10 DIY Christmas Dog Toys You Can Make Today (With Pictures)
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The holidays are fast approaching, and if your wallet feels a little light this year, you’re certainly not alone. If you’re finding that you’re pinching every penny this holiday season, you might consider DIY’ing gifts for the people on your Christmas list this year.
Your family dog is one person on your list who would love a DIY gift. They don’t know the difference between a handmade toy or one you’ve spent $30 on from the pet store and will just be excited to be a part of the holiday festivities. There’s no reason your dog can’t have a gift to open on Christmas morning, especially when you can craft them a toy with items you probably already have in your home.
Keep reading to find fantastic DIY Christmas-themed dog toys your dog can find wrapped up under the Christmas tree for them this year.
The 10 DIY Christmas Dog Toys
1. DIY Woven Fleece Christmas Wreath by Dalmatian DIY
| Materials: | Polar fleece fabric |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty: | Medium |
This woven fleece Christmas wreath project uses a weaving technique to make a tug toy. The original creator explains how to make square knots and provides instructions for a spiral weaving method if you prefer to go that route. This DIY is definitely a bit more complicated and involved than some of the others we’re going to look at today, but the result is so beautiful and professional looking that we think it’s more than worth your while to give it a go.
2. DIY Wreath Pull Toy by Kitchen Counter Chronicles
| Materials: | Pink fleece, green fleece |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
This wreath pull toy is a simple project you can whip up while watching your favorite Christmas movie. Like the previous DIY, there is a bit of weaving involved, but don’t worry; the original creator goes into great detail with their instructions. The photos included in the project are also super helpful. Though the instructions call for pink and green fleece, we think this would be super cute in red and white to mimic a candy cane or red and green, more traditional holiday colors.
3. DIY Christmas Stocking Dog Toy by Swoodson Says
| Materials: | Christmas stocking, treats |
| Tools: | Sewing needle, sewing thread |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
By packing a Christmas stocking with treats, you can create a toy your dog will go nuts over! You’ll want to note that this DIY project is meant to be destroyed, so any work you put into creating it will only be useful for a limited time. With this project, you will stuff the stocking full of treats, then sew the opening closed so your dog has to work for the goodies inside.
You have the option to purchase a premade Christmas stocking or to make your own. For ease of replacement, we suggest purchasing an already-made stocking so you do not spend time recreating multiple stockings. However, if you only plan to make this toy once or twice for the holiday season, creating the stocking yourself may be the perfect opportunity to polish up your sewing skills.
4. DIY Holiday Water Bottle Toy by The Barkington Post
| Materials: | Christmas tube sock, empty water bottle, twine |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
There are two things nearly every dog loves: toys and funny noises. With this holiday water bottle toy, you can provide your pup with both!
All you will need to complete this project is an empty water bottle, some twine or other form of string, and a Christmas-themed tube sock. Place the empty water bottle inside the tube sock, leaving empty fabric on both ends. With the twine, you will tie the ends to secure the bottle inside.
While this toy is not particularly durable, it is easy and cheap to recreate. Plus, if your dog is crazy about it, you can find different themed socks so you can make this toy year-round.
5. Christmas-Themed DIY Busy Box Enrichment Toy by Wear Wag Repeat
| Materials: | Christmas cardboard gift box, toilet paper rolls, egg carton, dog balls or other various toys, treats |
| Tools: | Tape |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Enrichment toys are a great way to keep your dog entertained and mentally stimulated, so what could be a better Christmas present for your pup than a busy box?
This Christmas-themed busy box enrichment toy is a perfect DIY project when you’re short on time. It may be the simplest DIY Christmas dog toy on this list, as you will only need to fill a Christmas box full of fun items and tape it shut. You won’t have to put off Christmas shopping to make this toy, that’s for sure.
You can fill the Christmas box with items such as toilet paper rolls, dog balls, dog toys, or even treats. The idea is that your dog will eventually get the box opened to play with what’s inside, so make sure that everything in the box is safe to gnaw on.
6. DIY Holiday Flirt Pole by Almost the Real Thing
| Materials: | Holiday-themed toy, braided rope, PVC pipe |
| Tools: | Decorative washi tape (optional) |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Flirt poles are a great way to keep your dog entertained and active indoors, especially during freezing weather. If you want to create a holiday flirt pole, you will need a Christmas dog toy, red and green decorative washi tape, braided rope, and a plain PVC pipe. If you want to get extra festive, you can purchase a braided rope with holiday colors. You can make your festive flirt pole by feeding the rope through the pipe, tying a knot at one end, and attaching the toy to the other.
