Pets Love Crafts Too! Here’s A Few To Get You Started

Here are a bunch of toys and accessories to make for your furry friends, most are for dogs and cats but I do have a couple projects for fish and birds. Some have been previously featured and moved here for better organization but there are lots of new goodies too.

Quick Note: I decided to remove the Pets category here on Tipnut since I haven’t done much with it for a long, long time but everything’s still here on the site (unless the project is no longer available online), they’re just reorganized into applicable categories (like cleaning, crafts, household tips).

Sweater Dog Toys: Soft and squishy, with a great big squeak, these sweater bones are a big hit.

DIY Raised Feeder: Keep your furry friends food & water up off the floor with this DIY project made with a shadow box and napkin rings.

Gumball Machine Fish Bowl: Fun! Use a metal and glass gumball machine rather than a plastic one.

Pouches: Make a little “wallet” to store a plastic baggie right on your dog’s collar (no more forgetting to bring one along for walks!).

Retro TV Fish Tank: Here’s how to turn an old tv into something pretty neat with this project.

Candy Corn Sweater: This particular pattern fits a 12 to 20 pounder, but is easily adapted to any size four-legged animal.

Dog Raincoat: Made with vinyl tablecloth, includes tutorial for matching collar made of webbing.

Recycled Collar Tutorial: Use the hardware from an old collar to make a new one (for both cats and dogs).

Felted Kitty Balls: Wrap leftover fleece around plastic cage balls and felt, building layers as you go.

Collapsible Dog Bowl: Made with oilcloth, this collapsible dog bowl is perfect for traveling pet owners. Free pdf pattern download.

Baby Sock Cat Toy: This simple and inexpensive mouse-size toy, filled with catnip and sewn by hand, will provide your cat with hours of entertainment. Check out how to grow your own catnip here: Grow Your Own Catnip.

DIY Aviary From An Old Wardrobe: Not a detailed how-to, but easy enough to figure out (it’s gorgeous!).

Dog Dining Station: This easy-to-build dog feeding station raises your pet’s food and water to a more comfortable level and keeps your floor neat.

Catnip Fish Toy: This whimsical fish-shaped toy is sure to become one of your cat’s favorite playthings (downloadable fish toy template available via pdf).

Collapsible Travel Dish: This project modifies a basic origami fold to create a pet bowl that holds water with no leaks.

Cardboard Kitty Pad: Made with recycled cardboard from boxes, etc., and decorative paper.

Crafty ID Tags: There’s a pdf template to download that you can type in your pet’s name, add your phone number and then print off on sheets of printable Shrinky Dinks plastic.

Dog Rope Toy: Braid this toy out of dish towels, you can also use fleece.

Squeaky Doggie Bone: Features chew ties on the ends, simple project to sew.

Easy Dog Sweater: Crafty project to keep poochy warm using an old sweater.

Dog Leash Tutorial: Made with cotton webbing, decorating ribbon and a swivel head snap hook.

Fabric Strap Leash: Sew a fabric cover over cotton canvas strapping to make a pretty leash.

DIY Cat Tree: Make your own five foot tall cat tree for a fraction of the price it costs to buy one if you are even the tiniest bit handy with tools.

Cattail Catnip Toy: Long tails are made with decor weight fabric, stuffed with catnip and tied off in sections using wool yarn or twine.

Dog Bones: (knitting) Worked in kitchen cotton yarn and filled with Fiberfill or scrap yarn, pieces are stitched together with a mattress stitch.

Catnip Mouse: (crochet) You’ll need a bit of acrylic yarn, some catnip, stuffing and a jingle bell (optional).

Dried Sweet Potato Dog Chews: A simple treat made by cutting sweet potatoes into thick slices and baking for a few hours.

Plaid Blanket: Finished size measures approximately 34″ x 27″, worked on straight needles (size 11).

Treat Bags: Fabric drawstring bag (lined) with a cord drawstring and handle made with webbing.

Catalog Knock-Off Food Containers: Upcycle large popcorn tins into handy food containers using decorative paper, spray adhesive, spray paint and printables.

Super Simple Dog Feeder: A wooden stool is cut in the center (to hold the food/water dish) then painted and covered with pretty paper and Mod Podge.

Butterfly (pdf): A cat toy with a jingly bell on one end, finished size is about 4 1/2″ wide. From Leisure Arts project page.

Knit Catnip Mouse: Free knitting pattern to make a stuffed mouse (you can use catnip and/or stuffing and a squeaker).

Scratching Post: Promises to last a lifetime and made with plywood, decorative wood trim, 100 feet of sisal rope and other materials.

This is the page I’ll be adding new pet crafts to so check back to see what’s new :). I’ve also moved these previously published tutorials here so everything’s on one page…

Bandanna Doggy Deodorizer: How To

First Published: October 26, 2006

If your favorite four legged friend is smelling a bit off and it’s not yet time for a bath, try this easy deodorizer method…

1/2 cup baking soda
2 cups water
1 bandanna sized to fit dog

Directions:

• Fill a largish bowl with two cups of water, then stir in baking soda until dissolved.
• Place bandanna in the water and thoroughly soak.
• Dry the bandanna in the sun (pull it out to its full square shape).
• Try doing a few at once to save yourself some time.

How To Use:

Once dried thoroughly, you can tie the bandanna around your dog’s neck. Because the bandanna was soaked in baking soda, this will help absorb your pup’s ‘doggy smells’.

DIY Cool Ice Treat For Dogs

First Published: July 26, 2007

There are dog ice treat kits you can buy but they’re easily do-it-yourself with an ice cream pail, some water, and dog toys. Here’s how…

• Fill an ice cream pail 1/3 full with water and place a couple dog toys in it. Freeze. Fill with more water until 2/3 full, add a few treats–freeze. Repeat one more layer like this until you have filled the ice cream pail.
• Once everything’s fully frozen, set the pail in a sink full of warm water until you can pop out the big ice block filled with dog treats. Set the dog treat filled ice block out in the yard, and let your dog have at it.

Your puppy might not have a clue what this is all about until you make him one a time or two. As the block melts down and reveals his toys and treats, make sure you spend time acquainting him with it. Once he gets the idea, he’ll be all over it and happily lick away at the ice to get at the treats.