Category Archives: DIY Toys

Rabbit Rattles

Materials:

  • Plastic Bottle Caps
  • Heavy Twine
  • Drill

Cost:

$1 (Or free if you already have the string) – I’m assuming that you or someone you know will have a drill you can use.

A great chew and toss toy that’s pretty much free!

Start by collecting the plastic caps off the bottles you drink.  Avoid ones from pop because they’re a flimsier plastic.  You’ll be amazed at how quickly they add up!  Orange juice, milk cartons and water bottles all have the perfect lids.  Ask family, friends and co-workers to save their plastic caps too!  You only need 4 or 5 caps for this project.

Once you’ve collected your plastic lids, you’ll need to drill a hole through the middle of them.  If you’re not very handy or aren’t an adult, have someone else do the drilling for you.

Cut a piece of rope approximately 10″ long.  Make a knot about 2″ from one end of the rope that is larger than the hole you drilled in to the cap.  Then slide one of the plastic caps on and make another knot to keep the cap in place.  Keep doing this until you’ve got 4 or 5 plastic caps on the string.  Securely tie the two ends together to form a ‘bracelet’.

Or: Make a knot about 2″ from one end of the rope that is larger than the hole you drilled in to the cap.  Then slide on 4 of the plastic caps and make a knot about an 1 1/2″ after the final cap.  This will allow the caps to move around a little, making a great noise when being tossed around.  Finish by tying the two ends together to form a ‘bracelet’.  Avoid making the rattle too large that it could get stuck around your rabbits head. 

And you’re done!  A quick and easy toy your rabbit will love and your wallet will too!

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The Bunny Loot Bag

A guaranteed favourite, your rabbit will binky with joy for this goodie bag made just for him or her!  Best of all they take just minutes to make and cost next to nothing!

Materials:

  • Brown Paper Bag
  • Hay
  • Treats (Unsweetened cranberries, bunny approved snacks from the pet store – we like Martin’s Hearty Banana Muffin cookies)
  • Hole Punch
  • Raffia
  • Scissors
  • Large Jingle Bells (Optional)

Cost:

$2 – $10 (this is fully dependent on what you already have in your house and what you need to buy).

Budget Bunny Savings Tip: Always check your local dollar store first.  We found a pack of 40 brown paper bags for $1 as well as a large package of natural raffia.  You may spend a little more, but you’ll have lots left over for making multiple bags or for other projects!

Use your hole punch to punch random holes in the brown paper bag.  This makes it more enticing for your rabbit.  Not only will they be able to smell the yummy goodies hiding inside, but they’ll also get a little glimpse at what awaits!  It also gives them a few extra spots for their teeth to grip and rip!

When you’ve punched all of the holes you want (don’t make it too easy to get in the bag – remember this is supposed to be a game that stimulates your rabbit’s mind and gets them excited!) fill it with hay and treats.  I used some of their regular hay but also threw in a type of hay they rarely get so it would be extra fun once it’s opened!  Caution:  We still want to keep this a healthy goody bag so go easy on the treats.  A few treats in the bag are okay but too many could upset their tummy.  It’ll be extra fun if you can use treats they seldom gets so it makes the game extra special!

Once you have your bag about 3/4 of the way full, tie it securely with the all natural raffia and give to your rabbit to enjoy!  I had large jingle bells laying around and tied one to each bag just so it makes some noise when it’s being ripped to shreds!  A word to the wise, this is a messy one, so be prepared for some cleanup!  Unless of course your rabbit loves it so much he/she doesn’t leave anything behind!

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Multi-Coloured Lattice Balls

They may have plastic toy balls in the rabbit section of your pet store but generally anything for an exotic (which your bunny is classified as) is much more expensive.  However if you go wandering in to other aisles you are likely to find toys that could still work for your rabbit and are probably a lot cheaper!

You’ve probably seen these in the Cat section of the pet store.  They’re the plastic lattice covered balls with a little bell inside.  Well guess what?!  Not only are they cheap but they also make a perfect toy for your bunny!  Your rabbit will love to push these around with her nose OR because they have lots of little holes for your bunny to get her teeth in to, she will love tossing and throwing the ball around.  And if you have a cat in your house….well then they’ll both enjoy the new toy!

Cost: Approximately 3 for $1 or $0.50

BudgetBunny Savings Tip!: Check out the pet section of your local Dollar Store.  Our dollar store sells clear plastic tubs for $1.50 with about 10 balls in them!

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Pinecone Nibblers

Get those teeth moving with this simple and all natural treat – pinecones!

When choosing pinecones make sure they come from trees that aren’t sprayed or treated with pesticides, herbicides or any type of toxins that could hurt your rabbit.  Pick pinecones that have little or no sap on them to make cleaning them easier. Go for the regular, small round pinecones as opposed to the long and narrow ones.  The longer ones are harder to clean, dry out and aren’t as thick as a standard cone so they don’t give your rabbits teeth as much of a workout.

Rinse the pinecones with water to get any leaves, twigs or dirt out from them.  You can also use a toothbrush to gently scrape off any gunk.  I let them dry overnight, then bake them in the oven for 45 min. at 375F.  I do this to dry any damp parts of the pinecones, dry up any extra dirt I might have missed and kill any bugs or bacteria I may have missed.  If any of them get a little sooty, get out the toothbrush again to do a little last minute cleanup.  Leave them to cool for a few hours and then they’re ready for nomming!

Give to your bunnies as is!  Depending on the rabbit he may prefer to toss his around like a toy while others may love nibbling the edges.  Either way they’re guaranteed to keep Buns busy!  Best of all?  Once you’ve found your pinecone location you can always go back for more!

