Posted on September 02, 2010 by: WayCoolDogs

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This is a guest article by Johanna Soliday. If you’d like to send an article for our dog blog, please view our guidelines here.

In today’s economy, many people are having to budget their money more tightly. Consequently, you may feel you have to forgo some items for the family dog that were on your wish list.

The good news is that you can make a large number of dog supplies yourself from materials that you have lying around the house, are planning to take to the dump, or are holding for recycling. You can also purchase needed materials inexpensively from yard sales or thrift, dollar and fabric or yarn stores.

There are some great side benefits in that you not only learn to become more resourceful and creative, but every time you see your dog wearing or using something you’ve made, there is a glow of satisfaction. For instance, I once turned a piece of leftover vinyl fabric from upholstering chairs into a homemade dog raincoat that Comet used for many years. It sure beat trying to dry all of him every time he came in out of the rain or snow!

I was able to make a free dog bed from a couple of old couch cushions for a medium or small-sized dog. My only cost was needle and thread, which I had on hand already. One cushion served as the base and the other was turned into a curved bolster on top (see photo). It doesn’t matter whether the fabric contains holes or discolored patches; simply cover the bed with part of an old sheet (you can create fancy edges) when you are done. This will not only hide any unsightly parts, but can be washed too.

Make dog toys

Many dog toys can be home made and, again, the materials do not have to cost you a dime. Old plastic bottles can be filled with all sorts of fun things such as beans, treats, pebbles, ice chips etc. to make a rattling sound and keep your dog intrigued. Or just include a bit of plain water that sloshes around. You can add some rope/yarn/string to pull it along or turn it into a toss-and-fetch toy. Be sure to cap the top if there is something inside and tape it off well. Duct tape is recommended since that is more difficult for dogs to chew through and swallow. Turning old socks into an indoor sock ball, or to provide a handle for a used tennis ball you place inside to give leverage when you throw it, are two other very easy and cheap ways to give your dog some fun. Socks can also be turned into stuffed animals, or knotted creatively. They can be braided together to form tug toys.

There are many other examples of turning trash into dog treasure. You are limited only by your imagination and your dog’s interests as to the types of playthings you can create. Note that you should always monitor your dog when presenting any type of toy. Dogs who are strong chewers will sometimes swallow unbelievable stuff!

Create dog clothing

Another very inexpensive product to create is dog clothing. You can take fabric from old clothes to turn into a coat, vest, shirt or dress. Of course, the smaller the dog, the less material is needed. Once you’ve created an outfit for your doggie, you can make matching ribbon from a scrap of the fabric and turn that into a set of dog hair bows. Or consider using part of an old quilt or sheepskin jacket to create a warm winter outfit. If you do not have a sewing machine, this can all be done by hand, as I have done many a time; it just takes a little longer. You may also be able to use a fabric glue instead of sewing.

Or if you have always wanted to learn to knit or crochet, consider making a sweater and leg warmers for your dog. You can often find leftover yarns at thrift stores. Even if you buy skeins, you may not need more than two and you can create a sweater that fits your dog perfectly. There are many free patterns as well as instructions available for how to form the stitches and read the patterns. Just start with something simple like a rectangular piece to turn into a leg warmer, then proceed from there.

Scrap plywood and lumber can be all you need to build a dog house, ramp, or set of stairs for either indoors or out. Again, I have been able to make all of these without going to any extra expense other than screws and glue.

The main thing to remember is a favorite saying at our house, “Time or money.” If you feel you have neither, take a look at how you are spending your time. I often break a project down into ten minutes a day, asking myself what the next step is, and then do something about it right then. Planning a whole project need only take ten minutes. That is less time than it takes me to check what is happening on Facebook or play a game of Spider Solitaire. (I used to procrastinate a lot in getting started because I would wait for a magical big block of time that never materialized!)

The bottom line is that you can give your dog what he or she needs without sacrificing your budget. If you think about it, all the products available for sale were developed by someone just like us – they thought about what they wanted and then found a way to make it. You can do the same.

About Johanna:
Johanna Soliday has been a dog lover and crafter since childhood. Her website at Make & Build Dog Stuff contains free instructions for many of the above items and more.

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