Dogs are part of the family and also love receiving toys for Christmas, birthdays or just because. But they can also get expensive. So if your dog tires easily of expensive ones, why not try the homemade dog toy route?
This short video should get you inspired if you were not sure where to start. Simply gather some old t-shirts that are beyond being donated, and upcycle them into these super cute dog gift ideas.
The dollar tree can be your best friend when it comes to getting creative. You can get packs of tennis balls there and even some t-shirts if you simply don't have any to donate to the project. (wash well in hot water first)
All you need is your t-shirts, tennis ball and a sharp pair of scissors. Mixing the colors of shirts makes them look colorful. This is such a cool way to get you inspired to clean out the closet or drawers of your old cotton tees. To make room for more of course!
If you have friends with dogs, then make a few of these toys to give as gifts. Make sure and wash old t-shirts in hot soapy water first, even your old ones to make them fresh for their chewing pleasure.
This is a lot of fun, and you can get the family involved. Just create a space on the table and get cutting and braiding. Hopefully this inspires you to have a clean out and let your dog benefit!
As our dogs age, their legs may not carry them like they used to.
I always found with my dog Sasha that stairs were the worst, and she was too heavy to carry. So instead of sleeping in my room at night as she always had, she stayed downstairs, which caused stress.
You can purchase dog slings, but I came across this video that shows you how to make a very simple one that costs you NOTHING (if you have those reusable shopping bags at home) and can save your back.
Check it out:
DIY Shopping Bag Dog Sling/Harness
You simply cut out the sides of the bag (instruction in this quick video) and then you can give your dog some support, whether the issue is with the rear legs or the front legs.
This will also be easier on your own back especially if you are trying to navigate stairs with your dog. This can be a dangerous scenario if your pooch is not confident on the stairs. He/she may panic and either fall or pull you as well.
Simply hanging onto their collar is not enough. That puts you at a bent position. If you use some kind of harness (homemade or purchased) this will keep you upright and save your back.
If you have a senior dog, there is this site that caters to older dogs to help give them an awesome retirement and let you enjoy their old age too!
Some things are investments like ramps and other aids, but some are homemade such as the above DIY grocery bag sling. Worth checking it out.
Get More Life Out of Your Senior Dog
Many older dogs will quickly limit their activities if they don't feel confident, which can lead to depressions.
As the dog parents you will be aware that he/she has slowed down on their usual walks. Get them checked out at Veterinarian and if he tells you it is simply age. Then check out the site above for ideas and products that can help your older dog have a happy and pain free retirement. Alter a Few Routines to Aid Your Older Dog
You may need to change a few procedures in your day, such as an extra pee break during the day, maybe change the food to a more senior formula to help with digestion or add some glucosomine for aching joints, breaking up the walks into shorter ones...
Just like us humans, things can change as we age, so if we keep on top of the changes, then our beloved pooches can be happy, healthy and strong well into their golden years.
1. Over the Door Climber - This is an awesome use of space. If your space is small or you don't want to damage any walls, then consider using doorways. Easily moved from door to door with a spring loaded bracket system. An affordable option for any cat owner.
2. These lotus leaf shaped shelves not only attract your cats to that natural "snoozing" position but also look artistic on the wall. When you cats are not on the berber lined shelves they look like pieces of art in the room. Make of a combination of solid wood and bent plywood.
3. Free Floating Cat Wall Shelves simply attach to the wall with included anchors and screws. This will cure your cats instinct for climbing and they can also laze comfortably on the shelves. These shelves are breathable cloth based and can support up to 22 pounds.
4. These Canopy Shelves are super cute as they can climb and then peak out from behind realistic looking greenery. These shelves looked good and will bring in a sense of the outdoors. These are especially a nice hiding spot for indoor cats that love to climb and hide.
5. Multi-level Hammock and climbing center is the ultimate in a cat climbing wall. This will take up an entire wall but if you have more than one cat, this could be more entertaining than watching TV. This one is a bit more of an investment but the reviews have been totally positive.
This is the perfect play structure especially for kittens or young cats that get themselves in trouble by picking your furniture or carpet while you are away at work. This will keep them busy. I think of this as a living wall.
Best Cat Climbing Walls Especially for Small Spaces
Sometimes there simply is not the room for the typical cat tree, by utilizing the wall space, you can create lots of resting and playing areas for your cat and cure their need to be higher than anyone in the room.
