Christmas Gifts for Dogs to Make Yourself
Giving gifts to family and friends is simply part of Christmas. But what about your dear four-legged friend who accompanies you every day and is just the best friend you could wish for? We believe: Our furry friends deserve something really special. Instead of buying your four-legged darling toys, you can easily make them yourself.
Snuffle Mat: Homemade
Food games not only increase activity during feeding but are also good for your four-legged friend's brain. Through the strategic search for food, your treasure is optimally stimulated and occupied. At the same time, your four-legged friend relies on their nose and can thus improve their sniffing talent.
So you don't have to buy an expensive toy, you can easily make this yourself. For a snuffle mat, you need:
- an old blanket
- rags and cloths or other fabric scraps
- sewing supplies
To connect the old fabric scraps to the blanket, simply sew them close together and overlapping. Make sure that as many scraps as possible overlap, between which you can then hide dry food or treats.
Tug Toy Made of Fleece
Some four-legged friends are only semi-excited by squeaky chickens or mice on a string. If your four-legged friend prefers tug games, you are in the right place. Playing with a tug toy can help your darling release excess energy. It is always important in these games that you decide on the beginning and the end to avoid escalation or rebellious reactions from your four-legged friend.
- For a DIY tug toy, you need:
- Fleece (an old blanket or fabric scraps)
- Ruler and scissors
- Clothespin or bag clip
Let's get started! Depending on the desired size, cut 4 fleece strips between 40 and 80 centimeters long. The strips should be about 10-12 cm wide. Lay the four strips on top of each other and secure them with a clip at one end. Then arrange the strips in a "+" shape relative to each other. When tying, imagine that each strip belongs to a cardinal direction.
Start with the west strip and lay it over the north strip. Then lay the north strip over the east strip. Lay the east strip over the south strip. Now pull the south strip through the loop created by the west strip. Pull everything tight evenly to form a knot. Repeat these steps until you can no longer tie the fleece strips. Done!
Stuffed Animal and Throw Toy Made from Socks
For the cuddle bears and throw toy lovers among us, here’s the guide for a homemade throw cuddle toy.
For this, you need:
- old socks
- cord
- scissors
- Possibly sewing supplies
Take an old sock and stuff the area at the toes with as many other socks as possible until the sock forms a kind of large ball head. Now pull two socks over the ball - you can choose a nice color or an appealing pattern here - and then tie a cord as tight as possible below the sock ball. Cut the rest below the ball into equal strips. Braid three strips together and tie a knot at the bottom to make the toy more durable. If desired, you can sew on eyes to turn it into a squid.