 

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At Home Flip & Toss Toys

Sure those flip and toss toys at the pet store are cute, and it’s even cuter watching your rabbit play with them but you don’t need to spend tons of money – well any money really – to give your bunny the same good time!

Large plastic lids make a great alternative to the regular toys at the pet store and they’re free!  Some great lid choices include laundry detergent caps, peanut butter lids and even the large plastic gum containers made to fit your cup holder in your car!  When I’m finished with the product, I keep the lid, throw it in the dishwasher so it gets nice and clean and then give it to my rabbits.  Since they have a wider opening, my rabbits are able to get a good grip on the lid, then toss it in to the air!  Try it  I guarantee your bunnies will love it too!

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The T.P. Roll

Materials:

  • Toilet paper, paper towel or wrapping paper rolls
  • Sisal rope, hemp or all natural raffia
  • Bell (Optional)
  • Hay (Optional)

Cost:

  • $3-$5 Only if you choose a toy that requires a material that you don’t already have otherwise it’s free!

The great thing about this project is that everyone has toilet paper rolls in their home!  Instead of throwing them out, start collecting them to make great toys for your bunny to play with!  He’ll love to chew and toss these around, providing tons of fun for your Bun!  You can also start saving your paper towel and wrapping paper rolls too!  Paper towel and wrapping paper rolls are generally the best choice because they rarely use adhesive to attach the edge of the paper to the roll (such as most toilet paper rolls).  They’re also longer so you can cut them down to make more toys!

Before beginning make sure to peel off any extra bits of t.p that could be stuck to the roll.  If there seems to be a large amount of glue on the roll, discard that one and use another.  You can also ask family and friends to save their rolls too!

Here are just a few great ways you can use empty toilet paper rolls to make great toys for your rabbit!  They’re quick, easy and for the most part – FREE!  You’re bunny will love them!  Don’t forget to get creative!  There are tons of ways you could use these rolls, if you want to share make sure to e-mail us at info@budgetbunny.ca!

1)  A Toilet Paper Roll (As Is) – peel off any excess t.p and give them to your rabbit! He will love to nibble on them and toss them around!  Our rabbits also love the challenge of trying to toss the longer paper towel rolls.  Rocky will flip it until it’s standing straight up, then knock it down!

2)  Toilet Paper Roll Wall! – Stand up 6 or so empty rolls to create a small wall.  Buns will love trying to knock them all down!

3)  A Toilet Paper Roll Stuffed With Fresh Hay – This makes the game a little more fun!  Now your toilet paper roll adds a tasty treat for your rabbit!  Your bunnies will love trying to get the hay out of the roll!  For extra intrigue you can use a single hole punch and add a few holes in the roll for the hay to pop out of!

3)  Create a mobile out of the toilet paper rolls – Use sisal rope, hemp or all natural raffia to join full rolls together and hang them from the top of your rabbit’s cage.  Try to alternate the direction they go in for added intrigue.  Your bunny will love how the mobile moves around when he’s trying to nibble on it!  Another option is to cut the rolls in pieces.  This will give you smaller rings to work with.  You can then attach each ring together with rope and hang!  For added fun, add a bell to the bottom so that when your bunny tries to pull and nibble, it jingles!

4)  Create a bracelet – Cut your toilet paper roll in to smaller rings, attach each ring with sisal rope, twine or all natural hemp and instead of hanging from the top of your cage, join them together with another piece of string!  You’ll have a great bracelet for them to nibble and toss!

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The Box

Materials:

  • A cardboard box or multiple boxes
  • Box Cutter

Cost:

  • $5 – only if you don’t own a box cutter already    **Don’t worry the cutter will come in handy for lots of other projects too!**

To a rabbit a cardboard box is a hidey house, a tunnel or something to chew and rip to their heart’s content!  Best of all you can find free boxes everywhere!  Check around your house or in your garage.  Do you get supplies shipped to you at work in boxes?  If you do ask if you can bring them home for your rabbits!  Many supermarkets pile their extra boxes at the checkouts for customers to take.  When choosing a box, try to pick ones that have few or no dyes in them and don’t have tape or staples holding them together.  Large peel off shipping labels or other stickers need to be removed first before you give the box to your bunny.  These things can hurt your rabbit if ingested.

Once you have your box, let your imagination take over!  If you only want to use one box, you can cut two holes in the box as an entrance and exit.  In a matter of minutes your box has become a hidey house!  Connect more boxes together with an assortment of holes to create a fun ‘burrow’ for your rabbit to run in and out of!

If you have mischievous rabbits like me, they may spend more time ‘remodeling’ their new box than actually hiding in it!  They’ll love tearing at the doorways you made and trying to dig their way through the bottom of the box.  Rocky loves to jump on top of the box and stand up on his hind legs to get a better look at his surroundings.  Oh, that reminds me, be careful of where you put your box!  If you confine your rabbit to an area of the house with a baby gate or an uncovered ex-pen it may serve as a bunny launch pad to freedom!

Check out some of the great ideas I’ve used boxes for!

Boxes not only make great hideouts, but they’re also a great way to contain a mess!  When my rabbits are running around the house I always have a litter box or two inside a cardboard box.  I cut a hole in the front of the box so it makes it more fun for them.  Best of all when they jump in and out of their litterbox, it keeps my carpets mess free!  Sometimes as Honey demonstrates in the far right photo, any box will do!  She became obsessed with this ‘useless’ piece of packaging.  I would stand it up for her over and over again as she loved to knock it down!

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