Chuy and I are back with another fast, easy, and FREE DIY pet project! Recycle your clothes by creating a Rope Toy for your dog out of old shirts.
This is an “irresistible” way to save money, recycle old clothes, and create a free toy for your dog! These toys will provide hours of fetch, tug-of-war, and plain old enjoyment for your dog! You can even get your kids to help out . . . that’s how simple this project is! If you have left over material, create a few extra toys and donate them to your local animal shelter!
You can’t get more Irresistible than that!
Materials Needed
- 1-3 old shirts*
- 1 pair of scissors
*Depending on how colorful you want your rope toy to be, you can use just one shirt or 3 to add multiple colors. In this tutorial, I used 3 different shirts.
Time Required
- 60 minutes or less
Instructions
These instructions are based on the dog rope toy that I created in this picture. If you want to learn more, keep reading!
Step 1 – Cut the Strips
Begin by cutting 3 strips from each shirt. That’s 9 strips in total.
I didn’t measure these, but if you are a true perfectionist, by all means, be my guest! Sometimes, imperfect is just perfect for these types of projects!
I cut 4 strips each just to be safe. I cut them on my ironing board, which makes it easier to cut and much more visually appealing to view your strips.
Step 2 – Knot the Top
Twist the strips together and tie a knot at the top of all 9 strips.
Step 3 – Braid the Strips
Separate the strips into 3 sections of 3 strips each and braid from the knot, down.
Step 4 – Knot the End
Once all the strips are braided together, tie a knot at the end of your rope.
Step 5 – Knot the Strands (Optional Step)
This step is optional but will add extra chewing power to your rope toy. Tie off additional knots on your strands as shown in the pics below.
That’s it! I promised you it would be simple, easy, and FREE! Chuy loves his homemade rope toy!
PS – Here’s a plus about these homemade toys, if you use your own clothes, they will smell like you (not like a pet store), which is comforting and familiar for your dog!
Let me know if you have any questions or if you decide to create a DIY Dog Rope Toy of your own! See all of our DIY pet projects here! and follow us on Facebook to be notified of new posts!
Cindy Jacobs says
July 24, 2012 at 10:14 pmThat is adorable!!! My dog eats every toy I get him! He loves to play tug of war, so I have to make several of these. Is there any material you prefer to use for them?
Thank you for sharing this idea!
Cindy
mari says
July 29, 2012 at 11:32 pmI will be creating one for my dogs. They will surely love it! Instead of adding clothes in landfills it is better to recycle and put them into good use and buying toy stuff can hurt my finances in the long run.
Mimi @ Irresistible Pets says
August 1, 2012 at 12:23 pmAwesome! Would love to see pics when you’re done, Mari!
Alex says
September 15, 2012 at 6:04 pmNow, that is a great idea! I’ll share it with my readers, but I think I will make some myself for our dogs as well. Thanks for sharing!
Mimi @ Irresistible Pets says
September 15, 2012 at 7:28 pmThanks Alex! Please share away! They are so easy. You definitely should try it!
alex says
November 10, 2012 at 5:33 pmI just seen this and right away decided to make one for my puppy! It seriously took me less than 15 min to make and She LOVES IT!!
Mimi @ Irresistible Pets says
November 12, 2012 at 7:32 pmAwesome! I’d love to see a pic! You can always share on our Facebook page!
Carol says
May 14, 2013 at 12:30 pmI like this idea!When I scrap out a pair of jeans i braid the seams together to make the same kind of thing.
Mimi @ Irresistible Pets says
May 15, 2013 at 12:17 pmThanks! I’d love to see a denim one. Very cool!
MelissaM says
October 19, 2013 at 12:30 pmOMG, we were just talking at day care how we needed to make some of these as chew toys for the children with biting issues. My teachers will be completing this naptime activity on Monday!
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Taylor Moore says
April 10, 2015 at 2:15 amhope you don’t mind me making these then selling them! Just thought it was an absolutely great idea! Visit my instagram account! @doggycreations
Bridget says
August 7, 2015 at 4:43 pmJust made my 1st one for my puppy packs all my puppies take home with them when they find new homes
Still trying to figure out how to knot the top and bottom.
Irresistible Pets says
August 10, 2015 at 1:59 pmThat’s fantastic! I would just double/triple knot the top and bottom to make sure that they don’t fall apart. Good luck!
Tiffany says
October 11, 2015 at 9:20 pmMy daughter and I just made a small and large one to show to our Girl Scout troop to raise money for our troop and donate to a local foster group. Thank you for the idea and instructions.
Irresistible Pets says
October 16, 2015 at 1:35 pmThat is fantastic!