Is your dog easily bored with its toys? Try the cactus inside cactus dog toy for hours of engaging playtime fun!

Okay, so I got this wild idea the other day. You know those dog toys, the ones with another toy hidden inside? Like a surprise? My dog absolutely shreds toys, like, obliteration in minutes. I saw one online, a cactus with a smaller, sad-looking cactus inside when the dog rips the first one open. Thought it was hilarious, but also kinda pricey for something destined for destruction. So, I figured, why not try making one myself?

Getting Started - The Scavenger Hunt

First thing, I needed materials. Dug through my fabric scraps bin. Found some sturdy green canvas-like stuff – perfect for the outer cactus. For the inside one, I wanted something different, so I grabbed some softer, lighter green fleece I had leftover from another project. Needed stuffing, obviously, the fluffy poly-fill kind. And squeakers! Gotta have squeakers. Found a couple of different sizes online pretty cheap. Grabbed my trusty sewing machine, thread, needles, scissors – the usual suspects.

Making the Inner Sad Cactus

I decided to tackle the little guy first. Didn't make a fancy pattern or anything. Just sketched a simple, kinda droopy cactus shape onto the fleece. Small enough to fit inside the main one later.

• Cut out two identical pieces of the fleece.
• Put them right sides together and started sewing around the edge, leaving a small gap at the bottom.
• Turned it right-side out. Looked kinda like a green blob at this point.
• Shoved a small squeaker way up into one of the 'arms'.
• Then started stuffing it. Not too firm, wanted it kinda squishy.
• Once stuffed, I hand-stitched the little opening closed. Voila! One small, slightly sad-looking cactus.

Building the Outer Shell

Next up, the main event. Used the tougher green canvas for this. Drew a bigger, more classic cactus shape. Again, pretty freehand. Made sure it was significantly bigger than the inner cactus.

Cut two pieces of the canvas. Before sewing them together, I thought about adding some texture. Didn't want real spikes, obviously! So, I just did some simple, kinda messy stitches with a darker green thread all over one piece to look like prickles. Took a bit of time but looked pretty cool.

Then, placed the two big cactus pieces right sides together. Sewed almost all the way around, leaving a decent-sized gap along one of the straight edges at the bottom. This had to be big enough to stuff the inner cactus through.

The Stuffing Situation

This was the slightly tricky part. Turned the big cactus shell right-side out. First, I pushed the small fleece cactus inside, maneuvering it into the middle. Then, I started adding the poly-fill stuffing all around it. Packed it in fairly well to give the outer cactus a good shape and hide the inner one. Wanted it to be a genuine surprise!

Almost forgot! Before it got too full, I shoved a bigger squeaker into the main body of the outer cactus, nestled in the stuffing. Then finished stuffing until it felt right – firm but still squeezable.

Finishing Up

Last step was closing the gap. Carefully folded the raw edges of the opening inwards and did a tight hand stitch all along the seam. Used a strong thread and went over it twice because, well, dogs. Checked all the seams, made sure everything felt secure. Stood back and admired my creation. Looked pretty decent, if I do say so myself! A bit rustic, maybe, but definitely a cactus.

The Verdict

Gave it to my dog. He was immediately interested (probably smelled the newness and the squeakers). Started chewing on an arm right away. The squeakers were a big hit. It's been a few days now, and the outer cactus is showing some wear and tear, a few threads pulled, but he hasn't breached the inner sanctum yet! He definitely knows something's up, keeps tossing it around and gnawing different spots.

Honestly, it was a fun little project. Took an afternoon, used up some scraps, and it's holding up better than some store-bought ones so far. Plus, there's the anticipation of him finally discovering the sad little cactus inside. Totally worth doing if you've got a bit of time and a destructive furry friend.