Okay, so, I’ve been meaning to share this little project of mine for a while now, and today’s the day. My dog, Buster, he’s a big boy, a real gentle giant, but he goes through toys like there’s no tomorrow. Especially plush toys. He just loves to rip them apart. So I got this idea, right? I was browsing online, saw a bunch of these “indestructible” dog toys, and I thought, “Challenge accepted!” I decided I was gonna make Buster a toy he couldn’t destroy, and I settled on a giant caterpillar because, why not?
First, I gathered my materials. I dug through my old fabric scraps and found some tough canvas-like material I’d used for a tote bag a while back. Perfect for the outer layer, I figured. Then, for the stuffing, I decided to use old t-shirts. I had a whole pile of them I’d been meaning to get rid of, so this worked out great. Also, I bought some squeakers online. The item said it’s for aggressive chewers. That’s for sure my Buster.
Next, I sketched out a rough design. Just a simple, long caterpillar shape, nothing fancy. I’m no artist, but it was good enough to get me started. I cut out the canvas into long strips, then sewed them together to form a tube. This was a bit tricky, I’ll admit. The canvas was pretty thick, and my sewing machine struggled a little. But I managed to get it done. I also added several squeakers inside.
- Cut the old t-shirts into strips.
- Stuffed the canvas tube with the t-shirt strips, making sure it was nice and plump.
- Sewed the ends of the tube shut.
Then came the fun part: decorating! I used some fabric paint to give my caterpillar some personality. I painted on some big, googly eyes and a goofy smile. And, of course, I added some colorful stripes along its body. I thought about adding some little legs, but I decided against it. I didn’t want to give Buster any easy starting points for his demolition work.
The Result
The whole thing took me a couple of afternoons to complete. And you know what? Buster loves it! He’s been carrying it around, chewing on it, and squeaking it non-stop. It’s been a week, and the caterpillar is still in one piece! I’m pretty proud of myself, I have to say. It’s not the prettiest thing in the world, but it’s tough, and it’s keeping my dog entertained. Plus, it was a fun little project to work on. So, if you’ve got a dog who’s a toy destroyer, maybe give this a try. It’s a lot cheaper than buying those expensive “indestructible” toys, and it’s way more satisfying to make it yourself!
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