Last week-end I started making some homemade toys; I believe I intended to make more, but things have been busy in other spheres of my life this week and I've just run out of time and had no desire to think about the toys (as I tend to be a little "peculiar" about how they have to have a certain symmetry, which requires some thought.)
All of the toys use pine slats I cut last week-end and wood beads. Some also have some natural wood coins incorporated within them. Most have been strung on cotton rope, and have been made wider as oppose to longer (less chance for long dangly string of ropes for the birds to hurt themselves with) and others were simply made using skewers.
The "rope" toys -
Rope toy #1
This one is a monster, the picture really does NOT do it justice. It is quite large and heavy. It started with four main strands and each strand had an additional two strands. This one is a combo of pine, willow, cottonwood and hardwood beads - and it is meant for Léa.
Rope toy #2
Another toys that started with four strands of rope, which then had an additional two strands leaving each of those strands, however, the pine slats were regularly divided with a hardwood bead, which makes the toys appear a lot less dense and is a lot less heavy. As well, each additional strand starts off with a series of beads, instead of pine slats, which makes it take less horizontal space right from the top. Given the use of thicker cut pine and a larger number or hardwood beads, this one is also destined for Léa's cage.
Rope toy #3
This one started similar to the others above in terms of strands, but this one is meant for smaller beaks - the beads are smaller and very easy to snap, a favourite of the Littles.
Rope toys #4 & #5
These are my "typical" four strands of rope with pine alternated with beads - I've made similar toys on a number of occasions. The easy to snap beads are featured here as well, so these two toys will also be destined to some of the Littles.
Rope toy #6
An entirely new design for me - when I cut pine last week-end, I also got the opportunity to drill holes so for some of the pine slats cut from the 2"x4", I drilled 3 holes, so I could use it as a larger toy base. I have one longer strand of rope, folded in two, going through the middle hole and two smaller single strands going through the holes on either side of that middle hole. This one is mostly made with pine slats, with the occasional bead, and I haven't decided yet who will get it and I might make more so that everyone has one.
The "skewer" toys -
Skewer toys #1 & #2 - the "small" skewers
Very simple designs, either bead-pine slat-bead or a few pine slats, followed by a bead, followed by a few more pine slats. given this will likely only last 3 minutes with Léa, and more likely lasts 15 minutes (at least for the pine slats) with the Littles, I'll let you guess who will get these.
Skewer toys #3 & #4 - the "long" skewers
These are similar to skewer toy #2, only replicated on a longer skewer. Will either be given to the Littles or to Léa.
Skewer toy #5 - Shade's corkscrew skewer
Why Shade? The one with the pink acrylic ball at the end is hers. I filled this up last week and she destroyed it in no time, whereas the others are still working on theirs.
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