10 DIY Hamster Toys You Can Build at Home (With Pictures)
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Hamsters love to play, and it’s an essential part of their everyday life. Once your hamster enclosure is complete, it’s time to add toys for your hamster’s enrichment. Providing your hamster with toys and places to relax or hide is a must, and if you’re on a budget, you can make these items easily and inexpensively with minimal materials and tools. Hamsters need activities to stifle boredom, and it’s nice to know that you can make your own boredom breakers and hideouts rather than making frequent trips to the pet store.
In this article, we’ll list the DIY hamster toys you can build at home, and in most cases, the materials are likely items you already have lying around. From beginner to advanced, we’ll list everything you need for each project to make the task even easier, so let’s begin and get creative!
The 10 DIY Hamster Toys
1. DIY Cardboard Hamster Wheel From Mr. H2
| Materials: | Corrugated cardboard, flat cardboard, wooden dowel, popsicle sticks, glue |
| Tools: | Ruler, compass, craft knife, drill, pencil |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
Hamsters love exercise wheels, and this DIY cardboard hamster wheel will safely keep your hamster busy and exercised. This project is ideal for the beginner DIYer, and you only need a few materials and tools to make it. This YouTube video shows you exactly how to make the wheel with visual instruction, and it is excellent for those who need a visual rather than reading instructions.
2. DIY Donut Tunnel From SomethingAnimal
| Materials: | Cardboard tube, non-toxic children’s glue, tissue, pet-safe paint, flour, water |
| Tools: | Pencil, ruler, scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
All hamsters love tunnels, and this DIY cardboard tunnel is easy to make and adds fun décor to your hamster’s enclosure. This tunnel is suitable for all hamster breeds and also works for mice and rats. The video does an excellent job of showing you how to make this tunnel, and you don’t need many materials or tools to make it. This project uses toilet paper tubes, and it’s a good idea to save these so you have them on hand to make more in the future. For the glue and paint, ensure they are pet-safe before using.
3. Paper Mache Igloo House From The Secret Life of My Hamster
| Materials: | Small plastic bowl, Pringles tube can, toilet paper, pet-safe glue, tape, plastic food wrap |
| Tools: | Scissors, paintbrush |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
How cute is this DIY paper mache igloo? This igloo will provide your hamster with a cozy home they can call their own, and it looks adorable in any hamster enclosure. This igloo calls for pet-safe glue (PVA glue), but if you don’t have any on hand, flour and water will also work. You can make multiple igloos if so inclined to give your hamster options, and they are super easy to make.
4. DIY Toilet Roll Toys From Something Animal
| Materials: | Toilet paper tubes (amount at your discretion), sisal string, hooks or hammock clips |
| Tools: | Scissors, pencil |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
This DIY toilet roll toy is super easy and only requires string, toilet paper tubes, hooks, scissors, and a pencil. What’s great about this DIY project is it’s up to you how many tubes you want to use and how big or small you want to make it. The string and hooks are for hanging the tube tunnel in your hamster’s cage, and your hamster will have a ball roaming around these tubes.
5. DIY Paper Mache Hamster Hide Playground From Victoria Raechel
| Materials: | Water, baking flour, salt, newspaper, printer paper, cardboard boxes, tubes |
| Tools: | Scissors, ruler, pencil |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
Talk about putting cardboard to good use! For the DIYer looking for more of a challenge, this DIY paper mache hamster hide playground from Victoria Raechel is right up your alley. This project allows you to use your imagination and cater the hideaway to suit your hamster’s enclosure space. You can get creative with this playground and design fun mazes and tunnels for your hamster to navigate through to keep them busy for hours.
6. DIY Hamster Benny Bridge From JohnsAnimals
| Materials: | Lollipop stick, glue sticks, wire |
| Tools: | Wire cutter, glue gun |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
This DIY stick Benny Bridge is super easy to make, and your hamster will love having it in their enclosure. You can use your imagination to create the size and shape of the bridge, and it will provide your hamster with exercise. This bridge is durable, and you only need lollipop sticks, glue sticks, wire, a wire cutter, and a glue gun. The video is easy to follow, and you should be able to complete the project in a matter of a couple of hours, if not sooner.
7. DIY Popsicle Stick Swing From Territorio Hamster
| Materials: | Popsicle sticks, PVA glue |
| Tools: | Metal ruler, pencil, glue gun |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This adorable DIY Popsicle swing is easy to make, and your hamster can swing until their little heart’s content. The most integral part of making this swing is building the A-frames for the swing, and once the A-frames are finished, the rest of the project is simply building the base for your hamster to swing, which the video shows you exactly how to do. When the swing is complete, people will think you purchased it from a pet store.
8. DIY Boredom Breaker Treat From Victoria Raechel
| Materials: | Walnuts, a mix of hamster-friendly seeds (pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, millet, walnut from inside shell), flour, water, bowl |
| Tools: | Nutcracker, spoon |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This DIY boredom breaker treat is another DIY project from Victoria Raechel and is an excellent idea to keep your hamster occupied. The trickiest part about this project is getting the walnut to crack to where it leaves two hollow shells, so it may take you a few tries. Ensure you discard any loose shell pieces.
You can use the walnut inside the shell once cracked to make the seedy paste that you’ll be stuffing the empty walnut shell with, and your hamster will love this treat. Once the shells are stuffed, simply pop them into the oven for 12 minutes and you’re done! You can hide these in the enclosure so your hamster can forage for them for added fun.
9. DIY Hamster House From Hamster House TV
| Materials: | Lollipop sticks, glue sticks, cardboard, chain |
| Tools: | Sandpaper, glue gun, scalpel, small saw |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate to Advanced |
Your hamster will feel as though they’ve hit the jackpot with this elaborate DIY hamster house.  This DIY project offers your hamster a complete home, yet you only need a few materials and tools to make it. You can make this a fun weekend project with the kids, but this project does require patience. Once finished, this DIY project will include an exercise wheel, sliding board, swing, doorway, and a bridge. What’s more, you’ll enjoy watching your hamster explore this DIY project with happiness and contentment.
10. DIY Hamster Hammock From Andrea the Hamster Owner
| Materials: | 2 chopsticks or knitting needles, durable yarn |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
Every hamster deserves their very own hamster hammock! This DIY project is perfect for those who love to tie knots and knit, but it does require patience. However, the video shows you exactly how to make the loops necessary to build this hamster hammock. When you hang the hammock inside the enclosure, ensure it’s not too high off the ground so your hamster doesn’t get injured while getting out.
Conclusion
As you can see, you can make hamster toys with relative ease without needing many materials and tools. Most of these DIY projects are perfect for the beginner DIYer, and your hamster will appreciate your efforts. Make a DIY hamster toy project for a fun weekend activity to do with the kids, and watch your hamster be happy and content with the outcome. No matter what hamster breed you have, all of the projects are suitable for your furry friend.
See Also:
- 8 DIY Hamster Hideout Ideas You Can Make (With Pictures)
- 3 DIY Hamster Playground Ideas You Can Build Today
Featured Image Credit: IRINA ORLOVA, Shutterstock
