While it’s possible to head to the store to find fun and interesting gifts for your favorite four-footed friend, it can be fun to make something special for your canine all by yourself.
Whether you’re a serious crafter or just looking for a quick project to fill a few afternoon hours, there are several projects for you to choose from. Below we’ll review awesome DIY Halloween dog toys you can make at home. We’ll provide links to make it easy for you to get started once you find something inspiring and a few tips for how to construct the various projects into spooky Halloween-themed successes!
The 9 DIY Halloween Dog Toys
1. Simple DIY T-Shirt Dog Toy by SheKnows
| Materials: | Old Halloween Themed T-Shirts/Retired Halloween Costume |
| Tools: | Measuring Tape, Scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This super easy-to-make chew toy is a great way to recycle an old Halloween costume, holiday-themed fleece blanket, or material featuring bats, ghosts, pumpkins, or spiders. While the project may take a bit of time to complete, it’s simple and doesn’t require much expertise or even the ability to sew.
First, you’ll need to cut the material into 20 strips; use a measuring tape to ensure you get the dimensions right. Make two piles with 10 strips apiece. Keeping the strips in each pile nice and tight, twist the separate bunches together. After they are nicely wound, tie knots at the top and bottom of the toy.
2. DIY Toy Rope by Ideas2Live4
| Materials: | Halloween-Themed Old T-Shirts/Old Purple, Black or Orange T-Shirts, Tennis Ball |
| Tools: | Scissors, Knife |
| Difficulty Level: | Intermediate |
If your dog loves putting things in their mouth and chewing or playing tug of war, this DIY rope toy will be just up its canine alley. You’ll cut old T-shirts or pieces of fabric into strips and braid them using a specific pattern to create a strong rope with a tennis ball held securely in the woven pattern. You can use old T-shirts you’d like to recycle or head to a thrift store to buy a bunch if you don’t have anything on hand. If you’d like to create something special with just the right colors, you might need to head to the fabric store.
A fun instructional video walks you through the braiding process step-by-step, which is good because getting this project right is challenging.
3. DIY PVC Flirtpole by Victoria Warfel
| Materials: | Dog Toy, PVC Pipe, Rope, Electrical Tape |
| Tools: | Saw |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Flirt poles are a fantastic way to entertain dogs that love to run and chase. You hold sturdy sticks in your hand that are attached to a rope with a fun toy. While the project will require a trip to the hardware store, it won’t take any technical expertise to complete.
Use the saw to trim the PVC piping to just the right size, and ask someone at the store to cut a specific length of rope for you as well. After that, head to the pet store and pick up a Halloween-themed plush toy your dog will enjoy chasing. Before heading out, take a look at this video for instructions on how to complete this easy flirtpole project.
4. DIY Candy Corn Plush Toy by CraftinessIsNotOptional
| Materials: | Material, Thread, Poly Fill |
| Tools: | Sewing Machine, Irons, Pins, Thread, Rotary Cutter |
| Difficulty Level: | Intermediate |
Who doesn’t remember eating candy corn after getting home from a round of trick-or-treating? Candy corn treats are synonymous with the spooky season, and it’s easy to create a Halloween-themed plush toy for your dog with this simple pattern.
While the pattern is relatively easy to follow, you’ll still need to have mastered a few basic sewing skills to complete this project efficiently. You’ll also need to head to the fabric store to purchase material and polyfill, making this plan a bit more involved than others on the list.
5. DIY Halloween Witch Stuffed Dog Toy by Dalmatian DIY
| Materials: | Fabric, Fleece, Poly Fill, Squeakers, Colored Thread |
| Tools: | Sewing Machine, Scissors, Pins |
| Difficulty Level: | Intermediate |
This super fun plush toy gives your dog something to throw, chew, and generally get excited about. While the pattern and instructions aren’t all that complex, the result is impressive. It’s a project you’ll want to post on Instagram before giving it to your pet.
To get the most out of your project, you’ll need to buy a bit of really sturdy fabric and small amounts of fleece in several colors. But the pattern gives you a bunch of flexibility, making it super easy to personalize your creation.
6. Fun DIY Rope Toy from Brit + Co
| Materials: | Rope, Fabric Dye |
| Tools: | Scissors, Buckets |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This project allows you to create a personalized dog rope toy that’s guaranteed to treat your pup to hours of excitement and fun. It requires you to cut a length of rope into pieces and then dye the strands before weaving them into a rope. While each step is relatively easy, this is probably not the best option for beginning crafters or kids since it requires a fair amount of cleanup. If you love the project, you can even use the instructions to create a fun Halloween-themed leash for your pup.
7. DIY Stuffed Monkey’s Fist Knot by Dalmatian DIY
| Materials: | Rope |
| Tools: | None |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This monkey’s fist knot doesn’t require a ton of materials or time to complete. In fact, you’ll most likely be done with the entire project in less than an hour after you get the rope from the hardware store. To make this into a Halloween-themed toy, use a fun multicolored climbing rope featuring a mix of colors such as orange, black, and purple.
Alternatively, you can always dye the rope yourself but don’t forget to divide it into sections to ensure it displays a nice variety of colors. Consider buying extra rope while gathering your supplies at the hardware store. Dogs love these toys, and they’re simple to make.
8. DIY “Indestructible” Sweet Potato Toy and Treat by Instructables
| Materials: | Hemp or Jute Rope, Sweet Potatoes, Sheet Pan, Parchment or Foil |
| Tools: | Knife, Cookie Cutter, Vegetable Peeler, Oven |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This creative option is a toy and a treat; all rolled into one. You’ll create a chew toy using fresh sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are not only healthy for your dog, but they scream fall and Halloween. You cut the sweet potatoes and create ½-inch-thick slices, then use the cookie cutter to create a hole the rope can go through.
Throw the slices into the oven and bake them until they’re hard and dried out. This usually takes about 2 ½ hours or so. It’s fine if the cooking process takes longer, but the most critical factor is ensuring the potatoes are desiccated. Thread the rope through the dried-out sweet potato pieces, tie it, and you’re done.
9. DIY Tennis Ball and T-Shirt Ghost Toy by fakeginger
| Materials: | Old T-Shirts, Tennis Ball |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This tennis ball toy is a great way to recycle old T-shirts and tennis balls. Make it using white T-shirts, and you have a fun ghost toy on your hands. The project is simple and requires you to take two T-Shirts or similar strips of fabric, form a cross, and put a tennis ball in the middle.
Pull the fabric together with the tennis ball in the center and tie it off using a strip you cut from the bottom of one of the shirts. Cut the fabric hanging down into strips and then braid it. Finally, tie off the braids with smaller pieces you’ve cut from the material.
Conclusion
Getting a new toy might be the only thing that dogs love more than getting dressed up and parading around with their humans to celebrate Halloween. Making DIY dog toys is a great way to reuse materials around the house and spend some time crafting. If you enjoy creating with your friends, why not pick one or two of these ideas, invite your friends, and have a crafting party?
Whether you choose one of the simple options on the list or spend a bit more time creating something more complicated, you’ll have a great time making toys for your four-legged buddy.
Featured Image Credit: otsphoto, Shutterstock
The 9 DIY Halloween Dog Toys
