8. The T-Shirt Toss and Fetch Ball
Old, worn-out t-shirts are excellent sources of soft, stretchy cotton fabric. Because these shirts carry your unique scent, toys made from them can be incredibly comforting to dogs who experience separation anxiety when left home alone. This project allows you to turn an old shirt and a standard tennis ball into a high-flying fetch toy.
Lay an old t-shirt flat and cut a large square of fabric from the center. Place a tennis ball directly in the middle of the fabric square. Gather the corners of the fabric up and wrap them tightly around the ball, securing them at the base with a sturdy rubber band or a thin strip of excess fabric. Cut the remaining loose fabric hanging below the ball into several vertical strips. Braid these strips tightly together to form a long, durable handle, and tie a secure knot at the bottom. This design allows you to easily fling the ball long distances across the yard using the braided handle, while also giving your dog a soft, comfortable grip to carry the toy back to you during a game of fetch.