Frugal and Easy DIY Dog Toys
Dog toys can get expensive, so one dog owners can do is DIY toys for their pup! It is incredibly affordable and easy to do.
I recently came across a tutorial from Eileen Chow on SheKnows that showed how to make a DIY toy with just a tennis ball and old t-shirt. It looked like the perfect toy for my two pups so I decided to give it a try while making it more appealing to my dogs. There are different variations of this toy with plastic bottles, tennis ball, and more, so I decided to try a couple different variations to see which one my dogs like best!
The first variation of the t-shirt toy I found was for a tug-of-war toy with an extra toy attached for added fun. Here’s a tutorial!
Supplies:
- Old T-shirts
- ExtraToy
- Scissors
Directions:
- Start by finding an old t-shirt and cutting it into four pieces horizontally.
- Next, cut your pieces in half along one of the side seams so you get four strands of fabric and knot two strands just as if you were about to tie your shoe. Repeat this until they are totally tied together. Do the same with the other two strands.
- Then, tie both combined strands together. Make sure the strands are secure and extend out.
- For added fun, you can tie an extra toy to the end of the strands. It’s easier if you use something the material can wrap around such as a bone or oddly shaped squeaky toy.
- Finally, let playtime begin!
The second variation of the tug-of-war toy involves a tennis ball, similar to the first toy just a different version. This is one of my favorite toys to make because it reminds me of an octopus with all the long strands. Here’s how to make it:
Supplies:
- Old T-shirt
- Tennis ball or old sock
- Scissors
Directions
- Start by cutting the top (including the sleeves) off of an old t-shirt so you have one big section. Make sure you save the extra fabric to tie your pieces together later on.
- Then cut one along one of the side seams of the shirt so you have a long piece and put a tennis ball (or in my case a balled up sock) in the middle. This way you will have long strands when you complete your dog toy.
- Tie your extra piece of fabric around the longer piece of fabric and the ball (or sock) so that the ball and sock are attached. It should like the image below.
- Then, cut into the fabric below the tie so you can make strands. Make sure you cut as close as to the tie off section as possible so you have longer strands but don’t cut into the tie otherwise the toy will fall apart. The number of strands doesn’t matter. In my case, I cut into the fabric twice and had three big sections, then continued cutting the three big strands into smaller strands so I could braid them together. Make sure you secure the braided ends by tying them together.
- Then, you’re all set to start playing with your dogs!
These are just the two versions of a tug toy that I made. There are so many other tutorials out there, but these two versions were simplest and cheapest to make since I already had the supplies on hand. My big dog, Kiba, loved the tug of war toy with the extra toy while my little dog, Shadow, loved the octopus toy. Hopefully you’ll have a chance to make some of your own dog toys without spending a dime.
Have you ever made toys for your dogs? How did they like them? Leave a comment and let us know!