7. DIY Candy Cane Rope by Six Dollar Family
| Materials: | Red fleece, white fleece |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Although not in the exact shape of a candy cane, this red and white rope toy will evoke the holiday spirit and be plenty of fun for your dog. Whether your dog wants to play tug-of-war or simply carry his favorite new toy around, this candy cane rope can do it all.
All you will need to complete this project is the ability to cut, measure, tie knots, and braid. With four equally sized strips of fleece, you will braid the strips together and tie knots at the end to secure them. Since this toy is just made of fleece, heavy chewers may tear through it quicker than other dogs. Thankfully, this project is easy to recreate.
8. Squeaky Stuffed DIY Christmas Tree by Dalmatian DIY
| Materials: | Green fabric, stuffing, mixed fleece scraps, squeaky toy |
| Tools: | Scissors, sewing needle, sewing thread |
| Difficulty Level: | Intermediate |
For those who like to sew, this project may be as fun for you as it is for your dog. With two triangles of green fabric, you can sew together a stuffed Christmas tree for your dog to play with. Once the tree is stuffed and sewn shut, you can decorate it however you choose. This project allows you a high level of customization, and you can decide which colors, materials, and designs to decorate your Christmas tree.
9. DIY Holiday Snuffle Mat by Pets Plus Us
| Materials: | Red fleece, white fleece, green fleece, plastic dish mat, treats |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Snuffle mats are a great way to keep your pup occupied, so why not make him one for Christmas? With a plastic dish mat and colorful holiday fleece, you can easily make a toy that your dog will spend countless hours playing with. The treats will be hidden within the folds of the fleece mat, enticing your dog to seek them all out. All you will need is the ability to cut and tie knots, making this a fairly simple DIY project.
10. Holiday DIY Doggy Donuts by Pretty Fluffy
| Materials: | 2 pairs of Christmas socks, ribbon, Christmas tag |
| Tools: | Scissors, sewing needle, sewing thread |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
The holiday doggy donut is a fun and easy project. What makes it especially convenient is that you may be able to find all of the materials around your house right now, saving you time and money. With two pairs of Christmas socks, a ribbon, and a Christmas tag, you can cut and sew until you’ve crafted this unique toy for your dog.
You will start by cutting an opening in the toe of the socks, then rolling the sock over itself. Be sure to pull tightly as you roll so that the sock forms a donut-like shape. With your sewing needle and thread, you will connect the loose end of the sock to the rolled part to attach it. Repeat this process for as many donut shapes as you want to make, then wrap it in ribbon and add the gift tag to make it more presentable.
Dog Toy Safety Tips
The last thing any dog owner would want to do is make a DIY toy that won’t be safe for their pup to use. Keep reading to find our tips on crafting a toy that balances safety and fun.
- Make the toy the correct size. Since you’re entirely in charge of any DIY toy project you’re taking on, you have complete control over the final product size. Do not make your toy too small or large for your dog’s breed. Toys that are too small can be swallowed or lodged in your dog’s throat.
- Keep your eye on your dog when it’s playing with your DIY toy. You’re not a professional manufacturer, so there’s no quality control for your DIY projects. It’s easy to miss loose threads or ribbons that can cause problems when your dog is playing with them. Only give your pup your homemade toy when you can supervise playtime.
- Inspect the toys thoroughly. After every play session, check the toy to ensure it is still in good shape. Toys with fabric or ropes can begin tearing with aggressive play and become hazardous if your dog starts chewing or eating the materials.
- Know your dog. You know your pup best. If it loves to chew or is particularly aggressive with its toys, you might be better off buying commercially made toys as they can be made with tougher materials. Squeaker toys can be hazardous for some dogs as they will stop at nothing to destroy the squeaker.
Final Thoughts
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as the feeling you get after completing an excellent DIY project. This feeling is even more powerful if you’ve managed to craft a DIY dog toy that becomes your pup’s next favorite toy. The above options are great jumping-off points for your holiday dog toy crafts, but let your imagination run wild. What other great Christmas-themed toys can you DIY with the materials you have in your home? We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Related Reads:
- 10 DIY Dog Christmas Decoration & Ornament Ideas (With Pictures)
- 10 DIY Christmas Sweaters for Dogs You Can Make Today (With Pictures)
Featured Image Credit: Egrigorovich, Shutterstock
