Why choose a pasta dog toy? Find out the fun reasons your furry friend will love it.
Okay, so I decided to tackle making one of those braided fabric things people call a "pasta" dog toy. You know, the ones that look kinda like fusilli? Seemed simple enough, and honestly, the store-bought toys just don't last with my dog. Five minutes, maybe ten, and it's shredded. Plus, they cost way too much for what they are.
Getting Started
First thing, I needed material. I wasn't about to buy new fabric for something destined for destruction. Found an old fleece blanket that had seen better days. Good, soft, stretchy – perfect. Also grabbed a couple of old t-shirts, different colors, just to mix it up. Figured contrast might make it more interesting for the dog.
Next up, cutting. This took longer than I thought. Needed strips. Lots of 'em. I aimed for maybe an inch, inch-and-a-half wide? Didn't measure too precisely, just eyeballed it. Used fabric scissors. Tried using regular scissors first, big mistake. Jagged edges, slow going. Fabric scissors made it much cleaner, faster. Cut a whole bunch of strips, maybe two feet long each?
The Braiding Part
Alright, the main event: making the 'pasta' shape. I took three strips – two fleece, one t-shirt cotton – and tied a big knot at one end. Then, I started braiding. Just a simple three-strand braid. But here's the trick I read about: you gotta twist each strand before you cross it over. Supposedly helps it curl up like pasta.
- Grab three strips.
- Knot one end securely.
- Start a basic braid.
- Twist each strip in the same direction (like, clockwise) before braiding it over.
- Keep the tension kinda tight.
It... sort of worked? It wasn't a perfect spiral, more like a lumpy braid. Maybe I didn't twist enough, or maybe my strips were too wide. Did a couple of tries. One looked okay-ish. It definitely looked homemade, let's put it that way. Once I got near the end, I tied another big knot. Trimmed the ends a bit so they weren't ridiculously long.
The Verdict
So, the moment of truth. Tossed it to the dog. Sniffed it. Picked it up. Dropped it. Looked at me like, "That's it?" Typical. But then, maybe boredom set in, or the smell of the old blanket was appealing, I don't know. He started chewing on one of the knots. Then he started whipping it around a bit. Success! Ish.
It held up surprisingly well for the first play session. The knots were the main points of interest, definitely. The braided part didn't unravel immediately, which was good. It's not pretty, won't win any awards, but it cost basically nothing except some time. And it kept the dog busy for a solid fifteen minutes, which is a win in my book. Better than those flimsy store toys, anyway. Probably make another one when this one finally bites the dust.
