Dogs love to play fetch or tug-of-war with rope toys. Making a toy for your dog is easy and fun. Here is a way to make a DIY rope toy out of recycled materials.
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My family recently got a Golden Retriever puppy that we named Sage. When you have an eight-week-old puppy, one of the first things you want to teach them is what is and isn’t ok to chew on. Having lots of their own toys will help with this.
When we first brought Sage home, the tug-of-war rope that we got her was too big for her to carry around, so I decided to make one more her size!
Here’s how I made a dog toy from one of my old t-shirts.
Materials Needed for Making a Dog Toy from an Old T-Shirt
You only need two things to make this dog toy, knowing how to do a five-strand braid is necessary too. I’ll explain it, but if you need more help find a YouTube video, its pretty easy!
Directions for Making a Dog Toy from an Old T-Shirt
- Cut your old t-shirt into strands
Depending on how large your dog is, the number of strands you need to cut are different. For a small dog, 5 is enough. For a medium dog, you could do 10. For a large dog, make 15. You will be doing a five-strand braid, so you can make it as thick as you would like by doubling up your strands. The length of the strands can also depend on how big your dog is. I have a small dog, and I cut the length of a medium sized t-shirt from the neck hole to the bottom. For larger dogs, using a bigger shirt, or cutting across the shirt may be a better option. Try to make all your strands the same thickness and length. This will make braiding later easier.
- Tie the ends of your strands
Once all the strands are cut, you will have to tie them all together at one end. To do this, line up the ends of your strands so that they are even. Take all of them and wrap the whole bundle around itself and into a knot.
- Braid the strands
Now that you have your knot tied it is time to start braiding. Separate the bundle into five equal bunches. There can be as many strands as you want, just make sure they are in five groups. Take the strand furthest to the left and take it under the strand next to it, and then over the middle strand. The strand you just moved should now be in the middle. While keeping that string tight, take the strand furthest to the right under the one next to it and then over the middle strand. You should now have a new middle strand. Keep repeating the same pattern on each side until you get to the bottom.
- Tie off the braid
Once you are to the bottom of your braid, you are ready to tie it off. Without letting go of your braid, or letting it unravel, take all the strands into one. Wrap the entire bunch around itself into another knot, just like at the beginning.
Ta-da! You have just made your pup a new toy!
Your dog will love playing tug-of-war with this new rope. An extra thing you can add is a knot in the middle. This can help if your rope is too long, or if your dog wants another knot to hold onto. And if it gets dirty, don’t worry, it’s washable!
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