what do you use for a rattle inside knit balls/food?

[Alvenchrst]

My mom is going to make a bunch of knit balls and food and I want to put rattles inside them, what should I use? It would be nice to use something non-toxic ( i consider most mainstream toys to be toxic with too much lead allowed or PVC in plastics) but also something that will last. Any ideas??

Thanks!

[boheime]

What about some of those jingly cat balls? Or something for birds since that stuff is generally non-toxic.

[dimibella]

Originally Posted by boheime

What about some of those jingly cat balls? Or something for birds since that stuff is generally non-toxic.

I was totally thinking of those jingly cat balls too! Can't you buy just regular little mini jingle bells at the craft store though?

[kittygrrl523]

it would also be cool if you stuffed some with beans or rice or something...

obviously you would have to make sure that they were really well contained...maybe tied tightly in a layer of cheesecloth or cotton or something...and then you would just have to check them every now and then to make sure they were holding up well...

they wouldn't make noise but it would be good for sensory stimulation to have some that felt different and were squishy or whatever

[Alvenchrst]

humm that's a good idea to make them sensory. I want to make my kids some weighted waldorf dolls and maybe some sand sewed up in muslin would work well. Thanks for all your ideas

[boheime]

I think if you just put the jingle bells in, they would be pushed up against stuffing and the sound would be dampened. That's why I was thinking the cat balls. There would be a space for the jingle bells to move around. I'm just not sure how well the sound would travel. i may have to experiment now.

[Alvenchrst]

Oh I get it, i didn't know there was a difference between jingle bells and cat balls, thanks for the tip!

[boheime]

I've seen the jingly cat balls at pet stores -it's a ball made with a plastic frame with a bell inside.

[selendang]

I've used the 35mm film cannisters. They'd be wrapped up and surrounded by stuffing. I filled them up with buttons or pebbles and they make a nice sound. Not exactly natural, but it does follow the second R. (Reuse)

[Sage_SS]

Rice, buttons, beads, bells.... anything really.

[NoliMum]

I used a small box of mints.

[reducereuserecycle]

i've been thinking about this also. what I really want to get my hands on is one of those chime balls like the Kindermusic balls are stuffed with. it would be an awesome sound to hear coming from a felted ball! i wish I knew where to but them.