Do-It-Yourself Donatables

Shelters are always grateful for donations of animal supplies, but some of those who wish to help are unable or unwilling to outright purchase these items for donation. That's why Do It Yourself projects are so great! Below is a compilation of DIY projects for cat and dog toys and other items. The projects range from cheap and easy to time-consuming and difficult, but even if you stick to the easiest project, our shelter will appreciate your donation!

You can find the standard shelter donation wishlist here:
Petfinder.com/shelters/NJ148.html

TOYS!
The best toys are ones that can be run through a washing machine or dunked in cleaning solution without being ruined, and are safe enough to leave with an unsupervised animal (nothing sharp or swallowable; no long string or small parts). The possibilities are virtually limitless, but if you're not sure where to start, you can try making some of these easy, nifty toys:

From Dish Towels to Dog Rope
(courtesy of RealSimple.com)

What you'll need:
- 3 old, clean dish towels
- scissors
  Optional:
- a sturdy needle
- thread

What to do:
- Cut an inch-wide strip from one short end each of two towels.
- Bunch the three towels together and firmly tie one strip around an end to join them.
- Tightly braid the towels, then tie the other end with the second strip.
- Optional: If you want to make extra sure the ends are secure, take your needle and thread and run a thread through the ends several times.

Notes: My towel rope came out pretty thick and big at over a foot long; I can't imagine a Yorkie playing with this thing! Experiment with different lengths and amounts of cloth to get sizes that might match up better with different dogs. Fleece and old jeans are also good choices of fabric (denim seams make for very durable toys).

Floppy Fabric Cat Toy

(inspiration courtesy of About.com Cats)

What you'll need:
- fabric, such as an old t-shirt or a pair of socks
- scissors
  Optional:
- a sturdy needle
- thread

What to do with socks:
- Tie one sock around the middle of another sock and knot firmly.
- Take your scissors and cut the loose ends lengthwise until they hang in strips.
- Optional: If you want to make extra sure the knot is secure, take your needle and thread and run a thread through the knot several times.

Notes: I used two large adult socks and my floppy sock toy came out a little too big for my kitty's preference. Try trimming some of the strips shorter to create a smaller toy!

What to do with other fabric:
- Cut your fabric into strips about 1" wide by 7" long. I cut about 12 strips.
- Take one of the strips and firmly tie it around the bunched middles of the rest of them.
- Optional: If you want to make extra sure the knot is secure, take your needle and thread and run a thread through the knot several times.

Notes: Different cats enjoy different sized toys. Try experimenting with smaller or larger strips!

Giant Knot Dog Chew Toy 
(courtesy of Make-and-Build-Dog-Stuff.com)

What you need:
- cloth or fabric (or more socks)
- scissors

What to do:
- Cut a strip of fabric.
- Tie a knot in the middle of the strip of fabric.
- Keep tying a knot until you cant anymore.
- Cut off the extra fabric that isn't in a knot.
- You have made a GIANT KNOT!

Notes: The smaller the dog the smaller the strip for these tough dog chew toys. The larger the dog, the larger the strip should be!


Knit, Crochet and Sew Some Cat Things!
There are tons of ways to turn yarn or cloth into a cute cat toy or a snuggly blanket. Here are some sites that show you how:
- Search Google for 'DIY cat toys'.
- Sew some stylish Martha Stewart mensware mice.
- Crochet blankets from here, and here!
- Knit blankets from here, here, and here!
- Knit balls from here and here!
- Make a cute knit bunny!
- Knit a cute chicken!
- Knit a clever wonton and eggroll toy.

- Create your own chew-resistant dog ropes with Tough Knot Dog Toys from Instructables.com.


It seems I've saved the most difficult and most useful item for last:
- DIY Kuranda Dog Beds
Kuranda Dog Beds are perfect for shelter animals because they're very durable, washable, and comfortable for the animals compared to concrete or metal floors. The DIY link only gives directions for dog beds, but Kuranda makes cat beds too, and the shelter could definitely use them as well (perhaps even more so than the dogs').