Best dog toy heart for tough chewers? (Discover durable heart shaped toys that last longer)

Alright, so the other day, I decided my dog needed a new toy. Store-bought ones get shredded so fast, you know? I had some scrap fabric lying around – some sturdy fleece, actually – and thought, why not make something myself? A heart shape seemed simple enough and kinda cute.

Getting Started

First thing, I gathered my stuff. Didn't need much:

• That fleece fabric I mentioned (red, seemed appropriate).
• Some poly-fill stuffing from an old pillow I wasn't using anymore. Waste not, want not!
• Good sharp scissors.
• Needle and strong thread. I doubled the thread up to make it tougher.
• A pen or chalk to draw the shape.

Making the Shape

I folded the fleece fabric in half, so I'd get two identical pieces when I cut. Then I just freehanded a heart shape onto the top layer with chalk. Nothing fancy, just a basic heart. I made it a decent size, big enough for my pup to grab but not too huge.

Then came the cutting. I carefully cut along the chalk line, through both layers of fabric. Ended up with two identical fleece hearts. Easy peasy.

Sewing and Stuffing

Next step, sewing. I put the two heart pieces together, right sides facing inwards. Started sewing around the edge using a simple backstitch – it's pretty strong. I made sure the stitches were quite close together so the stuffing wouldn't escape later. Important bit: I left a small gap open along one of the straight-ish sides, maybe a couple of inches long.

Once most of it was sewn, I turned the whole thing right-side out through that gap I left. Poked out the corners and curves gently to get the proper heart shape. Then, the fun part – stuffing! I took handfuls of that poly-fill and started pushing it into the heart through the gap. I packed it in pretty firmly because my dog likes toys with some substance, but not so hard it would burst the seams.

Finishing Up

After it was nicely plump, the last step was to sew up that opening. I carefully folded the raw edges of the gap inwards and stitched it closed using a ladder stitch (sometimes called an invisible stitch). It hides the thread pretty well and gives a clean finish. I went over it a couple of times just to be extra sure it was secure.

And that was basically it! A simple, homemade fleece heart toy. Took maybe half an hour? Gave it a good tug myself to check the seams. Seemed sturdy enough for a good chew session, at least for a little while. My dog seemed pretty interested when I showed it to him, sniffing it all over. Success, I guess!