How to Make Dog Toys Out of Old T-Shirts

Did you know that 1.92 million tonnes (4,232,875,434 LBS) of clothes end up in a landfill or in an ocean each year? Yes! 1.92 million tonnes! That's the equivalent of 170,000 school buses.  Reusing clothes is important. According to earth.org, the fashion industry is responsible for 20% of worldwide waste. Not only does it help reduce clothing in landfills, but even washing old clothes produces fewer microplastics than new clothes. 

But clothes don't last forever. There are only so many times you can patch holes before a shirt loses its shape. There are only so many times you can bend over before your pants split right down the middle. Thrift stores won't accept these donations and we feel that there is no place for these clothes to go besides the landfill. Now, even though they do not function as clothes, they still are materials that can be used to create new things. By making dog toys out of your old clothes, you can extend their lifecycle and can replace what otherwise would be made from new materials.

Old t-shirts (preferably cotton or prominently cotton blends)

Sewing Scissors

Seam ripper

Although the decomposition of the shirt and the cutting is rather easy, this process is very time-consuming. I'd recommend cutting off the bottom seam and the sleeves up if you only plan to make a few dog toys. I like to do it this way because it gives me a lot of material.

You can use any technique to make dog toys but this is my personal favorite. Braiding, Paracord, or friendships knots are all great techniques but I like Lanyard box knotting because the toys turn out fat and stretchy. I like that I can also hide treats in the gaps.

Cutting guide:

You can get about 3 inches of lanyard knots from a foot of material (Including both knots) I'd recommend cutting your strands about 1-1/2 ft for small dogs and 2-1/2 ft for large dogs.

Pattern Guides: You Do not need to use the same colors as I did. The designs will work no matter what colors you use. However, I would recommend contrasting colors or the designs may not be as visible.