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Rope Ball Surprise Dog Toy

December 9, 2013 21 Comments

Rope Ball Surprise Dog Toy DIY at Hands Occupied

I’ve watched my pooches take down dozens of stuffed animals in a few seconds flat. Seriously – if it squeaks, they will gut it just to find the squeaker, which they could then choke on. The risk, and vet bills, are so not worth it. We always get them at least one safe, new toy to share for Christmas, but I decided to make something special instead this year.

The surprise part of this otherwise-straightforward rope knot toy is the treat inside! My pooches LOVE their Kongs, which are dog toys you can pop little treats into, and are hard for pups to get at. Unfortunately, my pooches have mastered the puzzle that is their Kongs, so they solve them super quick. This rope ball should present a challenge!

Supplies

105 inches (8.75 yd) of 1 inch-thick cotton rope like this
scissors or knife
dog treats
2 twist ties

Directions

Using two twist ties, secure the ends of your rope from raveling. Then, follow the instructions below for tying it into a monkey’s fist knot. I find the monkey’s fist knot to be challenging, so it might take a couple of tries to get the knot just right. This toy is really just a giant monkey’s fist, but before finishing and tightening the knot at the end, you slip in a dog treat (see step 5).

Rope Ball Surprise Dog Toy DIY at Hands Occupied

Collage by me / knot illustration via

For my monkey’s knot toy, I used three wraps per section of the toy pictured in this post, though you can wrap it as many times as you like (or can fit into your knot). Also, for the sake of demonstration, I used nylon rope for the photos since it had a bit of color to it.

When you finish your knot, trim any excess rope and remove the twist ties before giving the toy to your pups! I like to wrap dog presents in plain tissue paper & ribbon, no tape, so they can open them themselves… Nerd. Alert. Sorry.

Rope Ball Surprise Dog Toy DIY at Hands Occupied

If your dog struggles getting the treat out, you might want to throw them a bone (sorry again) and replace the treat with a fresh one every once in awhile. Gotta keep ’em entertained!

Rope Ball Surprise Dog Toy DIY at Hands Occupied

Filed Under: Christmas, How-to, Macramé, Pet Projects Tagged With: christmas, crafts, diy, dog toy, dogs, gift, kong, monkeys fist, pet gift, pets, rope ball, surprise toy

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad (she/her) is a craft book author & designer specializing in yarn crafts. Her work combines vintage and modern design elements, prioritizing color and graphic motifs. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. kaleigh

    December 13, 2013 at 10:39 pm

    Super cool. Does the dog need to take the whole thing apart to get the treat or can it be used more than once?

    Reply
    • Heidi

      December 15, 2013 at 8:27 am

      It depends on how your dog gets to the treat. You can always retie the knot if they undo it entirely! One of my dogs is better than the other at solving treat puzzles, so she pops it out. The other dog just likes playing with the treatless rope ball.

      Reply
  2. Richard Baranowski

    January 10, 2015 at 7:57 am

    Heidi, you said 105 inches (8.75 yd)… I’m not sure whether you meant 8.75 ft, or 315 inches…
    105″/12″ = 8.75 ft…
    105″/36″ = 2.91667 yd…
    8.75 yd * 36″ = 315″..
    I’m pretty sure you meant 8.75′, didn’t you?.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      January 11, 2015 at 10:14 am

      Yep – good catch!

      Reply
  3. Marcheta

    September 16, 2015 at 10:58 am

    I bought my cat a rope knot ball. He loves it! I’m going to try to make a few of these. He will be so happy!

    Reply
  4. Lucas Walker

    November 15, 2015 at 11:56 am

    Great DIY project! Would love to stuff a duck foot or beef back strap in there!

    Reply
  5. debbi

    November 16, 2015 at 7:49 pm

    Are there any toxic ropes that we need to be aware of?

    Reply
    • Heidi

      November 20, 2015 at 10:05 pm

      I’m not sure off the top of my head. I would consult with my vet if there were rope I was unsure of. I’d stick to cotton to play it safe.

      Reply
  6. Christopher

    December 3, 2015 at 11:50 am

    Is there a way of tying this to be more difficult or impossible for dogs to unravel it?

    Reply
    • Heidi

      December 4, 2015 at 5:46 pm

      You could experiment with trying knots other than the monkey’s fist for variation. Has your pooch out-clevered this one? :)

      Reply
  7. Isabel

    April 15, 2016 at 7:10 pm

    I can’t wait to try this! Just got a German shepherd puppy who is going to be GIANT. I’ll need to make one the size of my head. Thanks for saving my furniture and sanity. (He’s a good boy tho LOL!) I love wrapping their gifts too!!!

