Rope toys can make great tug toys for dogs who are heavy chewers. Since they have some heft to them, rope toys make good toss toys too. They’re durable and can be pretty colorful. To make these rope toys, you can buy new rope, use scrap rope, or you can upcycle retired climbing rope—ask at climbing gyms or climbing stores for retired rope. Let the knotting begin!
The first group of toys uses the Basic Crown Knot. (How To Video I, Video II)
Yikes, it’s December! I have to get crackin’ on making some presents. To get you started on gifts for people with pets, here’s a round-up of previous posts on DIY toys for cats & dogs. They range from crazy-easy to not-too-taxing on the difficulty meter. Try them out! You’ll have thoughtful, unique gifts for all the furred ones you know.
A reader asked about tutorials for making silhouette pet portraits, so here you go! You can do this for any pet, so don’t limit yourself to cats and dogs. A budgie portrait would be really cute!
The video shows 2 techniques—a higher tech version that uses Adobe Illustrator & a robot cutter and lower tech version that uses tracing paper.
There are plans for small or large beds. It has great tips on sourcing your materials so you save money—like looking for outdoor fabric in the second or remainders section of your fabric store, or checking with local companies that make awnings for businesses or boats to see if they have scraps. There are also invaluable tips to make sure you make a strong, durable bed. Sweet!
As an aside, Columbus Dog Connection looks like a remarkable group. Besides generously sharing such a great tutorial, it looks like the group is very busy. Check out the page on beds they’ve made for underfunded shelters—lots of volunteers and so many beds. Someone behind the scenes is doing great work. It takes an outstanding leader to organize so many volunteers and sponsors. Every rescue group should be so lucky!
Cat Ladders is one of my most favorite internet finds. (Formally known as Katt-Trappa.) It’s a blog of cat ladders from around the world and combines a bunch of things I love into one big batch of niftiness. It’s got cats, DIY projects, a window into the seemingly mundane daily life of people & their cats in different countries, a physical manifestation of the affect people have for their kitties, and there’s something in there too that hints of the secret life of cats. Check out Cat Ladders!
Some are really tall!
Some make use of what’s handy.
Others are sculptural.
Some are for dogs or goats or chickens! Some might be for gnomes & cats.
