DIY: Cat Toys To Sew, Knit, Or Crochet

Fun toys for the kitties you know.  Mice, olives, & owls—Oh my!  Just add some catnip to their stuffing and you’ve got some sweet gifts!

Very dapper mice to sew for the discerning feline.  And a great way to upcycle out-of-date menswear hanging in the back of a closet or at your favorite thrift store.   You can hand stitch these or use a machine.  I wouldn’t use beads for eyes—just embroidery floss.  You’ll need:

  • Assorted menswear fabrics (such as wool suiting, cotton shirting, corduroy, and cotton velvet)
  • Iron
  • Fusible webbing
  • Sewing machine and sewing supplies
  • Loop turner
  • Fill
  • Catnip
  • Embroidery floss
  • Embroidery needle

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Festive stuffed green olive to knit for the martini loving cat. (via i-like-lemons)  These are super cute.  These can be left as-is or you can lightly felt them.  You will need:

  • 2yds (1.8m) sport weight or baby weight wool. Mary Jane used Jamieson and Smith 2ply jumper weight #83 dk olive, FC11 bright olive, and #9436 Dale of Norway Baby Ull pale olive (Baby Ull, a superwash yarn, won’t felt much, but it will get fluffier)
  • 1.5 yds (1.4m) Jamieson and Smith 2 ply jumper weight #125 pimento
  • 1 set dp needles size 2 (3.0mm)
  • catnip
  • 1 crewel embroidery needle

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Soulful owls to crochet for the serious cat.  You can make him just the size you want.  If your cat might eat off the eyes, use yarn instead of safety eyes.  You’ll need:

  • < 25g of scraps of wool, in at least two colors
  • 17mm color safety eyes (x 2)
  • catnip
  • A 3.5mm crochet hook, a little stuffing and a needle and thread

DIY: Crochet Frisbee

Crochetfrisbee
You can find the pattern for this one here on Zelna Olivier’s blog. 


I freakin’ love these crocheted frisbees!  A while back at the dog park, I saw a guy throwing one of these for his dog.  I couldn’t tell how it was made, but I could tell it was soft, so it couldn’t hurt the dog when she caught it, and is was floppy, because after she caught it, she had a blast shaking it as she brought it back to her person—very fierce!  A crocheted frisbee is also great for the less athletically inclined—if your throw goes wild, it won’t hurt any dogs or people who get in the way. Now, people from the Pacific NW tend to be pretty reserved and I never know how someone will react when I speak to them.  I grew up in Texas where it’s rude not to acknowledge people in public and even after 25 yrs. this reticence of PNW native can be startling. This guy, however, was happy to let me check out the frisbee and to tell me about it.  He got his at a toy store because he immediately knew it’d be great for his dog and that he could always take it with him since he could fold it up.  I also like that you can throw it in the wash. You can have a lot of fun with the colors you use, so be creative! Crochet Frisbee I (this pattern was developed for Handmade Especially for You a charity that organizes knitters & crocheters to make handmade scarves for abused women.  One of their members realized a soft frisbee would be great for kids also affected by abuse since it could be used indoors, for instance in a shelter.) Crochet Frisbee II Scalloped Frisbee (this is really a potholder pattern, but I thought it’d make a neat frisbee too!  photo is via Oiyi’s Crafts)

DIY: Feather Spinner Cat Toy & Wand

Make your own feather spinner cat toy similar to the Da Bird cat toy.  The tutorial shows you what to do.  You can make it as simple or elaborate as you like.  Be sure to pay special attention to the instructions in Step #5 on the placement of the larger feathers to insure the toy spins.

You’ll need:

 

The second tutorial shows you how to make the wand to go with the spinner using:

  • acrylic or wood dowel 3/8″ and 18″ long
  • 2 vinyl carburetor caps sized to fit on dowel
  • hex nut
  • medium strength fishing line, string, or cording
  • scissors
  • glue gun

DIY: Rope Dog Toys Round-Up

Rope toys can make great tug toys for dogs who are heavy chewers.  Since they have some heft to them, rope toys make good toss toys too.  They’re durable and can be pretty colorful.  To make these rope toys, you can buy new rope, use scrap rope, or you can upcycle retired climbing rope—ask at climbing gyms or climbing stores for retired rope.  Let the knotting begin!

The first group of toys uses the Basic Crown Knot.  (How To Video I, Video II)

Rope Ring

Rope ‘Y’

 

The second group uses the Monkey Fist Knot.  (How to Video I, Video II)

Rope Monkey Fist with 1 Tail

Rope Monkey Fist with 2 Tails

Rope Monkey Fist Starburst

DIY Cat & Dog Toy Round-Up

Yikes, it’s December! I have to get crackin’ on making some presents.  To get you started on gifts for people with pets, here’s a round-up of previous posts on DIY toys for cats & dogs.  They range from crazy-easy to not-too-taxing on the difficulty meter.  Try them out!  You’ll have thoughtful, unique gifts for all the furred ones you know.

 

Crazy-Easy:

3 No-Sew Dog Toys

2 No-Sew Cat Toys

2 Braided Dog Toys


Slingshot Ball for Dogs

 

Some Sewing (some can be done with just needle & thread):

Felt Sushi Cat Toys

3 Easy to Sew Cat Toys

2 Squeaky Dog Toys

Felt Mouse, Bird, Fish Toys for Cats 

Foxtail Dog Toy

Fortune Cookie Cat Toy

Pretty Birdie Cat Toy

 

Knitted:

3 Knitted & Felted Dog Toys

Knitted & Felted Mouse Cat Toy