Our family has been a dog family for six months now, and it didn’t take me long to discover that it can be as hard to source eco-friendly toys and treats and accessories for your dog as it is for your kid–or for you!
Soon after that, of course, I discovered that it’s just as fun to DIY things for the dog as it is to DIY things for the kids–and for me!
Do you, also, have a hankering to craft for your furbaby? Then check out the following list of my favorite things to DIY for your dog. They’re alll super-cute, super-useful, super-fun, and most importantly, they’re super eco-friendly!
1. braided dog toy. You can do ANYTHING with T-shirt yarn!
2. crinkle toy. This wouldn’t hold up to my lab, but would be a fun toy for a smaller dog.
3. doggie breath mints. Parsley is a magic herb.
4. dog toy catapult. You’ll be using some wood and some upcycled components to make your dog’s new favorite toy.
5. flea powder. The secret ingredient is diatomaceous earth.
6. flea repellent. Spritz this around to keep the fleas from coming back!
7. flower pot dog bowl. This bowl wouldn’t look out of place on your porch.
8. hide and seek. This post includes some easy DIY options that upcycle materials such as muffin tins and cardboard boxes.
9. homemade dog food. It’s all-natural, and you know exactly what’s in it.
10. honey dog treats. Our dog LOVES these whole-grain peanut butter and honey treats so much that we use them as her treats at obedience school. She may never master the long down, but those treats sure encourage her to try!
11. jingle ball. People toss old tennis balls over the fences around the tennis courts here–here’s something to do with those balls.
12. leather nametag. No, you don’t have to visit the dog tag kiosk in the pet store.
13. mud mitten. This handy, hanging cloth makes it super easy to clean off muddy paws post-walkies.
14. no-sew dog bed. Those smaller fleece blankets that used to be all the rage would be such a great size for this.
15. no-sew jacket. Upcycle old fleece pants or a shirt for these no-sew jackets, custom fit to your pup.
16. ombre rope leash. This project is a LOT more work than most of the others, but hey–your dog only turns four once!
17. pallet dog bed. Don’t forget to source your pallets carefully.
18. paw balm. Frozen, salty sidewalks aren’t fun for puppy paws! Soothe them afterwards with this DIY paw balm.
19. peanut butter banana dog treats. I love recipes that only call for ingredients that I’m guaranteed to have in the house. Even on shopping day, we for sure have peanut butter and bananas! If you want even more ideas for homemade dog treats, check out these additional recipes.
20. salt scrub. Yes, this IS for dogs.
21. snuggle sack. Looking for a way to upcycle your old baby blankets? This doggy snuggle sack is the way to go!
22. stuffed sweater toy. The tute calls for acrylic sweaters so that they’re washable, but I’d rather use cotton sweaters, or even felted wool sweaters that can stand up to the warm cycle in the washing machine.
23. sweater pet bed. This bed is a great size for a small dog.
24. tug rope. You and the puppy can play together with this fun toy!
25. vintage suitcase dog bed. This is a brilliant way to upcycle those tacky-but-awesome hard-shell vintage suitcases.
26. wine crate dog bowl station. If you can scavenge the rocks and cups instead of buying them new, so much the better.