Home made toys Vs bought toys...

[kikibird]

Hey guys,

Well today I made my first couple of home made toys for Kiki.

I used some straws that we got from KFC, some bottle tops off of empty flavoured milk and soda bottles, some peg people (little plastic people that are pegs) that came for free in our clothes washing detergent, some old paddle pop sticks, cotton rope that was pulled off of a dog toy bought from the $2.oo store and some old c clips.

Basicly these 2 toys that I made for her cost me about $2.00 all up. I made a big dangly thing packed full of bottle tops, peg people, straw peices and padle pop sticks and I made a preening toy by tying small pieces of splayed cotton rope around an old c clip.

You know what? She loved these 2 toys more than I have ever seen her like a toy before. Toys that I have bought for her in the past she has played with not very enthusiasticly for a few minutes and then has forgotten about them. But these 2 that I made she sat there watching me make and as soon as I hung them in her cage she raced up to them and played with them for hours.

I now know what I will be doing in the future and it wont be going to the pet shop and spending $50.00 on toys when I can get a few materials from a $2.00 store and around the house and make the cheapest toys I have ever seen and toys that my fid absolutely loves.

[greyburd]

Way to go, Kikibird!!

[Conure & Macaw Mom]

Thats excellent. I have just figured this out to. lol Some of the toys we spend $10, 20, or more on we can make ourselves or even better at home for just a few bucks. Crystal

[jessica313]

i have also recently figured this out... a couple weeks ago i went to ac moore and bought about $30 worth of cotton rope, wooden beads/blocks, plastic pieces, sisal, food coloring, etc etc etc.... its probably enough to make at least 20 or 30 toys.. i got a TON of stuff.. so far i made shadow 2 homemade toys and he also seems to like them a lot more than expensive ones i have bought!
maybe our fids know how much time and love we put into them and thats why they like 'em better

this is a great site for ideas on DIY toys...

http://www.cheepparrottoysntips.com

definantly worth checking out!

[Valo's Moirana]

way to go, kikibird.... i can just agree with what other people posted. the toys i bought i usually modify with some extras and change things around, and valo seems to like them better. maybe it also has to do with the fact that we seem to know what our fids like

[homebird]

jessica313 - What an excellent sight - think this thread should be re-routed to DIY area!

I was very impressed with the corn husk project Laker & I got into - he still loves to wrestle with the springy woven husks. It was even cheaper - no added cost there. I will be trying our that wall hanging that's made with string & beads.

kikibird - I wonder if the materials you use, if they had a previous use, make the toys more interesting. Plastics can really hold onto odours.

[Tiki]

Here's a source for toys and toy parts in Queensland. I've bought some nice toys from her. I don't have time to make anything but between stuff I buy and free tree branches, my birds are kept amused!

http://stores.ebay.com.au/TROPICAL-TOY-BOX-FOR-PARROTS

[kikibird]

Tiki, I have looked at her things a few times. She has some nice big toys at reasonable prices, at least I think it is her, there is a couple on there.


Homebird, these are the first 2 that I have made for her and like I said she loved them. It is the toys that I have bought before this that she did not like and lost interest in very quickly. Everything I have used to make her new toys was brand new or with things like bottle tops and those little peg people things they were soaked and washed extensively. I have to tell you she absolutely loves the peg people.


Tiki have you ever seen the Peg People that you can get in Surf laundry powder? They got whole little families, big ones, little ones, etc. they are quite fun.

[kikibird]

oh I should add that the little peg people came wrapped and sealed in plastic wrap so they were not covered at all in laundry powder and just to make sure that they had nothing on them like I said I washed them extensively about 3 times. I would not have used them if they were just sitting in the powder with no protection.

[Tiki]

Nope, haven't seen them, but only because we use liquid laundry soap. I hate powder because it always seems to collect on my clothes from not distributing it right I guess.