5 DIY Dog Toys You Can Make in Minutes!

Every dog loves his toys, but sometimes pups like me get a little too excited and end up destroying them! Or, we just eventually get bored of them. If your dog is like me and likes to always have new toys, keep reading for some super simple and practically zero-cost DIY dog toys you can make!

Tennis Ball Bolas

Most dogs love tennis balls, so of course a tennis ball toy would be on our list! All you need are two tennis balls, some rope, and knife or scissors, and needle nose pliers.

1. Cut two holes on opposite ends of each tennis ball, big enough for the rope to fit through. Make sure to be very careful on this step!
2. Take one end of the rope and feed it through one of the holes. Keep twisting the rope into the hole until you can see it from the opposite end.
3. Use pliers to pull the rope out from the other side.
4. Tie a knot at the end of the rope, push the tennis ball against it, and tie another knot on the other side of the tennis ball to secure it in place.
5. Tie another knot towards the other end of the rope while leaving enough space to fit the second tennis ball on it.
6. Secure the second tennis ball in place by tying another knot.

With this toy, your dog can chew on it and drag it around, you can play tug of war with him, or fetch!

Old T-Shirt Rope

For this DIY toy, you’ll have a chance to reuse some old t-shirts you never wear anymore! All you need are 2 or more t-shirts and scissors.

1. Cut both t-shirts into 2-3 inches wide strips.
2. Place 2 strips aside. You’ll use these to tie the ends of the rope.
3. Gather the rest of the strips together and tie them at one end tightly.
4. Divide the rest of the strips into 3 sections and braid!
5. Once you get near the other end, use your last remaining strip to tie it together.

Voila! You have a new dog rope toy that your dog will love you for! But mostly because it’ll smell like you.

Dog Treat Puzzle

Who doesn’t love a toy that rewards you with treats? Your pooch is sure to love this challenge for his/her mind and it’ll also keep them occupied! All you need is an empty water bottle*, an exacto knife or scissors, and some treats.

1. Use your knife or scissors to cut a small square in the side of the water bottle, just big enough for a treat to fall through.
2. Put a couple treats in the bottle and put the cap on.
3. Give the treat bottle to your dog and watch him try to figure out how to get to the yummy treats!

Towel Knot Toy

This toy is as self explanatory as it gets. Simply take an old towel and tie a tight knot in the middle! Your dog can chew on it, play with it, and tug of war works too.

Not only will your dog have some thing new to play with, but you’ll have found a way to give your old towels a second life!

Ball Toy

For this toy, all you need is a tennis ball, and 2 large spare pieces of fabric. If you have old t-shirts that you don’t know what to do with, this is the perfect way to up-cycle!

1. Place the tennis ball in the middle of the piece of fabric. Wrap the fabric around the ball and use another strip of fabric to tie at the base of the ball, keeping it in place.*
2. With all the loose fabric dangling, you can take creative license to create whatever you want! You can cut it into a couple of strips and braid them like the picture above shows. Make sure to braid tightly and secure it at the end with a knot to prevent your dog from being able to rip it up too easily!

*If you want to make this toy extra heavy duty, use 2 pieces of fabric instead of one!