I freakin’ love these crocheted frisbees! A while back at the dog park, I saw a guy throwing one of these for his dog. I couldn’t tell how it was made, but I could tell it was soft, so it couldn’t hurt the dog when she caught it, and is was floppy, because after she caught it, she had a blast shaking it as she brought it back to her person—very fierce! A crocheted frisbee is also great for the less athletically inclined—if your throw goes wild, it won’t hurt any dogs or people who get in the way. Now, people from the Pacific NW tend to be pretty reserved and I never know how someone will react when I speak to them. I grew up in Texas where it’s rude not to acknowledge people in public and even after 25 yrs. this reticence of PNW native can be startling. This guy, however, was happy to let me check out the frisbee and to tell me about it. He got his at a toy store because he immediately knew it’d be great for his dog and that he could always take it with him since he could fold it up. I also like that you can throw it in the wash. You can have a lot of fun with the colors you use, so be creative! Crochet Frisbee I (this pattern was developed for Handmade Especially for You a charity that organizes knitters & crocheters to make handmade scarves for abused women. One of their members realized a soft frisbee would be great for kids also affected by abuse since it could be used indoors, for instance in a shelter.) Crochet Frisbee II Scalloped Frisbee (this is really a potholder pattern, but I thought it’d make a neat frisbee too! photo is via Oiyi’s Crafts)
DIY: Feather Spinner Cat Toy & Wand
Make your own feather spinner cat toy similar to the Da Bird cat toy. The tutorial shows you what to do. You can make it as simple or elaborate as you like. Be sure to pay special attention to the instructions in Step #5 on the placement of the larger feathers to insure the toy spins.
You’ll need:
- 2 pheasant tail feathers
- small body feathers
- snap swivel for fishing
- tinsel
- hex nut
- hot glue
- vinyl carburetor cap
- felt, two colors
- scissors
- glue gun
- needle nose pliers
The second tutorial shows you how to make the wand to go with the spinner using:
- acrylic or wood dowel 3/8″ and 18″ long
- 2 vinyl carburetor caps sized to fit on dowel
- hex nut
- medium strength fishing line, string, or cording
- scissors
- glue gun
DIY: Rope Dog Toys Round-Up
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)
The second group uses the Monkey Fist Knot. (How to Video I, Video II)
DIY Cat & Dog Toy Round-Up
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.
Crazy-Easy:
Some Sewing (some can be done with just needle & thread):
Felt Mouse, Bird, Fish Toys for Cats
Knitted:
DIY: Silhouette Pet Portraits Round-Up
(via SilhouetteArt)
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.
Here’s a second tutorial on how to make another version of a silhouette plaque. Just use your pet’s portrait instead.
More ideas on ways to use pet silhouettes from Martha Stewart. I think the suggestion to have a custom rubber stamp made of your pet’s silhouette is a great idea. It would also make a nice gift for a pet lover.
I love this tote bag tutorial—it’d make a cute pillow too! I think I’d sew the silhouette rather than glue it though.
Larger scale pet silhouettes made from plywood are a unique application. You’ll need a jigsaw, router, or something similar for this project.
This two-toned silhouette portrait is lovely. You can use all sorts of colors and patterns to create something really nifty!