Handmade Toys

[Kais2ndmomma]

I just made the most wonderful toy (in my opinion) last night! I found lots of old pieces of things in my basement and strung them up for Kai. She's in love! I have things on it like string, rope, beads, rawhide, wood blocks, wood beads, plastic things, chain, nylabone keys-all her favorite things. What do you think? I'm thinking of selling something like it at our store...would you buy it? It's on stainless steel chain, too, so it wont break apart right away.

http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/5154/dsc1154bu5.jpg

 

[NicoleN]

Oh that's really cute. I'm not creative enough to make toys. I've tried, but they usually get denied

 

[Kais2ndmomma]

If they keep getting denied, just start a little website that has your toys on them, or put an ad in the newspaper. You'd be surprised at how many people will buy from you, and then the pet stores will come and ASK to sell your toys

 

[TexDot33]

If they keep getting denied, just start a little website that has your toys on them, or put an ad in the newspaper. You'd be surprised at how many people will buy from you, and then the pet stores will come and ASK to sell your toys

and then YOU can DENY THEM ... and that is always the best feeling one could have ...

 

[Keupi]

I just made the most wonderful toy (in my opinion) last night! I found lots of old pieces of things in my basement and strung them up for Kai. She's in love! I have things on it like string, rope, beads, rawhide, wood blocks, wood beads, plastic things, chain, nylabone keys-all her favorite things. What do you think? I'm thinking of selling something like it at our store...would you buy it? It's on stainless steel chain, too, so it wont break apart right away.

http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/5154/dsc1154bu5.jpg

I would buy it. I'm always looking for hanging toys to add to Keupi's toy chest for rotation.

But, the toys I'm always looking for are foot ones. He's a footie. It's hard to find a rotation of foot toys. I think it's a breed thing (as Sennies also love to play on the floor of their houses on their backs), but I can't keep enough foot toys around.

 

[Kais2ndmomma]

Oh I make foot toys, too. Lots of times they're just a mini version of a hanging toy or I take ideas from the toys Kai makes out of her old toy parts. If you have pictures of some toys that Keupi likes, I can help you figure out ways to make some different ones or how to make the ones that they sell (for WAY too much) at the stores

 

[Kais2ndmomma]

Did you mean foot toys like this? Kai really loves it since it has so many different parts.
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/1941/toeringxy4.png
I also have that one with rawhide, acrylic pacifier, and some cotton rope but the toy was a few weeks old by the time I got around to taking a picture so a few pieces are missing.

 

[Keupi]

Did you mean foot toys like this? Kai really loves it since it has so many different parts.
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/1941/toeringxy4.png
I also have that one with rawhide, acrylic pacifier, and some cotton rope but the toy was a few weeks old by the time I got around to taking a picture so a few pieces are missing.

Yes!! I'd probably want only one 'big' hang-y thing (love the technical language huh?) rather than two on each as he carries them up down, around, and all over.

I find them all over his house (it's more cups for storage). He likes to swing - on anything - so I have to be careful about the weight/type (foot catch/loops is a concern) of the hanging toys as he's more likely to swing on them than chew them.

But any foot toy that is like the one pictured is a foot toy I'm all into. There seems to be so few creative ones to buy so I adapt where I can and love it when I don't have to think - just buy, give, and watch fid fun!!

How much??

 

[Kais2ndmomma]

LOL it depends upon what sorts of things you want on it because some cost more than others (like that acrylic spinner...those are so expensive!) but it would probably be around $5-$7 or so. If he likes to swing on things, I made this swing a while ago (gave it away so I don't have the original picture but it's a lot like the one Vanessa (ESS) posted a while ago) is that something Keupi would like?

 

[Keupi]

I think so... he's playing Tarzan right now on his tree (and wing-waves Hi - mid-swing).

As for the cost of the 'footies,' I'll pay for something that I think he would play with... I look at it this way - toys that hang would cost that much (at minimum) but he's not that into them (right now). So, I'd rather make sure he has a good stash of quality foot ones to rotate while still trying to introduce/rotate some toys that hang.

 

[Kais2ndmomma]

Well if you ever want to make that swing, let me know and I can give you the instructions. I figured out recently how to also hide and hang things off the fabric so it turns into a fun toy instead of just a swing Kai has figured out how to stuff her toys back into the knots when she's done playing because she knows that if she leaves toys laying around, I take them away.

 

[Keupi]

Kai has figured out how to stuff her toys back into the knots when she's done playing because she knows that if she leaves toys laying around, I take them away.

Forgive me, but, Kai puts her own toys away... I would start marketing for that training - I don't doubt it but I'd love to know the secret to it! How?

I'd love to know more about the swing - with added toys. Especially if it involves two favorites here - swings and footies. I'm already over the shock of seeing 'Keupzan' swinging upside down by one foot with a toy in the other screaming happily... though I'm somewhat prepared for the wild to run through the room (as in the old Tarzan with Johnny Weismuller movies) - trail mix is always in the house.

 

[Kais2ndmomma]

LOL yeah, Kai puts her toys away. I got sick of tripping over and stepping on toys on the floor and cleaning poop off toys in the bottom of her cage... so I put a bowl in the bottom of her cage and put all her toys in it, and hung all the "ring" toys (like that one foot toy) on a post in the cage. I kept hanging them up and putting them away for about a week, then I would just take the toys away when they were on the bottom of the cage or on the floor and she wouldn't get them back for a couple days. She put a toy away once and realized that I didn't take it away, so now she just puts her toys away or stuffs them in the bars of the cage or hangs them on her swing. No more messy cage
I'll take some pictures of the next swing I make and how I stick toys in it and send them to you or post them. It's not hard to do, it just takes a while and it's hard to find cheap fabric that's 100% cotton!

 

[Kais2ndmomma]

I took the pictures but they're too big to post (and it takes forever to resize them) so if you want the pictures/instructions to make the swing, just email me through my website www.cockatootrainer.com/contact/

 

[Keupi]

I took the pictures but they're too big to post (and it takes forever to resize them) so if you want the pictures/instructions to make the swing, just email me through my website www.cockatootrainer.com/contact/

Thanks! I will - just linked it to my favorites and it's a nice site.