Buying dog toys can get expensive, so why not make your favorite canine friend some toys yourself? Even if you’re not the world’s craftiest person, creating dog toys is a lot easier than one would think. And there are all sorts of toys out there to make!
Fleece dog toys are some of the simplest toys you can put together, with most taking very little time. And some of them can be incredibly sturdy, believe it or not! Making fleece dog toys can range from the “Oh wow, this takes 5 minutes” to “I’m going to break out my sewing machine”, so no matter how much time or how many skills you have, you should find one you can make without breaking a sweat.
Check out these 12 fleece dog toy ideas below, and you’ll be sure to find exactly what you need!
The Top 12 DIY Fleece Dog Toy Plans
1. Fleece Dog Rope Toys by Rad Linc Crafts
| Materials: | Fleece |
| Tools: | Scissors, clamp (optional) |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
It doesn’t get any simpler than this braided dog rope toy! All you need are a few pieces of fleece and some scissors. Once you’ve gathered your fleece, cut it into 4-inch-wide strips (the length is up to you). Then tie a knot at one end, braid the fleece, and do a knot at the other end.
Now you’re ready to go play tug of war with your favorite four-legged friend!
2. Fleece Throw Toy by Thrifty Fun
| Materials: | Enough fleece for 2 pieces, fiber fill or quilt batting |
| Tools: | Scissors, clamp (optional) |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Pups love to throw toys, and this fleece throw toy is a breeze to make! You’ll need enough fleece fabric for two pieces (12 x 12 inches for a small dog, 16 x 16 inches for a medium dog, or 24 x 24 inches for a large dog). Once you’ve cut the fabric to size, place them together. Then you’ll need to cut a few slits around the edges of the fabric to knot it.
Once you’ve knotted most of them together, you’ll want to leave enough space to stuff in the fiber fill or quilt batting. After it’s stuffed, you can knot the rest and go give your pet a workout with a game of fetch!
3. Valentine’s Dog Toy by Fashion Meets Food
| Materials: | Fleece, poly-fil stuffing |
| Tools: | Fabric scissors, pen, heart stencil (optional) |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Spread the love next Valentine’s Day with this cute heart-shaped dog toy! It’s very similar to how the last dog toy is made—you cut pieces of fabric, knot them almost entirely together, stuff with poly-fil, then finish knotting it—except it’s an adorable heart shape.
You can make this toy any size you want, so go wild and create the largest heart known to man, if you’re so inclined, and choose any color (or colors) you desire. However big or small or colorful, your dog is sure to love it!
4. Dog Ball Toy by Ammo the Dachshund
| Materials: | Old tennis ball (or other kind of ball that size), ½ yard fleece fabric, ribbon |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Though the original version of this ball toy was made with an old polo shirt, fleece fabric will work just as well. This toy is just as easy to make as the previous ones. All you need to do is cut your fabric into two strips that are approximately 6 x 14 inches (though feel free to change the size if you want), wrap them around the old ball, and tie it off with the ribbon.
Easy peasy! Now your favorite pup has a great throw/chew toy with which to play!
5. No Sew Fleece Octopus by While She Naps
| Materials: | 16” x 16” piece of fleece, 3-inch Styrofoam ball, white, gray & black felt scraps, embroidery floss, 8” x 8” piece of quilting floss, string |
| Tools: | Scissors, glue, needle |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
While this adorable octopus was made as a children’s toy, your dog should love it too! And it’s not as challenging to make as you’d imagine. You just need to put the fleece around the ball (it calls for a Styrofoam ball, but you might want to find one that’s sturdier that your dog can chew on to replace it!), cut the ends into several strips, and braid them together for the octopus tentacles.
Then you make tiny eyes, stitch in a grin, and you’re finished! (The bandanna is optional.) Now, your dog has a cute octopus friend!
6. Square Knot Fleece Loop Dog Toy by Dalmatian DIY
| Materials: | Fleece |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
This tug toy is a tiny bit more complicated than the ones mentioned so far because it involves weaving instead of braiding. Once you’ve figured out the weaving (there are instructions and pictures!), though, making this toy shouldn’t be overly complicated.
It’s similar to the rope toy mentioned previously, but instead of braiding a straight rope, you’ll be weaving the fabric into a circle shape with a tail. The finished product looks fairly sturdy, too, so your dog should be able to enjoy it for quite a while!
