DIY Dog Treat Puppy Piñata

DIY 19 Apr

It really doesn’t get much more fun than a DIY Puppy Piñata. And frankly, now that I’ve had one, I couldn’t imagine a dog birthday party without it!

Combining the fun of a treat ball, with the glitter of a disco ball, our DIY Puppy Piñata kept Soda entertained throughout the day.

Follow these easy step by step instructions to make your own in no time…

YOU’LL NEED:
Paper Mache Numbers or Letters – to spell out your dog’s name or age* (I got mine from Lincraft)
Non-toxic craft glue
Crepe or tissue paper (I used metallic gold tissue)
Scissors
Acto Knife
String/Twine
Small dog treats

* Good luck to you if your dog’s name is Sir Winston the Hound of of Essington

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Using your acto knife take each paper mache number/letter and cut 1-2 small holes in the base. This is the entry/exit point for the dog treats.
2. Using your acto knife, punch two small holes in the top of each letter and thread through your twine for hanging.
3. Grab your tissue paper. Leave it folded as it comes in a fresh package, and cut off a 3cm wide strip. On the strip snip the fringing about 1cm apart and halfway up the strip. Unfold, and you should have one full strand of fringed tissue. Repeat this step until you have enough fringing to cover your numbers/letters.
4. Take your fringing and start gluing it piece by piece to your number/letter starting from the bottom and working your way up. Glue the un-fringed part down then overlap the tissue paper so that the only portion that shows is the fringe. Repeat this step until your number/letter is fully covered. Leave to dry.
5. Once dry, take your completed piñatas and fill with dog treats, shaking them throughout the inside.
6. Hang your piñata and let your dog use their snout and paws to shake the treats free. Enjoy!

HANDY HINTS:
* Due to the smaller nature of the puppy piñata, you may need to cut smaller pieces of fringing to cover corners.
* If you can’t thread string through the top, just use a stapler to attached the hanging string to your completed piñata.
* Always supervise your dog with the puppy piñata. It is designed for your dog to use their snout and paws to shake the treats free as they would with a treat ball. Do not allow your dog to bite the piñata.
* Unlike regular piñatas, the puppy piñata is designed to stay intact and not break apart. Have fun!

Black + White Dog Birthday Party

DIY 17 Apr

This year I decided to celebrate Soda’s 12th birthday with a little at home party just for her.

A black and white party just for my black and white pup. Yes. I am that kind of person that celebrates their dog’s birthday. Did you expect anything different?

Completely ignoring catering to guests of the two-legged variety (myself and my long suffering husband), I instead whipped up a batch of Doggie Black and White cookies.

As a long-time fan of this New York trademark cookie I’ve been dying to make a puppy version for my very own black and white sweet. Did Soda like them? Well considering she stole one in the middle of taking these photos, I’d say that answer was a rousing YES.

What do you get the dog that has everything? Why you make them a ‘Puppy Piñata’.
OF COURSE. Filled with treats that dropped from the sky, it was a gold fringed version of every dog’s treat ball dream.

The only thing that was missing was margaritas and then this party could have gotten all Lindsay Lohan on us. Actually – maybe it’s a good thing we stopped at the piñata.

Happy 12th Birthday Soda!

For full tutorials on how to make your own Puppy Piñata and Doggie Black and White Cookies stay tuned to Pretty Fluffy. I’ll be sharing all the details this week.

Do you celebrate your dog’s birthday?

DIY: Easy Christmas Advent Calendar + FREE Printable!

Nothing says the start of the holiday season like a Christmas Advent Calendar. There are so many truly beautiful DIY Advent Calendar’s floating around the internet, that I just had to do a DIY Doggie Advent Calendar for the furry members of our family.

With a simple and special activity designated for each day of the countdown, this calendar will have your pup happily enjoying every day of the holiday season. And to make your DIY Advent Calendar, it couldn’t be easier…

YOU’LL NEED:
Free Printable Pretty Fluffy Advent Calendar. DOWNLOAD HERE
4 x A4 Sheets of card stock
4 x A4 Sheets of Glitter Cardboard (or one big sheet)
3 x Sheets of Tissue Paper
Scissors
Hole Punch
Glue
Ribbon, twine or ornament hooks
** I used Silver & Gold for my DIY Advent Calendar, but choose your cardboard and tissue paper in whatever colours you like!

TO MAKE:
1. Print your Advent Calendar on card stock and cut each numbered circle out.
2. Glue each circle face side up onto your glitter cardboard. Cut out each circle.
3. Hole punch one hole in each circle near the top.
4. To make Fringing: Take one sheet of tissue paper, fold once lengthwise, then once widthwise and again fold widthwise. Cut your fringing about 1cm apart, leaving about 2 inches near the top uncut. Unfold completely and cut once widthwise. Roll each piece of fringing and twist in the middle then cut in half. Each sheet of tissue paper will make 8 individual pieces of fringing.
NB: This fringing technique was adapted from this tutorial over at Linen, Lace, & Love. For more details and photos visit the full post here.
5. Take your fringing and thread through the hole punched in your advent ‘ornament’. Affix the end with a little glue or double sided tape. Repeat this for all 24.
6. Attach ribbon, twine or an ornament hook to your completed ‘ornaments’ and hang on the Christmas tree!

TO USE:
Starting December 1st, search your tree for the corresponding number and discover the fun activity for the day from ‘Treat Time!’, to ‘A Trip to the Park’ to ’10 Minutes of Cuddles’. Each activity is quick, easy and a fun exercise for including your furry members of the family in the holiday spirit. Enjoy!