No more bored bunnies!

While your bunnies are waiting for you to get home from school, they need toys to keep their little minds busy.  On this page you will learn how to make this toy ---> at home, plus get some rabbit toy-making tips.

Materials:

• Hemp rope
• Jumbo craft sticks
• Wooden beads
• Metal bell (liberty bell shaped)
• Small carabiner for attaching it to bunny's cage

Begin by asking mom or dad to clamp several craft sticks together and drill a hole through the middle of them.  Tell them to use a drill bit bigger than 1/8 inch but smaller than 1/4 inch.

Decide how long you want the toy to be.  Cut a piece of hemp rope about 3 times that long.  

Start with the piece you want at the bottom.  We used a bell. String the bell onto the rope. Slide it to the middle of the rope and bring both loose ends together so the rope is doubled up.  Tie a knot just above the bell.  Now that it is secure, add your other pieces.

Thread craft sticks and wooden beads through the doubled up strings.  Follow the pattern above or alternate them however you like.  

Tie a loop at the top and your bunny is ready to play with his new toy!  Attach it to the top of his cage using a small carabiner.

What else can you use?

• Fresh sticks from apple trees (make sure the tree has not been sprayed with pesticides)
• Hard and soft wood pieces, in various shapes.
• Empty toilet paper tubes cut into rings
• Wooden clothes pins (the all-wood kind that look like little people)
• "Finger cuffs"
• Baby key rings
• Plastic, practice golf balls or small whiffle balls
• Sturdy, plastic kitty toys

Rabbit toy tips:

• Jumbo craft sticks come pre-colored for a more fun looking toy.  They should be colored with food grade dyes.
• Color your wood with food colorings* (see below).
• Draw on the wood pieces with a food color pen* (see below).  Never use "Crayola" or "Sharpie".
• Use only untreated rope, wood, or paper.
• Use your imagination, give the toys themes (baby, flower, butterfly, surfing, racecar, etc.)!  See our "Products" page - coming soon!
• Use "liberty" bells not "jingle" bells (rabbit teeth could get caught in them).
• Use dried apple ring slices on your toy.
• Empty, paper, grocery bags make great bunny club houses.
• Most parrot toys = bunny toys
• Rotate toys to keep your bunnies interested
• Toys should be small enough for your bunny to grab but too big to swallow.

Where do I get all this stuff?

Find as much of it as you can around the house.  Free is always good.  

A carabiner (used for rope climbing) can be found at Target or Wal-mart in the camping section.

A good craft store like Micheal's or the craft section at Wal-mart should have hemp rope, jumbo craft sticks, wood beads, wood shapes, and  liberty bells.  

*You can get food dyes at the grocery store but I recommend Wilton's food color gels and pens.  Warm up some water in a saucepan and disolve the food color gel in it.  Dip your pieces to color them.  Take them out and let them dry completely on a cooling rack, with a paper towel underneath, before you use them to make your toys.