Check out our new DIY birthday bone squeaky stuffed dog toys. Pawty time! Birthday boy Humphrey received two new homemade stuffed squeaky toys this year, shaped like bone birthday cakes complete with icing and rainbow sprinkles. They were nicknamed “bonenuts” for looking like sprinkle donuts in bone shape. He was a very happy little birthday boy with his birthday bone toys.
Sewing DIY Dog Toys
Stuffed dog toys follow the same basic principles as you would use if sewing (or buying) for a small child – no loose parts to nibble free and everything securely stitched into a sturdy toy. It is particularly important to know your pet and how they play before making or buying toys. Not all toys are suitable to all pets. Check out our post on toy safety for helpful links and resources.
How to Make a DIY Stuffed Birthday Bone Dog Toy
Supplies and Materials
To make a similar stuffed sprinkled DIY birthday bone dog toy, you will need:
- Sturdy brown fabric or other cake colour of your preference
- Fleece for the icing
- Scraps of fleece for sprinkles (optional)
- Stuffing for filling for the stuffed toy
- Squeakers (optional)
- Complimentary coloured thread
- Sewing machine and general cutting / sewing supplies
Because fleece is colourfast and doesn’t fray, it’s an easy option for embellishments, like these accents, on dog toys. I keep fleece off cuts from other sewing projects and tug toy ends for embellishment supplies. It’s very forgiving to sew, since the stitches of coordinating thread often seem to disappear into the fluff, but it’s important to make sure that any embellishments are very securely attached. No matter what the material or technique, security and safety always trump looks for toys.
I try to salvage squeakers in our DIY dog toy hospital for reuse when possible. But I also have packs of replacement squeakers in different shapes, sizes, and sounds. Squeakers can be tricky to find. Try the toy section of large craft shops, online specialist suppliers, or large retailers like AliExpress or Amazon. Check out the replacement dog toy squeakers on Amazon (affiliate link) for product examples and ideas.
Double the Fun
I made two birthday bones at the same time. I figured I might as well use up the scrap of heavy brown corduroy material in my stash. Yay for stash busting! You’ll see double the action in the collaged photos below as would be needed for a single DIY birthday bone dog toy.
Making a DIY Birthday Bone Dog Toy
Cutting the materials:
- Cut two identical bone shapes of strong fabric for the main body of the toy. Scale to suit your pet and available materials. Bones are pretty easy to free-hand (folding the material into quarters is a sneaky way to make a symmetrical shape) but if you aren’t comfortable free-handing a bone, there are plenty of free outline bone shapes online that you can print and use as a pattern.
- Cut a piece of fleece for the icing. Ensure that it will fit onto the toy without encroaching on the seam allowances.
- Cut scraps of contrasting fleece for the sprinkles.
Decorating the bone:
- Sew your icing onto the bone shape using complimentary coloured thread. Trim any threads if/as needed. I sewed all around my icing at the edge, then added some extra curves just in from the edge to give it an added dimension for fluffy frosting. The extra stitches also help to double lock down the edges for a more robust toy.
- Sew sprinkles securely into place. I used matching thread (needle only, brown in the bobbin throughout). You can use a single thread for the sprinkles, if you prefer. With fluffy fleece, it’s barely visible on the finished fleece and much quicker than changing for every colour.
Sewing and stuffing the bone:
- Layer your bone shapes right-side-in.
- Sew together along the seam allowances, leaving a gap for inverting and stuffing.
- Optional: You can sew a double seam or finish the raw edges for extra strength, if you wish.
- Trim any excess threads/material and invert to right-side-out.
If your toy is small, the base fabric is very thick/stiff, and/or your bone has tight curves, you may find that cutting small slits and/or notches in the seam allowances (not all the way to the stitch line) at the heavy curves helps the curves invert more smoothly.
- Add stuffing and (optional) squeaker(s). Make sure your squeaker is well padded into the toy. Make sure the toy is full, but don’t over-stuff as it will be difficult to close the toy.
- Fold the gap seam allowance into the toy and sew the toy closed. Caution: Accidental squeaking while stuffing and/or sewing may result in dog theft attempts from your craft table before you finish the project.
- Trim any threads if/as needed and enjoy!
Party Time!
One of the signs that Humphrey really likes something is when he scurries away to hide with it. This might be in one of his beds, under my desk, or other sneaky little places, just in case Oli might decide he’s interested or someone else might make a move on his treasures. Often with a protective paw or, once worn out, a snoozing head on top.
When offered the new birthday bone toys, he couldn’t decide which bone to run away with first. Then he somehow managed to get both into his little fangs, pranced off, and hopped straight into bed with his prizes. Mine mine mine…
Safety first, furfriends! Remember, no matter what a toy is made of or how it’s made, toys are meant for supervised interactive play. Know your dog before giving him or her any new toy. Some dogs try to eat toys or parts (whether bought or handmade) and that’s doggone dangerous. Toys are for playing, and playtime is always safer (and more fun!) with you involved. You can read more in our dog toy safety post, including tips and helpful links for safer playtime. Have fun and play safe!
