Thanks everyone and good link Ellie! I know there are even websites out there dedicated to home-made toys or cheap toys, but all of it is just so spread out! Links would definitely help expand this thread further for people
Ok so here are some of the toys I've made, not all of them but it was getting late last night so I took pictures of the ones that were up. Hmmm I guess let's go from the simplest to more "complex" if you even want to call it that, most of these were pretty easy and very cheap. Sorry about the photo sizes guys, not quite versed enough on how to re-size photos on photobucket. Well, I re-size them on photobucket and they show up huge here so...
This one is gift ribbons that I took the staple and tape off of and tied to a clasp. He loves to try to 'preen' the ribbons and play with the curls.
Ribbon cost $1 for a package of 5 at the dollar store
Clasp cost less than $1 for a package of them at Hobby Lobby
This is a Snuggle Buddy I made from a feathered boa by tying knots in it until it was a good size and 'plumpness' and adding a clasp to one end. I chose white because his sibling (Ink) was white at the breeder and I wanted something comforting when he came home. He still snuggles up so close to this he uses it more like a blanket sometimes.
Boa cost $1 at the dollar store
Clasp cost less than $1 for a package
Here is a button-bell abacus I made by tying a clasp onto some yarn, tying a triple knot about an inch out from the clasp, and threading colored over-sized buttons and a bell before repeating the knots and clasp at the opposite end. Sometimes he pins his eyes and really goes after the red and purple ones
Rainbow Yarn $1.50 at Walmart
Colored buttons were $2, I got 2 packages and you should be able to find them at any craft shop
Bell was around $2 for a package of like 6 if I remember right at Hobby Lobby
Clasp cost less than $1 for a package
Here are two. One is a yarn snuggle buddy I made by cutting 3 pieces of about 18" of yarn, tying them to a clasp then braiding in knotted pieces ranging from 1" to 3" long (tie one on, braid, tie, braid, etc). Remember once you tie it it becomes two pieces half the size of the original piece. At the end I braided a bit more and tied a bell on. He loves preening the yarn.
Rainbow Yarn $1.50 at Walmart
Bell was around $2 for a package of like 6
Clasp cost less than $1 for a package
The other is kind of a miscellaneous jumble of toy parts for foraging and fun. Tied a pacifier on the end of a strip of vegetable-tanned leather and threaded Indian beads, unflavored rawhide, cut up straws, wooden beads, apple wood, bottle caps (from milk jug, juice, sports drink, etc.) rattles, lei flowers, plastic colored shot glass, letter block, and a carabiner to clip it.
Package of pacifiers $1 at the dollar store (baby shower section)
Leather strip 75cents for 3' at a bird show
Indian beads $1 for a bag of 300 at dollar store
Unflavored rawhide $1.70 at any grocery store
Straws were free. Washed and cut before being recycled as toys
Wooden beads were about $1.50 for a package at hobby lobby
Apple wood chews were about $1.30 at Target in the rodent section, predrilled
Bottle caps were free. Washed and drilled before being recycled as toys. These make great (small) foraging nooks! Add some movable sticks or something to block the birds path to increase challenge. I added the rattles so he'd have to move them around to get at seeds.
Package of rattles $1 at dollar store (baby shower section)
Lei flowers were $1 for a package of 3 leis at dollar store. The spacers were straw type things that I also use and I even saved the string after I cut them up.
Plastic colored shot glass came in a package of like, 12 for $1 at the dollar store or Walmart (careful drilling holes, they crack easily. Keep the speed slow and put your fingers behind the other side of the plastic instead of something hard or the cup will crack. If you're going slow no worries about hurting yourself as long as you're smart). These are awesome foraging toys and I use these as feeders on my play-stand with his pellets.
Letter blocks were $3 for a package of 18 pre-drilled blocks at a bird show
Carabiners were $1 for a package of 3 at a craft shop
And last for the toys that I have up is a Swing that I made from a jump rope and Cholla wood. I took the handles off, threaded the Cholla wood on, tyed a triple knot and shoved the knots into the Cholla wood so it would stay, tied a couple single knots one on each side to keep any toys up (there were toys there, but Sukha gnawed them off), knotted again to keep the handles in place, used the handles as spacers and fixed a loop system to hang it at different heights and angles in the cage. I tied a string of yarn in place over head with bottle caps, Indian beads, wood beads, flowers and a bell. I put in a couple cut pieces of cardboard tubing that was used in gift wrapping so had no glue on it (check wrapping and packaging shops, they throw them away every day)
Jumprope $1 at dollar store
Cholla wood about $1.60 at Hobby Lobby (unbleached, I painted it with food coloring)
Rainbow Yarn $1.50 at Walmart
Bottle caps were free
Indian beads $1 for a bag of 300 at dollar store
Wooden beads were about $1.50 for a package at hobby lobby
Bell was around $2 for a package of like 6
Lei flowers were $1 for a package of 3 leis
I've also made a swing from a wicker wreath (You guessed it, $1 at dollar store) and wrapped the bottom with hemp rope I had, painted the hemp with food coloring and stuck a carabiner on it, -a simple bell with small chain link and a bell, -a chewie toy with all apple wood and rawhide pieces on some leather, and -a baby toy with plastic disposable baby spoons (holes drilled in bowl of spoon), rattles, pacifiers, "block" beads, Indian beads, a rattle/maraca, ribbon and wooden blocks on a bamboo skewer and a couple others I can't think of right now, I'll have to look in his toy box. I may add pictures of these later if anyone really wants to see them.
