Straw Toy

[crazyanimal]

STRAW TOY

Materials: package of straws
razor, utility or exacto knife
plastic chain or spin wheel
beads

I, personally use a razor blade as the cut is much quicker and smoother.

Take a straw and put the razor blade slant ways inside the straw, do not turn the blade but turn the straw instead. It will cut into a spiral. Please be careful not to cut yourself.

You can use a wiffle ball, lenght of plastic chain or a base that has holes in it. Slide the pre cut straws through the holes and add on some beads.

It takes a bit of time to make these but so worth it. My guys love them.


Here is a toy I made with muffin cups and the straws on the bottom that I just described above.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/crazyanimal/MuffinStrawToy.jpg

[Sherry]

Cute. I use alot of coffee filters in my toys also, good for bigger birds....

[lion6255]

that's so cool..I love that idea !

[crazyanimal]

Thanks for the comments. Here is a link that shows the visual way of making the straw toys:

http://www.cheepparrottoysntips.com/beads15.html

Check out the site... wonderful ideas. I am a member of the cheap parrot toy group. Great ways to find cheaper ways to make toys expecially if you have multiple birds.

[YICKelly]

Thanks Delta - great idea!

[Betty]

Thanks for the site and pictures of your toys! Great job!

[crazyanimal]

Your welcome. Hope you guys enjoy the site and get some great ideas.

[GreyWednesday]

That site is really great. Thank you for posting it. And the birds chirping on the opening page is so relaxing. Ha. That one got added to my favorites list. And the toy you made looks great!

[crazyanimal]

Your very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.

[kitkatgold]

Very good posting! I love the straw idea!

[crazyanimal]

Thank you. Glad you like it. :elefant:

[Midnight]

Well, I was going to post a separate thread, but found this one that already pertains to this. :)

I absolutely love the looks of these 'pommies'. I have oodlings of straws and wanted to make some for my birdiepoos, and I got to thinking (dangerous, I know LOL) about how to cut these straws without having to cut them with just a bare razor blade/utility knife. I'm sooo clumsy with my carpal tunnel (I have only a little grip), and cutting them like this just isn't an option for me. :p After seeing a few other types of cutters, I decided to devise my own. Soooo.....

I went out to the garage where we have lots of left-over wood from a kitchen re-do. I took the circular saw and cut two approx. 4" lengths of 1x2's. I then measured the two different sizes of drinking straws/stirrers I have and found drill bits a tad larger in diameter than the straws. At one end of each piece of wood, I then drilled a hole with each respective drill bit at an approx. 45 degree slant to give me the desired angle I wanted the straws to be cut at. I then masking taped a razor blade to the wood, covering half the hole opening with the sharp end of the blade.... voila! Insant tubing/straw cutter! All you do is put the straw into the back, twist, and you've got a spiral-cut straw! Quick, easy.... and actually FUNCTIONAL!! Woo hoo!!

Just thought I'd share another idea of how to do something like this... I's pwoud of muhself. :D Ha ha!!

[Sherry]

Good idea Midnight. Thanks for sharing that one with us. I will have to try it....

[crazyanimal]

That is exactly the same thing that I used to cut my straws with. I started out just using a razor blade but it took forever. Now I have one of those blocks of wood with the razor stuck to it. So much easier on the wrist. LOL

[Cindy]

Someone needs to patent this idea!! But before you do, cause you're going to be selling these little tools for big $$$, can you put one together for me!!;)

[Treva05]

Wow, excellent toy Delta! I'm amazed with all the ideas you come up with for toys, well sure some you get from the group, but you do such an excellent job on making them! Parrot toys are OUTRAGEOUSLY priced! I bought a foraging cup and a boing and just those two cost me 50 bucks! It's CRAZY! I like this thread so we can make affordable toys for our birds to destroy, lol. Good idea Midnight, that surely would help make the straw cutting easier, at first I wasn't sure how to cut them, but makes sense now! Great ideas you guys have!!:D

[Midnight]

Another idea:

since not all the length of the straw goes through the cutter (there's about 1 1/2 to 2" left of each straw) I took the ends (the bendie end of the straw), stretched out the bendie part, wire (zip) tied TIGHTLY in the middle, trimmed the end off the wire tie, and Maxie now has a foot toy!

I actually think he likes the 'left over' foot toy better than the spiral cut pommie. LOL

[Cindy]

Another idea:

since not all the length of the straw goes through the cutter (there's about 1 1/2 to 2" left of each straw) I took the ends (the bendie end of the straw), stretched out the bendie part, wire (zip) tied TIGHTLY in the middle, trimmed the end off the wire tie, and Maxie now has a foot toy!

I actually think he likes the 'left over' foot toy better than the spiral cut pommie. LOL

I'm a very visual person...how about a pic? Please?;)

[Midnight]

Here ya go. It's kinda crude, but Maxie doesn't seem to care. LOL