible!
- fleeces might feel soft but trust me, they are strong fabric, and they last unimaginably long.
- toys made of ropes are pretty strong as well.
- PVC pipes! Now, these are not homemade, but they are strong, and your dog will love playing with them!
How Can I Make My Dog’s Toys Squeaky?
Squeaky toys are dogs’ favorite. Making squeaky toys is easier than making braided or knotted toys. Follow the following steps, and you’ll know why!
- Choose a fabric.
- Draw your preferable shape and cut off two similar pieces.
- Sew the fabrics together by the ends, leaving a small space.
- Now you have a pouch-like joint piece; just put the pouch inside out.
- A hollow will be visible inside the pouch from the opening. Fill it with any stuffing. (scrap fabric, cotton, etcetera)
- Fold the opening nicely and sew it close.
Voila! Your squeaky toy is ready!
How Do You Make Puppy Chew Toys?
Puppies like to chew. Whatever the toys they are given to play with, they start chewing those as if this is the game. But are all these toys safe to chew?
To ensure your puppy is maintaining its nature in a safe way, you need to provide it with homemade, chemical-free toys. You can use shirts, t-shirts, pants, jeans, socks, yarn, fleece, felt, etcetera to make toys for your puppy. And anything you make, your puppy will ensure that those are chewable!
How To Make Dog Tug Toys?
If your dog is almost like a predator towards its toys, you should start thinking about making tug toys. Tug toys are basically toys that are stretchable. Also, these do not easily get torn off or damaged.
The square knot process is highly recommended in this regard. Any stretchy fabric can be used to make square-knot tug toys by the following steps-
- Cut off your desired or handy fabric into strips.
- Take four strips and tie a tight knot.
- Take one strip and fold it in the opposite direction by creating a loop.
- Repeat this process, maintaining a sequence.
- Now that the creating loop and folding is made pull each strip and tuck it through the opposite loop, and secure the square knot.
- Keep continuing the same process repeatedly and stop at a designated level.
- After reaching a proper length, secure the edges with a spiral knot.
How To Make Durable Dog Toys?
Any toy can be durable if the material is strong and firm. Some selected toy elements in this regard are-
- jeans-made toys
- plastic -made toys
- wooden sticks
- Paracord-made toys etcetera.
You cannot make a toy durable unless the material used in it is pressure resistant. So, you have to choose the material here wisely.
How To Make Mentally Stimulating Dog Toys?
Making your dog play with mentally stimulating toys is almost like giving your dog training. You might need dog treats for making your dog play with such toys.
Read through!-
Make A Bottle Puzzle
Make a small hole on the bottle and put some treats inside it. Toss it to your dog. The dog will certainly become busy finding a way out for the treats.
Make A Ball Puzzle
Take a tennis ball and call it from aside. Put treats in it and let your dog play with it.
Make A Cup Puzzle
Put treats on a flat surface and cover them with cups. Place empty cups as well. Now, make your dog choose one!
Make Pockets And Put Treats In Them
Wherever your dog plays, make pockets and put treats in them. Your dog will be busy finding them!
Avoid Making Identical Toys
Do not make similar-looking toys for your dog. Try mentioning names for each toy and see if it remembers. Also, remember to give treats after every correct answer.
What Is The Best Material For Dog Toys?
There are plenty of materials to choose from in order to make dog toys. The best of them are-
- denim, jeans
- nylon ropes
- paracords
- socks
- shirts, t-shirts
- fabricks
- felts
- fleeces
- yarns, etcetera!
Whatever you do, let your dog chew!
If you’re actually planning on making a dog toy, keep it in mind that the little fella will chew it. So, make sure to provide your teething doggy with chewable toys.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Are dog toys from dollar store safe?