7. Snuffle Mat by The Tiptoe Fairy
| Materials: | Yard of fleece, dish mat, dog treats |
| Tools: | Scissors, rotary cutter and mat (optional) |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This snuffle mat will provide hours of fun for your furry friend, and it’s way easier to make than it looks. You only need a dish mat with a bunch of holes and a lot of fabric, and you’re good to go. You’ll need to cut several 6-inch strips from the fleece, then tie them onto the dish mat via the holes.
Make sure you’re using enough strips to thoroughly cover the mat! Once you have finished setting up this interactive toy, just hide some dog treats in there and watch your doggy go to town!
8. Heavy-Duty Rope Toy by Jaime of All Trades
| Materials: | Fleece |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Though there’s already a rope toy on this list, this rope toy is made a little differently, so you might find it better for your dog. The difference lies in how the rope is put together; instead of braiding, you’ll be doing a series of knots, which should make the rope sturdier.
Don’t be scared off by the many steps on this plan, though! Once you start and get the hang of the knots, it should only take minutes to finish. Then you’ll have a long-lasting rope your favorite pup loves!
9. Fleece Puff Dog Toy by Crafted Niche
| Materials: | Fleece scraps |
| Tools: | Rotary cutter, mat, heavy-duty string |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Just FYI, this chew toy is recommended for light chewers only, so if your dog can destroy a Kong in two seconds flat, this might not be for them! Your light chewers should love this fluffy little ball of fun, though, and it shouldn’t take long to make.
You only need to cut a bunch of ½ x 4-inch fabric strips, line them up, and tie them around the middle with the string. Fluff the fabric up, and you have a cute ball of fun for your dog!
10. Fleece Dog Ball Treat Dispenser by We Heart Hounds
| Materials: | Roller treat dispensing dog ball of some kind, ½ yard of fleece |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Though this toy looks similar to the last one, this one is even better because it provides a puzzle that will dispense treats when solved by your pet! To make it, you’ll need to cut several strips of fleece that are about 1 inch wide and 6–8 inches long. Then you’ll loop those strips through the holes of the treat-dispensing ball and tie knots to keep them there.
Once you’ve finished with the fabric tying, you can fill the ball with your dog’s favorite treats and toss it to them!
11. Hopefully Indestructible Stuffed Dog Toy by Instructables
| Materials: | Fleece, thread, pins (optional), squeaker (optional), marker (optional) |
| Tools: | Sewing machine, scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate to difficult |
If you don’t have any skills with a sewing machine, this dog toy might not be for you, but if you’re handy with one, you’ll love this plan. After you’ve gathered your materials, you’ll need to start cutting your fleece into shapes—you’ll need eight macaroni shapes and two square shapes for the middle piece. Once you have those, you can begin sewing.
Sew the macaroni shapes into four pieces, sew the two squares into a single piece, and then sew it all together. You can then stuff leftover fleece and even a squeaker into the middle piece to make it more fun for your pup if you’d like.
12. Squeaky Santa Toy by Dalmatian DIY
| Materials: | Sturdy red fabric, sturdy gray fabric, fleece scraps, stuffing, squeaker (optional), colored thread |
| Tools: | Sewing machine, scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Difficult |
You’ll need both artistic and sewing skills to make this Santa toy. To begin, you’ll need to cut two circles of red fabric, one circle of beige fabric, one circle of white fleece, one mustache, one mouth, eyes and eyebrows, trim for Santa’s hat, and a pom-pom (optional).
It’s a lot, but after you’ve done that, you can begin the process of creating and sewing together Santa’s face. Once it’s mostly sewn together, you can stuff it with your fleece scraps (or a squeaker, if you prefer). Now you’re ready to spread some Christmas cheer to your beloved four-legged friend!
Conclusion
Making your own dog toys out of fleece is much simpler than one would think. You can make several types of toys, with the majority requiring little material or time. A lot of the materials you need, you likely already have on hand, and if not, they are relatively inexpensive.
So, give one of these awesome plans for DIY fleece dog toys a try today and make your best furry friend’s day!
Featured Image Credit: Josh Sorenson, Pexels
The Top 12 DIY Fleece Dog Toy Plans
