DIY Felt Cat Toys

I imagine that my sister getting a new cat is similar to what it might feel like for others celebrating the birth of a sibling’s child. That might seem like my priorities are a bit out of order, but considering that none of my siblings have children and all of my family members have cats, I would say this is probably appropriate.

There’s a lot of pictures—which I can only appreciate because they are not photos of an actual baby. There’s the talk of a name. And there’s the need to lavish this new family member with gifts. That’s where this tutorial comes in.

Now I’m not saying my sister’s cat is not worth spending money on. It just so happens that you can make cooler toys. Store-bought cat toys are nowhere near as hilarious as watching a cat play with a piece of pie.

All you need it some felt, embroidery thread, and catnip (and some garbage if the cat likes those crinkle toys). The only expensive part of this project is buying a bag of catnip. In my case, I just stole my cat’s supply (Sorry, Maggie!).

In total, if you go out to buy everything, this might cost you somewhere around $5. Bet you can’t say that of a gift for a human baby…

SUPPLIES

• Felt
• Embroidery thread
• Scissors
• Needle
• Catnip
• Sturdy plastic packaging (seriously, cats love garbage)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pick your pie flavor!
2. Cut out all your felt shapes: 2 triangles (one crust, one top), 3 rectangles  (two sides, one crust piece)
3. If you want to add any decoration to the top, now’s the time to do it! I added lattice to this one.
   
4. Sew on the first pie side. Stack the piece on top of the triangle, lining up the edges, to make it easier to attach.
   
5. Take the second rectangle piece and stack it on the inside of the pie pieces. Sew together on the short edge.
   
6. Sew the long edge of the rectangle piece to the long triangle edge.
   
7. Grab the triangle and rectangle piece for the crust. Place the pieces on top of each other and sew along the short edge.
   

   

8. Now it’s time to attach the pie to the crust. Starting at the bottom corner where the pie and crust meet, sew all the long edges of the triangle. Leave the crust rectangle open.
   
9. Stuff the pie with catnip and plastic wrapping, or whatever your cat prefers.
   
10. Sew the crust rectangle onto the pie body. I recommend using a running stitch at the top of the pie.
    
11. You’re finished! Let’s hope your cat actually plays with the toy since you just spent all that time making a toy. For a cat.