So, if you had given up on the idea of a climbing tree or cat condo because they were not the best looking or took up too much space, then consider your wall area or even a door to give them lots of exercise and play time, especially if your cat is indoors all the time.
Once you give your cat or cats a place to play and climb, they become young at heart again. This tend to tear up your carpets and furniture because they are bored. Toys are fun too, but giving them something to do, like jump from shelf to shelf and then take a nap gives them the feeling of being outdoors.
Ok, so you have a room the dog decided was a great outhouse, or the cat or even the kids, and the carpet is done.
But once you lift that carpet... now what? It is expensive to get more, you can't swing new hardwood or even laminate floor right now, so what are some super cool, cheap and good looking flooring alternatives?
Brown Paper Bag Flooring
Before you hit the back button, thinking I am crazy, check out this video. I actually use this method for covering plain wood frames and art canvases for a different look. It never occurred to me to use it on the floor! You are not technically using paper bags, although you could. It is more economical to use rolls of builders paper.
Yes this will take some time, but the money you save will pay for other things, so roll up your sleeves and get stuck in! The biggest trick is to make sure all the staples from carpets are gone. Make an imaginary grid and go up and down the room feeling for any staples or nails that need hammering in.
As with most projects, preparation is everything.
You can get all the supplies online as I couldn't find a large glue in the stores.
I found a good supply on Amazon. The formula is 1/2 glue 1/2 water in a pail and mix.
You can find builders brown paper in most home improvement stores but online has a good price too!
This will feel like arts and crafts. It is best to use a water based varnish to complete the project and you will need at least 4 coats. But the water based dries quicker so you could get a few coats on in one day. The water based doesn't have such a strong odor either.
Paper Bag Floor - Different Looks
As you can see in the video, the homeowners simply tore the paper into large mismatched pieces and glued them to the floor.
I personally think this looks awesome especially after the varnish has been applied, but if you prefer a more organized look then you can also cut it into strips.
If you Don't Mind Spending Some Time on Prep.. You Can create Wood Grained Strips
This is a bit more time consuming, but I also think it is another flooring alternative and a slight twist on the paper bag floor. You are still using brown paper, but she cuts the roll of paper into strips to mimic hardwood floor planks.
She uses a wood plank and cuts out the strips from the roll of builder paper. She then uses a wood grain tool and some stain to create faux wood strips from the paper.
Yes they will be wavy when you finish them, but not when they get glued to the floor.
Check out this video:
She cuts the strips of paper into plank widths, and then stains and uses the grain tool to add a faux looking grain.
This takes a little more work, but you could employ many hands to make this less work.
Yes they will all look wavy as paper does when it has been wet and then dries, but if you watch her next video on how she installs them, it is super cool and quick. Once the paper strips are coated in glue the wavy goes away.
Cheap Flooring Ideas
So, if you don't mind rolling up your sleeves, this can be the cheapest floor you have ever put down.
Once you have the coats of varnish on top, it gives the floor depth and it looks real. The first method with the torn larger pieces, looks more like a marble floor or somewhat leathery and then of course the second method looks like a proper wood floor.
The varnishes you can get now are super tough. It is recommended you don't put furniture on this surface for a week. But that would be the same instruction you would get if you had a hardwood floor installed and varnished.
Once it has a good week to cure, it is tough.
Down the road if you want to cover it with carpet or something else you can. No need to strip it or remove it. Chances are you won't bother, as it looks super cool. A cheap way to cover a bad floor.
As I wandered the aisles of the Pet Store, I was surprised at just how expensive dog treats were.
It all adds up and I didn't recognize all of the ingredients!
I decided it was time to try making my own homemade dog biscuits.
After a few attempts, I have found what I consider to be the perfect dog treat recipe and chances are you have these ingredients on hand right now.
Our dog absolutely loves cheddar cheese, so these worked out quite well.
CHEESE DOG BISCUIT RECIPE
1 x Beef or chicken bouillon cube
1/2 cup hot water (to dissolve the cube)
1 x egg
1-1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Method:
Step 1 - Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 - Dissolve cube in the 1/2 cup of hot water
Step 3 - Measure flour into a mixing bowl
Step 4 - Add the bouillon water mixture and egg to the flour
Step 5 - Mix well
Step 6 - Add in shredded cheese
Step 7 - Knead until a ball forms (about 3 minutes or so)
Step 8 - On a lightly floured board, roll out dough to approx 1/4 inch thick
Step 9 - Cut into shapes. I didn't have a shaped cutter so I used a shot glass to make round circles.
