DIY stuffed squeaky Easter egg dog toys for calorie-free Easter fun. You can even burn off a few naughty treats with some pawesome playtime together! I made two DIY Easter egg dog toys (one for each dog), but of course the only thing better than playing with your own toy is playing with your brother’s toy. And the only thing better than playing with your brother’s toy is hording them BOTH. Right, Humphrey???
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 an Easy DIY Easter Egg Dog Toy
These squeaky stuffed DIY Easter dog toys were a quick and easy craft to sew. Instead of creating my own embellishments with fleece for the eggs as I often do for our DIY dog toys, I used strips of ribbon for a quick but cute sewing project. You can (of course!) swap the ribbon for other safe embellishments to create your own unique Easter eggs. Decorating is part of the fun – just like real eggs!
Supplies and Materials
To make a similar DIY Easter egg dog toy, you will need:
- Sturdy fabric
- Sturdy ribbons
- Stuffing for filling for the stuffed toy
- Squeakers (optional)
- Complimentary coloured thread
- Sewing machine and general cutting / sewing supplies
I try to salvage squeakers in our DIY dog toy hospital for reuse when possible, but I also have purchased packs of replacement squeakers in different shapes, sizes, and sounds. Squeakers can be tricky to find in shops. Try the toy section of large craft shops or look online at specialist suppliers or large retailers like AliExpress or Amazon. You can check out the replacement dog toy squeakers on Amazon (affiliate link) for product examples and ideas.
Making the DIY Easter Egg Dog Toys
Preparing the fabric and ribbons:
- Cut two identical oval egg shapes of strong sturdy fabric for the main body of the toy. Scale to suit your pet and available materials. Eggs are pretty easy to free-hand. If you aren’t comfortable free-handing, there are plenty of free outline shapes online that you can print and use as a pattern.
- Cut small lengths of ribbon or scraps of fleece into strips for your embellishment stripes. The stripes will need to extend past the edges so they are sewn into the exterior seam.
- Lay out your ribbon embellishments on one of your egg shapes. Pin securely into place.
Sewing the embellishments onto the egg:
- Carefully sew side-to-side onto the egg shape using complimentary coloured thread. No need to sew the edges as these will be fixed with the sides.
- Trim any threads if/as needed.
- Trim excess ribbon to the edge of the egg if/as needed.
Preparing to join the edges:
If you are concerned about fraying of the edges at the gap when you are inverting or stuffing your toy, before you join the layers, you can sew little seams for extra reinforcement at the places where you intend to leave the opening gap. Make sure that these are between the edge and seam allowance so that they can disappear into the seam when the toy is sewn closed without affecting your seams or toy shape.
Sewing and stuffing to finish the toy:
- Layer your egg shapes right-side-in.
- Sew together along the seam allowances, leaving a gap for inverting and stuffing.
- Trim any excess threads and/or material, if/as needed.
You may find that cutting small slits and/or notches in the seam allowances (not all the way to the stitch line) helps curves invert more smoothly. This is particularly helpful if your toy is small, has tight curves, and/or the base fabric is thick or stiff. I didn’t cut enough when I made these DIY Easter egg dog toys and it shows in the slightly uneven curves of my finished toys. Grrr. Lesson learned. Not that the dogs complained, though. One of the many great things about crafting for pets. Haha!
- Invert to right-side-out.
- Add stuffing and (optional) squeaker(s).
- 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!
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!
