7 (more) Fun DIY Toys for Your Rabbit

Time to make some more cheap toys for your rabbit! There is so much you can create using everyday items you can find around the house. What’s even better is that sometimes these cardboard toys end up being your rabbit’s favorites. 

Toys are great for rabbits because they give your rabbit something to chew on (other than your baseboards). They are also great for a curious rabbit’s mental health since they encourage those natural bunny behaviors of digging, chewing, and foraging. If you want even more ideas, check out 5 other DIY toys to make for your rabbit.

---

Important: This page may contain affiliate links. While I am careful to only recommend products I use and like, you should be aware that I may receive a small commission for referring customers.

---

Woven cardboard mat

Woven cardboard rugs are good chewing and digging toys for rabbits. The idea is to make this toy similar to the woven grass mats that are so popular with rabbits. You can also use this to cover areas of carpet or other floorings that you don’t want your rabbit to dig into.

You can adjust the size of the woven cardboard mat however you want to. If you have a larger piece of cardboard, you can make a very large mat for your rabbit, but you can also make a fun toy if you only have a smaller piece of cardboard.

Items you need

• A cardboard box (or 2 flat pieces of cardboard)
• A ruler
• A pencil
• A razor

Instructions

1. Cut out twenty 1in by 18in pieces of cardboard. Use a ruler to measure out the 20 identical pieces. Try to keep the lines as straight as possible when you cut them so that they will fit together more easily.
2. Arrange ten of the cardboard pieces on a flat surface with very small gaps between the pieces. It can be helpful to place a heavy object on one edge of the cardboard pieces to keep them in place.
3. Take one of the remaining pieces of cardboard and weave it through the first ten. You’ll place it under the first piece of cardboard, over the second, then under the third, and so on. 
4. Add the next piece of cardboard, alternating the weave. So this time you’ll want to start by placing it over the first piece of cardboard, then under the second, over the third, and so on.  This will help to hold the cardboard mat together on its own without requiring any kind of glue.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the remaining pieces of cardboard. That’s it, you can give it to your rabbit and see what they think!

Rabbit pop up tunnel

The rabbit pop-up tunnel is meant to mimic the idea of a rabbit burrow. You make an ‘underground’ area for your rabbit with a few holes they can pop out of. This works best with a large flat box that your rabbit can fit under, but will easily be able to poke their head out of the top.

Items you need

• A large, flat cardboard box
• A circle shape to trace
• A pencil
• A razor

Instruction

1. Place a large, flat cardboard box on a flat surface and cut an entrance in the side. You can either cut out the bottom or leave it in place.
2. Trace 3-5 circles in random spots on the top of the box using your circular object as a guide. Pick a bowl or circular object that will make a hole that’s large enough for your rabbit to fit through. If you have a large rabbit, you’ll need to use a larger bowl and will be able to make fewer circles.
3. Using the razor, cut out the circles that you traced on the box. They don’t have to be perfect. Your rabbit will likely start chewing on these edges eventually.
4. Place the box on the floor for your rabbit to explore. You can also hide other toys and treats inside to make it more interesting for your rabbit.

The rabbit barbell

Do you ever see those cute wooden barbell toys for rabbits and small animals, but you’re afraid there is too much glue on them? You can make your own very easily, with no worry of unsafe pieces for your rabbit. This is a great chew toy for rabbits, and you can use it as a puzzle toy too. Hide a chunk of dried fruit on the inside of the toy and watch as your rabbit tosses it around to get the treat out.

You will likely have to buy one part of this toy; You’ll need to get something to use for the bars. I used willow sticks that I already had on hand (they’re really cheap!), but any kind of stick that uses untreated wood will work.

Items you need

• 6 straight sticks
• A piece of cardboard
• A small circular object to trace
• A razor or pointy object
• A pencil

Instructions

1. Trace two small circles on the cardboard and cut them out. You want the circles to be large enough for the six sticks to fit spaced out along the edge, but small enough that the gaps won’t be too large to trap any treats.
2. Mark the spots to poke the holes for the sticks. You want them to be about evenly spaced. The holes should also match up on both ends of the cardboard, so make sure the dots mirror each other.
3. Using your razor or pointy object, cut or poke the holes into the cardboard circles. I find making the first hole with a razor, then enlarging it with a pen or pointed pencil is the easiest way to do this.
4. Slide the cardboard circles onto the sticks. You’ll want to slide them onto the sticks an inch or two on either end to make sure the cardboard doesn’t end up falling off too quickly.
5. Hide a treat inside and give it to your rabbit. You could also put some hay inside to keep the treat hidden and encourage your rabbit to munch on hay while they get at the treat.

Treat bridge

String together a bridge of toilet paper tubes and hide treats inside to give your rabbit a fun hanging toy to play with. You can hang this bridge up between chair legs or in your rabbit’s enclosure. It’s great for chewing and foraging as your rabbit figures out how to get those yummy treats out of the cardboard tubes.