    Reply
  8. Lisa

    November 30, 2016 at 6:57 am

    Hi Heidi, where do you purchase your cotton rope from? I am struggling to find any 1inch thick. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      December 1, 2016 at 9:26 am

      Hi Lisa! I haven’t tried this particular rope myself, but it looks like Amazon carries cotton rope in various sizes, including 1 inch. Cheers!

      Reply
  9. Marcy Leonard

    December 7, 2016 at 12:02 pm

    Hi Heidi
    How many knots where you able to make with the supplies listed above?
    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      December 8, 2016 at 8:46 am

      Just the one pictured. It’s about 9 inches in diameter.

      Reply
  10. Dorothy Lanier

    March 5, 2017 at 10:10 am

    My puppy had a plastic cat toy with a bell inside. He LOVED it, and would throw it around and chase it. He finally chewed it open, and I had to throw it away. I think I’ll make a few of these and put small jingle bells in them.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      March 6, 2017 at 8:30 am

      What a good idea! I love it – let me know what rope you end up using. :)

      Reply
  11. Jess

    October 26, 2019 at 12:34 am

    Thank you for this Heidi! This is such an easy and nice looking toy!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      October 30, 2019 at 10:05 am

      You’re welcome! :)

      Reply
  12. Bella

    June 8, 2020 at 12:59 pm

    I like making toys for my two dogs so that I know what they are made out of. I mainly use cotton materials to keep them safe :)

    Reply
  13. Sharon

    May 19, 2021 at 9:56 am

    This is simply remarkable. You can make it as big as you want or need, depending in the size of your furry loved one. Thanks for this great idea. Definitely going to try it with some treats inside. Supervised of course, wouldn’t want them to ingest the rope with all the excitement! Thanks again and good luck on your next project.

    Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), and I’ve been helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010. I got my start here, as a blogger, and since then I’ve shared more than a few tutorials here and on YouTube as I’ve grown as a pattern designer. 🧶 

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Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts

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POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern fits with no ease vs. 4” of positive ease. There’s a bit more length to the cotton (brighter color) sample, but both are cropped and feature shoulder seams designed to sit an inch back onto the shoulder instead of on top, giving it a little swing. Length is easily adjustable for folks looking for less of a crop. 
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Pattern: Bevelled Tank by @handsoccupied for @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn summer 2024. Available for free from Hobbii at the 🔗 in my profile.
Yarn pictured: @kelbournewoolens Skipper and Camper. 
Dress form is adjusted to a 36” chest and ~5’3”ish in height. 
Human has a 40” chest and is 5’5”.
Both skirts are vintage.
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Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment. 
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day. 
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After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m back with a brand new pattern in 9 sizes, and it’s FREE as part of @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn’s summer design collection! (Link is in my bio.)
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In my December newsletter, I announced that I was soliciting test knitters for a pattern that had originally been selected for the summer ’24 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine. However, the magazine ceased publication after its spring ’24 issue, leaving in-progress designs unpublished. (It happens.) As a result, I’d begun the long process of editing, testing, and photographing the pattern for independent release through the Hands Occupied pattern shop and Ravelry.
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Before I was done with that process, Pom Pom Quarterly’s former editors reached out with an exciting proposal for the pattern. Post-magazine, they’ve begun to partner with yarn companies to produce high quality pattern collections. They wanted to include designs from the would-be current issue of Pom Pom Quarterly in a new collection for Hobbii yarn, including my Bevelled Tank. I worked with the same technical editors I would have for the magazine on this one, and as you can see from the photos, Pom Pom’s team did an amazing job of styling the garment to the beautiful standards they’re known for.
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You can learn more about the pattern on my blog and get the free pattern from Hobbii yarn - links to both in my profile. I’ll post sizing info in the comments for quick reference too. 🧶
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Photos: @dianascarrunz 
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Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Yellow version 💛: knit with Despondent Dyes’ Vintage Vixen Sport after attending a @squidneyknits vintage knitting retreat in 2019 & learning *so much*. Paired with a self-drafted circle skirt pattern. 
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style 
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Head to my stories for 🔗🔗 to the handmade wardrobe blog posts I wrote about each take on the Fernlace Pullover, working with a vintage pattern, where to find vintage patterns (including the one I used), & some thoughts on sizing. 
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P.S. I did like this design concept, but to make the pattern more knitter friendly as well as more wearable, I am making some tweaks to the construction. Excited to share when it’s ready! 🥰🧶
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Yarn: @blueskyfibers Woolstok North in Morning Frost & Highland Fleece 
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