DIY Homemade Rabbit Toys
Instructions:
• Save toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes to use as a base for a rabbit toy. Clean off any left over tissue or glue so the cardboard surface is clean. Do not use the tube if it is printed with ink.
• Stuff the tubes with alfalfa or timothy hay. Hold your hand over one end of the tube, and stuff the tube so it is packed tight with the treat. Allow some of the alfalfa or hay to stick out each end, so the rabbit will be enticed to chew and roll the toy with his nose.
• Cut a small branch from an untreated fruit tree. Avoid any trees that have been sprayed with pesticides, fertilizers or other chemicals. Cut the branch into small 6-inch sections. Use a drill to make a hole through one end of the branches. Thread a small piece of bailing twine through the hole, and hang several small branches from the lid of the rabbits cage so he had chew and nudge them.
• Use pieces of untreated wood scraps for chew block toys. Do not use pine wood. The aromatic oils in pine can cause upper respiratory problems in small mammals. Choose hard woods such as walnut or maple. Cut the wood scraps into small pieces, roughly the size of a plum or kiwi fruit.
• Share dried apple rings with the pet rabbit as a tasty toy. Thread bailing twine trough the open center of a few dried apple slices. Tie the slices from the roof of the rabbit cage with enough twine to let them dangle down for the rabbit to chew on.
Article source: ehow.com/how_4894433_make-homemade-rabbit-toys.html
Check this related video:
Tips for purchasing Handmade Wooden Toys
1) Wooden toys should be quality hardwood, not leftover construction material
Wood is commonly divided into two categories, hardwood and softwood. There are scientific ways to describe hard and softwoods but since that’s too scientific lets just say softwoods come from trees with needles, like fir or pine, and are generally softer. Softwood is widely used in construction, furniture making and paper production, just to name a few.
I have seen a lot of toys made from pine construction studs. It’s cheap and widely available but in my opinion it is not the right material for making toys. It is soft and if it breaks, the splinters are long and thin. Even though hardwoods are more expensive they are the better choice in creating lasting and safe toys.
Hardwoods come from trees with broad leaves and are generally harder like oak, maple or walnut. Hardwoods have a higher density and are therefore better suited for applications where a high resistance to wear and tear is needed, like flooring and (you guessed it) toys.
Popular woods for making toys are maple, walnut, poplar, ash, beech and birch, just to name a few. Some species of wood are beautiful and strong but have other attributes that make them unsuitable for making toys. I personally don’t like to use oak for example because it has very open pores which is not very helpful when creating small details. A few exotic woods are even toxic, like Sassafras or Yew.
Some woods are known to cause allergic reactions through inhalation of the wood dust or contact with the eyes and in some cases through contact with the skin. Except for skin contact this is only relevant to the toy maker. Allergic reactions through skin contact are not very common and usually only result in slight skin irritations.
2) If metal hardware is used, then only safe metals like stainless steel. Best is no metal at all
Metal is significantly harder than wood which can be very useful when this strength is needed like an axle for a vehicle or a hook for a crane. However, its hardness makes it also less forgiving when it collides with a child and the risk of injury is greater. Small hardware pieces can also come loose and be swallowed. Some metals are safer than others because they don’t rust and are non-toxic like stainless steel, others are, well..lead is a metal too.
Article source: handmadeology.com/tips-for-buying-handmade-wooden-toys
Papoose.nz is a a famous wooden toys store in Auckland, offering play furniture like wooden toys. You can go for this option to get nice looking toys for your children.
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