Homemade Gift for that "Precious Pet" in Your Life

We all either have a pampered pooch in our lives or we know of one. With these pets, it is imperitive that we do not fall for the tacky plastic toys sold by unknowing mass producers as gifts for our pets. The following is a fantastic gift for pets of any type, size or breed as the items used can be adapted quite easily. And not only are they great gifts for the canine in your life but they are also great items to make for craft fairs, scout projects and church sales too.

For descriptive purposes, I will refer to the items used in this article as "canine" related, however the gift can easily be adapted for any type of pet you may have in your life!

Supplies Needed:

Dog biscuits, multicolored work great here as do different shapes (such as Scooby Snacks)...one box will make approximately 4-6 gifts, so plan accordingly! You can also insert an inexpensive toy or two into the gift if you want to add more to the value. Anything is "fair game" here as long as it is safe for the pet.

Cellophane....I like to use red and green but have also used a clear iridescent type which looks great with colored ribbon.

Curling ribbon in holiday colors....red, green, gold, silver and blue & scissors

Cut cellophane into approximately 24" lengths, along the long side of the cellophane, place small groups of dog treats with approximately 4"-5" in between each pile. Working very carefully, keeping spaces intact between each group of treats, roll until the cellophane is a tube lying flat on the counter. Cutting ribbons into 12"-18" lengths, carefully tie in between each group of treats and on both ends!

Adding extra ribbon for extra decoration and curling the ends is all you have to do to have a great gift for that dog (or cat) lover in your life!

Note: I like to make a card to attach to the top of this gift in the shape of a dog bone (I use a cookie cutter for a pattern) but any pet shape would work as long as it pertains to the pet you are gifting! This is especially cute if you cut two layers of cardstock with the bottom one slightly larger that the top...it adds stability to the card and an extra polish as well. Lettered with a metallic "Sharpie" and you are good to go! My "pirate loving" son wants to make these with a "key" shape to tie in with "Dead Man's Chest". That might be a stretch but with a photo of the dog in the movie on the tag and a label of "Ahoy There Matey!", it might just work! LOL

Each gift costs between $1.00 and $5.00 to make depending upon the quality and brand of treats and toys used for the gift. These are great for craft fairs, a scout troup (as a money maker) and other "fund raisers" as well. They are simple enough for a child to make yet can be mass produced quickly for fast sales.Have fun!