Items you need

• 5-10 Toilet paper tubes
• A razor or pointy object
• String 

Instructions

1. Poke four holes, two on each end, in each of your toilet paper tubes. You want to be able to run your piece of string through either end of the tubes to keep them from falling over when you hang it up.
2. Cut two long pieces of string and add the cardboard tubes to them. Make sure there are at least a few extra inches of string on either end so you can easily hang the bridge up.
3. Tie a knot in the string at both ends of the bridge. This will help to make sure the bridge stays in place after you hang it up.
4. Stuff each of the cardboard tubes with hay and some hidden treats. The hay helps keep the treats from falling out and encourages your rabbit to munch on some of them while they look for the treats.
5. Hang up the bridge and let your rabbit have fun with it. Make sure it’s low enough to the ground that your rabbit will be able to reach it. You can play around with the location and angle until you find a place your rabbit likes.

Cardboard flowers

This is one of the simplest toys you can make for your rabbit. All you need is a cardboard toilet paper or paper towel tube and a pair of scissors. It can be a fun chewing and tossing toy for your rabbit or you can stuff it with hay and treats to make it more enticing.

Items you need

• A cardboard toilet paper or paper towel tube
• A pair of scissors

Instructions

1. Take your pair of scissors and cut thin slices of cardboard along the edge of the tube. Only slice in about 2 inches so you will have an in-tact area in the middle of the tube.
2. Repeat step one on the other side of the tube. Make sure to avoid cutting all the way through the middle section. Try to keep an inch in the middle untouched.
3. Fold back the edges to create a flower. This can be a fun tossing toy as is, or you can add hay for your rabbit to pull on and play with.

A rabbit jumping hurdle

I like to train my rabbit because it’s a great form of bonding and it’s good for a rabbit’s mental enrichment. I was trying to think of ways I could start teaching her how to jump hurdles without having to invest in an expensive set right away.

Most of the DIY hurdle tutorials I found online required some skills and tools to use with wood or PVC pipe, so I decided to figure out how to make something simple using the more basic supplies that I have access to. 

Since this is not meant to be a chew toy, I am using packing tape as one of the construction supplies. However, you should try to avoid using adhesive items, such as tape or glue, on objects that you expect your rabbit will be chewing on.

Items you need

• A large piece of cardboard (or large cardboard box)
• A ruler
• A pencil
• Packing tape
• Long sticks or dowels (I used willow sticks)
• A razor or scissors

Instructions

1. Cut out two pieces of cardboard at 6in by 24in. You can adjust the height as much as you want depending on the size of your piece of cardboard, but I recommend not going shorter than a foot and a half (18in).
2. Draw two lines lengthwise to divide each length of cardboard into three equal, 2-inch sections. This will be where you’ll bend the cardboard to make a triangular standing structure.
3. Use the razor to make shallow cuts along the lines, but DON’T CUT ALL THE WAY THROUGH. The goal is to make it easier to fold the cardboard along these lines.
4. Fold the cardboard and make standing triangular structures, and tape the stands in place.
5. Cut out two large circles for your remaining cardboard. These are going to be the stands to help stabilize the pole structure.
6. Trace the bottom of the triangular pole onto the center of the cardboard circles and cut out the shape. You are going to insert the poles into the stands and tape them in place. This should help keep them from falling over whenever your rabbit jumps over the hurdle. You can use tape to make them more securely connected.
7. Make marks every 2 inches up each of the poles and cut them to create holes. These will be where you place the sticks or dowels to create hurdles for your rabbit to jump over.
8. Arrange the sticks on the holes and teach your rabbit to jump. Now your rabbit is ready to start learning how to jump hurdles in an agility course!

Rabbit castle

What rabbit wouldn’t love their own fun castle? I had a few cardboard boxes lying around, so I decided to create a simple, multi-story castle for my bunny to play in. It would be really easy to expand the castle even more if you have more boxes laying around. You can also easily replace any of the boxes that are chewed on too much, to avoid structural damage.

Items you need

• At least 3 cardboard boxes
• A pencil
• A ruler
• More cardboard for decorations

Instructions

1. Arrange your boxes in the way that you want your final castle to appear. Try to give your rabbit at least three levels that they can hop upon as well as a couple of tunnel opportunities. The exact layout of your castle will depend on the size, shape, and number of your cardboard boxes.
2. Pencil in where you want to put holes to be entrances for your rabbit from the outside. Don’t forget the areas where two boxes will be connected.
3. Cut out the holes that you marked for entrances and tunnels in the castle.
4. For the holes between boxes, you’ll want to cut tabs on one side of the tunnel and slots on the other. You’re going to use these to connect the two sides of the castle without using tape since these are areas where rabbits tend to chew.
5. Insert the tabs into the slots to secure the two sides of the tunnel. Repeat this on every place where two boxes meet.
6. Use the remaining cardboard to create decorations for your rabbit’s castle. You can attach the decorations using tabs and slots. If they are in an area where your rabbit is unlikely to chew, it’s okay to use tape or glue instead.