Daisy Lou is the sweetest, most perfect dog I have ever met. Our 5 year old Westie joined our family in the fall 2011 and has been a bright spot in our lives ever since. We return the favor with walks and fun games, and we are sure to buy the occasional new toy to keep her life exciting. More and more, I have begun to see in stores, stuffed animal “skins”, free of stuffing for your pooch’s safety, with an opening for a water bottle. The sound and feel of the water bottle crushing in a dog’s mouth seems to be stimulating in many ways for them. But why buy, when you can craft?! To make a water bottle dog toy, you’ll need:

1 Clean Adult size white tube sock
1 16 or 20-ounce empty water or soda bottle, rinsed out with label and cap removed
Fabric crayons or markers

Directions:
Begin by decorating your sock with fabric crayons or markers. It is important to read the printed directions on your fabric crayons or markers. Some products require you to make your designs on paper, then have you iron the design onto your fabric. Other products will have you draw directly on the sock then heat seal the design with the iron or clothes dryer. Any steps requiring the use of the iron or other appliance should be done by an adult.

Need a few design ideas? Draw animal faces like dogs, squirrels, and fish. Draw seasonal designs like a candy corn pattern or design the sock to look like a gift. Label the sock with your dog’s name or fun words and sayings, like “My mom went to the bedroom, and all I got was this sock!” For those of you that can stitch or embroider, you could stitch the eyes, nose, and mouth. Be sure to avoid adding items that your pet could choke on, like buttons!

Once you have decorated your sock you are ready to insert the bottle inside. Tie a tight knot at the open end of the sock and cut the excess material at about an inch from the knot.

And the last step? Toss your plastic bottle dog toy and watch your furry family member chase it down and explore his new toy! One last thought: If this pet toy, or any toy, shows signs of wear and tear, beyond repair, you will want to throw it away. But don’t worry- you can always hand craft another!!!