Step 10- Line a cookie pan with parchment paper and place biscuits about 1/2 inch apart.
Step 11- Bake for 20-30 minutes - until lightly brown.
I prefer the dog biscuits to be crunchy, so I left them sit on the baking sheet until they were completely cooled. I then placed them in a cookie tin just for our dog Kahlua.
As you can see by the picture, I used a shot glass to shape them as I didn't have a bone shaped cutter. But they turned out so well that is my next investment!
She totally enjoyed them. So for my next batch I invested in a bone shaped cutter for the homemade dog treats.
Perfect Gift Ideas for the Dog Lovers on Your List
Creating your own gifts, not only saves money, but shows that you care. It takes time to create gifts, so start early and you could present these in small cookie jars or tins from the dollar tree or decorate your own tin.
Create Different Shapes
You can get super cute dog treat shape cutters that can make your gift super cute.
After the first time I made them, it became very easy to make more.
You can change up the flavors by adding different cheeses such as a sharp cheddar instead of medium, or use whole grain flour instead of white.
I also have a super cool Peanut Butter Dog Biscuit Recipe if you would prefer just CLICK HERE and see it.
How to Make a Dog Treat Jar - Using Dollar Store Supplies
Check out this video to get cool ideas for a treat jar that looks awesome on your counter or perfect for gifts filled with the above treats that you have made.
This should get the creative juices flowing. You don't need to spend a lot to give your dog or loved ones dogs nice treats and their own treat jar.
Don't forget about the pets when it comes to gift giving or even a hostess gift especially if they are super dog lovers.
I had friends over for dinner the other night, and I had worked so hard on the dinner, that I simply did not know what to make for dessert. Plus dessert making was not one of my strong suits.
I then remembered this dessert I came up with when the kids were younger and thought YES! I will do that.
What you will Need :
1 x Bar of Plain Cadbury Milk Chocolate (or Lindt or a good quality chocolate)
1/4 cup Birds Custard Powder (this brand works best)
2 Tablespoon plain white sugar
2 Cups of Milk (I used 2% but you could use almond milk or something else)
A few berries for garnish or chocolate chips or nuts or a mint leaf is nice too.
Method:
Looks awesome served in clear dessert glasses but whatever you have
Step 1 - Take your 4 Dessert glasses and fill with at least 3-4 squares of the chocolate each.
Step 2 - Make your custard (following container directions) You have to keep stirring this, so don't leave it. Step 3 - Once it is bubbling and thick, carefully pour over the chocolate pieces in your 4 containers.
Note: Usually works out to about 1/2 cup of custard per glass. Step 4 - THAT IS IT! Do NOT stir, just let it sit.
This is best served just slightly warm. So what I did is make it just before I served dinner, and left them on the counter.
The beauty of this dessert is that it tastes like vanilla custard and then suddenly you get a melted chocolate surprise. Your guests think they are just getting custard until their spoon hits that melted surprise.
My guests were super excited as they couldn't see the chocolate pieces in the bottom. I added a few blueberries and raspberries that I had on top for a garnish, but you could also add whipped cream or even ice cream or just a mint leaf.
This is such as easy dessert to make. The hardest part is staying at the stove and stirring. But it will burn easy, other than that it is super quick and tastes awesome!
Use up Holiday Chocolates
I actually created this dessert when the kids were younger and our counter top was full of those little Halloween Chocolates. I started off using the Cadbury plain chocolate ones, but then experimented with some of the other treats.
I find if you don't stir, you don't mix the 2 flavors. I like them separate, and it creates the surprise. Works super well with those Lindor balls of Chocolate too.
2. These lotus leaf shaped shelves not only attract your cats to that natural "snoozing" position but also look artistic on the wall. When you cats are not on the berber lined shelves they look like pieces of art in the room. Make of a combination of solid wood and bent plywood.
This will feel like arts and crafts. It is best to use a water based varnish to complete the project and you will need at least 4 coats. But the water based dries quicker so you could get a few coats on in one day. The water based doesn't have such a strong odor either.
You can get super cute dog treat shape cutters that can make your gift super cute.
Method:
