What? Cat toys on the DIY dog blog? Sure thing, furfriends! This is our cat brother Tiger’s easy-sew collection of DIY cat toys. It’s a whopper of a collection, with a whole year of special homemade felt cat toys for your favourite crafty kitty. Catnip optional. Meow!
Transferring Tiger's DIY Cat Toy Collection
Our cat brother Tiger has since crossed the rainbow bridge, leaving our furfamily after sixteen years and three countries together. A pretty cool life, especially considering he was adopted as a little flea-bitten rescue. International moagie of mystery! When our partner blog Creativity Unmasked retired in 2020 after ten years of creative sharing, it felt right to bring some of Tiger’s cat projects here to the Dalmatian DIY blog so they remain accessible. This post consolidates Tiger’s felt cat toy projects into one giant collection of ideas. Since that’s a whole lot of consolidated instructions, to keep the post easier to read and navigate, the step-by-step details for each toy are included as a drop down. Click to toggle the bars and see the full instructions for each different toy (including a construction collage).
DIY Cat Toys vs. DIY Dog Toys
What’s the difference? Primarily size and materials. And catnip, if you’re using that with your toys. Most of the toys in this collection can be easily used as inspiration for DIY dogs toys (or other projects). Scale them to suit your pet and/or adjust the materials and techniques.
As always, safety first, furfriends! Tiger’s tiny toys are hand sewn and include joined smaller elements. For a more robust toy, like I would make for our dogs, I’d use overlays on a solid base instead and securely sew everything down tight. Definitely not blanket stitching. When making a sewn dog toy, I machine sew the edges of any overlays and the entire exterior. Check out our sewn DIY stuffed dog toys for examples. Similar recommendations apply if you are using these DIYs as inspiration for making children’s toys.
Easy Sew Felt Cat Toy Supplies and Materials
All of Tiger’s DIY toys shown in this post were made using colourful quality wool felt, stuffing, coordinating thread, and basic hand sewing supplies. Catnip is optional.
- Felt
- Stuffing (filling the toy)
- Catnip (optional)
- Complimentary coloured thread
- General cutting / sewing supplies for hand sewing
Dried catnip can be sewn in with the stuffing. Alternatively, catnip can be applied as a surface spray or rub after the toys are made. If your cat prefers jingly toys, you can sew a jingle bell to the inside before joining. If they prefer crinkly toys, I’ve heard candy wrappers in the stuffing work well, but have never tried myself. Whatever you use, make sure it is safely secured inside the finished toy.
DIY Valentine Heart Catnip Toy
Is it love or just the catnip talking? This cute little felt heart is a simple sewing project for Valentine’s Day or just because. Cats may not be the most demonstrably affectionate of creatures (unless they want something…) but we still feel the love. Purrfect pals!
- Cut two large hearts (the full size for your finished your toy) for the base and one medium heart and one small heart for embellishments. If you’d like to double-side the layered heart design on the toy, you’ll need two of each size. If you aren’t comfortable free-handing, draw it on the felt or make a paper template. Cookie cutters make great templates for small hearts.
- Using complimentary thread colours, sew the medium and small hearts onto the large heart. The toy shown uses a blanket stitch throughout, and the stitches form part of the design. Simple, sturdy, and cute!
- Layer your base hearts together, embellished side out.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edges, until you are approximately 3/4 attached.
- Add filling of stuffing and (optional) catnip. See alternative stuffing ideas above for jingle or crinkle toys.
- Sew to finish stitching the toy closed, trim any threads if/as needed, and enjoy!
DIY St. Patrick's Day Shamrock or Clover Cat Toy
Whether you prefer a traditional Irish trefoil shamrock or include lucky extra leaf for a four-leaved clover (as we did), the creative choice is yours. Looking for other St. Patrick’s Day craft ideas? This design can be very easily adapted into a cute little clover or shamrock dog collar decoration, brooch, or St. Patrick’s Day hair piece. You might want to omit the catnip though, unless you REALLY like meeting new cats!
Four-leaf clover using joined hearts without stuffing:
- Cut two eight large hearts (the full size of each leaf of your finished your toy), four smaller hearts for leaf accents, and two small circles to join the middle.
- Using complimentary thread colours, sew the small hearts onto the large hearts. The toy shown uses a blanket stitch throughout, and the stitches form part of the design. Simple, sturdy, and cute!
- Layer with the additional large hearts in pairs embellished side out.
- Sew to join the edges. Three layers of quality felt is nice and thick in a small design like this, but you can include a bit of catnip and, if you want fatter leaves, a little stuffing in between the layers before stitching all the way closed.
- Overlap in the middle and sew securely together. Place a felt circle over and under the centre to cover the join and sew into place.
Solid shamrock or four-leaf clover with stuffing:
- Cut two four-leaf clovers (overlap your hearts in the middle to trace) with four smaller hearts (or a smaller four-leaf clover) to make a solid clover toy. Alternatively, cut a shamrock with three smaller hearts (or a smaller shamrock) to make a solid shamrock toy.
- Using complimentary thread colours, sew the small hearts (or smaller shapes) onto the base.
- Layer your base shapes together, embellished side out.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edges, until you are approximately 3/4 attached.
- Add filling of stuffing and (optional) catnip. See alternative stuffing ideas above for jingle or crinkle toys.
- Sew to finish stitching the toy closed, trim any threads if/as needed, and enjoy!
DIY Spring Tulip Cat Toy
Ahh spring! Full of smells, sounds, colours, and the promise of good things to come. This toy was created while the garden was springing back from winter, much to Tiger’s windowsill bird watching delight. Like many bulb plants, tulips are toxic to cats, but tulip toys are a-ok. I was feeling a little fancy when I made Tiger’s tulip. The leaves are individually added to the base of the finished tulip in the toy shown. For an easier sewing option, you can include extra felt on the bottom of your tulip shape when cutting the base and layer with leaf embellishments.
- Cut two large tulip shapes (the full size for your finished your toy) for the base and one medium tulip from a complimentary colour for embellishment. If you would like to double-side the layered design on the toy, you will need two mediuk tulips. If you aren’t comfortable free-handing, draw it first on the felt or use paper to make your own template.
- Cut four medium leaves and two small leaves. If you’d like to double-side the layered design, you’ll need four small leaves.
- Using complimentary thread colour, sew the medium tulip onto one of the large tulips. Repeat if double siding.
- Using complimentary thread colour, sew the small leaves onto two of the medium leaves, lining up the base of each leaf. Repeat for the other two pairs if double siding.
- Layer your base tulips together, embellished side out.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edges, until you are approximately 3/4 attached.
- Add filling of stuffing and (optional) catnip. See alternative stuffing ideas above for jingle or crinkle toys.
- Sew to finish stitching the toy closed.
- Pin the leaves to the bottom of the tulip, embellished sides to the front and plain to the back (all embellished sides out if double).
- Sew the leaves onto the tulip. Don’t stitch all the way through the toy when stitching areas where the leaves overlap the flower, so that you can have a tidy blanket-stitched appearance on both faces, as shown in the images above. This is a little trickier than sewing the leaves to the tulips before combining shapes to sew closed, but creates the appearance that the tulip flower is nested in the leaves. Very cute when finished, but you can adapt to whatever works better for you!
- Trim any threads if/as needed, and enjoy!
DIY Autumn Leaf Cat Toy
Our autumn is early in the year, transitioning from the summertime Christmas and New Years. This is topsy turvey for our northern readers who transition into spring instead. Swap the felt colours for fresh spring greens, and this toy could easily be a spring craft. Check out our spring tulip or adapt the ANZAC poppy flower shape for other spring toy ideas.
- Cut two large leaves (the full size for your finished your toy) for the base and one medium leaf and one stem for embellishments. If you would like to double-side the design on the toy, you will need two of each embellishment. If you aren’t comfortable free-handing, draw it first on the felt or use paper to make your own template.
- Using complimentary thread colours, sew the stem onto the medium embellishment leaf, lining up the bottom on the shapes.
- Using complimentary thread colours, sew the medium leaf and stem onto one of the large leaf shapes, lining up the bottom.
- Layer your base leaves together, embellished side out.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edges, until you are approximately 3/4 attached.
- Add filling of stuffing and (optional) catnip. See alternative stuffing ideas above for jingle or crinkle toys.
- Sew to finish stitching the toy closed, trim any threads if/as needed, and enjoy!
DIY Easter Egg Cat Toy
Easter eggs are fun and simple. You can decorate them as much or as little as you wish. I dressed mine with zigzags and circles made from felt scraps (the cat toys in this series are all made with felt), but ric rac or durable ribbon could also work if you have some in your craft stash. I used ribbon on our stuffed Easter egg dog toys. Check out our mini Easter bunny cat toy for another Easter DIY cat toy idea, too.
- Cut two large egg shapes (the full size for your finished your toy) for the base. If you aren’t comfortable free-handing, draw it first on the felt or use paper to make your own template. Cookie cutters make good templates, if you have an Easter egg or oval.
- Cut additional felt pieces your embellishments. I used two zigzags and three circles. If any of your embellishments extend past the edge, you can trim to fit after sewing in place as the edges will be sewn during the joining of the toy for stuffing.
- Using complimentary thread colours, sew your embellishments onto the front of one oval. Repeat if double-siding.
- Layer your base shapes together, embellished side out.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edges, until you are approximately 3/4 attached.
- Add filling of stuffing and (optional) catnip. See alternative stuffing ideas above for jingle or crinkle toys.
- Sew to finish stitching the toy closed, trim any threads if/as needed, and enjoy!
DIY ANZAC Poppy Cat Toy
A poppy was created for Tiger’s collection for ANZAC Day, but the simple flower design can be easily adapted to other flower colours and styles. Unlike some of the more commonly recognised military service animals, like our dog pals, you might be surprised to hear that cats also have some heroic tales. Wartime cat stories include comfort, companionship, and serving as lucky charms, but also the important service keeping vermin away from food supplies and sensitive equipment.
- Cut two large four-petal flower-shapes (i.e. the full size for your finished your toy) from red felt. Layering the felt and cutting both will ensure they match perfectly. If you aren’t comfortable free-handing, draw it first on the felt or use paper to make your own template.
- Cut a small black felt circle for the centre of the poppy. If double siding, cut two.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew your embellishments onto the front of one flower. To enhance the poppy, I used a pale yellow-green. The toy shown uses a blanket stitch throughout, and the stitches form part of the design. Repeat if double-siding.
- Layer your base flower shapes together, embellished side out.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edges, until you are approximately 3/4 attached.
- Add filling of stuffing and (optional) catnip. See alternative stuffing ideas above for jingle or crinkle toys.
- Sew to finish stitching the toy closed, trim any threads if/as needed, and enjoy!
DIY Winter Snowflake Cat Toy
Our winter is in the middle of the year. Shivers, furfriends! This simple snow flake design can be easily adapted to other crafts. Miniature versions can be used for holiday accessories or to embellish other seasonal crafts. Add a loop of ribbon to the craft to create an easy Christmas ornament. Omit the catnip, of course! Haha! Christmas trees are tempting enough targets for crazy kitties without catnip.
- Layer a small piece of white felt atop a single piece of blue felt. The blue felt should be as large as the white (or larger) and will determine the tip-to-tip dimensions of your final snowflake.
- Stitch a basic snowflake design onto the white felt, through the blue backing. If you aren’t comfortable free-handing, you can draw it first on the felt. Keep it simple – see next step for planning.
- Using fine tipped scissors, carefully trim the white felt around your stitched snowflake. Start at the corners, working inwards, leaving a simple but decorative border of white felt around your stitched design.
- Layer a second piece of blue felt behind the sewn pieces and pin to securely fasten together.
- Using fine tipped scissors, carefully trim the blue felt to form a simple but decorative edge around your white design. Start at the corners, working inwards.
- Layer your base snowflake shapes together, embellished side out.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edges, until you are approximately 3/4 attached.
- Add filling of stuffing and (optional) catnip. See alternative stuffing ideas above for jingle or crinkle toys.
- Sew to finish stitching the toy closed, trim any threads if/as needed, and enjoy!
DIY Summer Ice Cream Cone Cat Toy
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. Or meow! I think that the ice cream cone might just be my favourite toy of the collection. it was very easy to sew, super cute, and Tiger seems particularly smitten. Then, again, he’s always been an ice cream fan! I recall a birthday many many years ago when he hopped onto the kitchen counter (naughty) for a taste test of an ice cream birthday cake (very naughty) much to the dismay of our guests. Haha! Humphrey has a full sized squeaky stuffed ice cream cone dog toy to match Tiger’s tiny toy.
- Draw (freehand or trace) your ice cream shape onto a piece of white (or other ice cream coloured) felt, folded so that the top of the ice cream scoop is along the fold. Cut, leaving the top attached.
- Double layer a piece of light brown felt and cut two identical cone shapes. The top of the cone should be just a touch narrower than your ice cream scoop.
- Optional: Cut a small circle of red felt to add a cherry topper.
- Position the ice cream atop the cone shapes, ensuring that everything is aligned when folded closed, and pin securely into place.
- Sew the bottom of one scoop to a cone. Repeat for the other scoop to the other cone. As with all of the toys in this series, the ice cream toy uses a blanket stitch and the stitches form part of the design. Simple, sturdy, and cute!
- Optional: Stitch a few colourful sprinkles to embellish the ice cream.
- Position the cherry (if including) at the top edge of the embellished ice cream scoop and sew to secure in place. Leave the tip of the cherry so it will just slightly protude above the ice cream when the cone is folded closed.
- Fold the top to close the cone
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edges, until you are approximately 3/4 attached.
- Add filling of stuffing and (optional) catnip. See alternative stuffing ideas above for jingle or crinkle toys.
- Sew to finish stitching the toy closed, trim any threads if/as needed, and enjoy!
DIY Gold Medal Cat Toy
The year that our DIY cat toy collection was created was an Olympic year, so we included a medal (gold of course – cats are always champions!) in the collection. When the toy was made, Tiger was a senior kitty but still my mane man and gold medal cat champion.
My hubby said it reminded him of a military medal. When I shared Tiger’s toy, the original post said that if you have a hero cat or a military family moagie this would be a fun DIY to reward them for their purrfect service or could be adapted for kids as well. Perhaps that comment and suggestion were foreshadowing. Some time later, a photo popped up in my social media feed of a very special little relative trying to steal her father’s military medals. Commenters on the cuteness suggested he find her a toy dress-up medal, and so I offered to make one. Keeping Daddy’s real medals safe from toddler “Stolen Valour” efforts. Haha!
Basic Medal with Striped Ribbon
This is the design used to create Tiger’s original sporty style medal cat toy. It has the standard red, white, and blue ribbon colours so often seen at sporting and other events, but you can easily swap the colour or style to suit your special plans.
- Cut a rectangle of blue (or other colour) felt for your ribbon base. If you have a large enough piece of felt, this can be cut to height + twice the width (or vice versa) so it can be folded on one side. Alternatively, you can cut and use a separate backing piece.
- Cut smaller strips of white and red felt (or other colours) to be the ribbon’s accent stripes.
- Sew the centre stripe (red shown) to the middle stripe (white shown) along both sides, using a complimentary coloured thread or embroidery floss. You do not need to sew the top or bottom.
- Position the joined stripes onto your ribbon base, centred on the section that will become the front of your finished toy. Sew the stripes into place using a complimentary coloured thread or embroidery floss. You do not need to sew the top or bottom. Trim excess if/as needed.
- Fold (or layer if using two pieces of felt) the ribbon base in half, so that the stripes are at the front. Pin to secure.
- Cut two identical circles of yellow (or other medal colour) felt, slightly wider than your ribbon. Layer over the bottom end of the ribbon and pin to secure.
- Sew the ribbon closed and onto your medal using a complimentary coloured thread or embroidery floss. When you are part-ways around your medal, stop to insert filling.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edges, stopping with a gap to insert stuffing.
- Add filling of stuffing and (optional) catnip. See alternative stuffing ideas above for jingle or crinkle toys.
- Sew to finish stitching the toy closed. For a consistent look and style, I opted to sew the folded edge as well.
- Carefully sew the top edge of the medal fully into place, ensuring you neatly catch both the front and the back sides of the medal circle. Tricky, but it’s only a few stitches. Doing this after joining and stuffing gives your medal a little extra dimension.
- Trim any threads if/as needed, and enjoy!
Heart Medal with Striped Ribbon and Bar
This ribbon was made for a child (no stuffing or catnip – haha!), but could just as easily be an alternative cat toy medal design. The basic design and construction are the same as the instructions above, except that a heart embellishment was added to the medal prior to assembly and a bar was added to the medal, capping the edges of the strips. The ends of the bar were folded back into the body of the toy for added dimension and a tidy finish.
DIY Maple Leaf Cat Toy
This was actually the first felt cat toy shared at Creativity Unmasked. It predates the rest of the projects in this collection, and apologies for the lack of photos. While prepping a round-up post for Canada Day, we couldn’t find any Canada Day cat crafts. As a Canadian-born rescue kitty and later international traveller, Tiger was not impressed! I decided to make a him simple maple leaf felt cat toy, the first toy of many.
- Cut two large maple leaf shapes (the full size for your finished your toy) from red felt. If you aren’t comfortable free-handing, draw it first on the felt or make a paper template. Layering your felt to cut both at once will ensure they match perfectly for joining.
- Optional: Using a contrasting thread colour (I used white), sew leaf veins onto one of the base leaves. Repeat if double-siding.
- Layer your base leaves together, embellished side out.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edges, until you are approximately 3/4 attached.
- Add filling of stuffing and (optional) catnip. See alternative stuffing ideas above for jingle or crinkle toys.
- Sew to finish stitching the toy closed, trim any threads if/as needed, and enjoy!
DIY Birthday Present Cat Toy
My mane man Tiger celebrated his birthday each year with with love, treats, and (of course!) presents. It was only fitting that Tiger’s year-long felt cat toy collection included a birthday present cat toy.
- Cut two identical squares of felt in the colour you’ve chosen for your wrapping paper for the gift.
- Cut two strips of felt in the colour you’ve chosen for your ribbon, just slightly longer than the width of your squares so you can trim it to be an exact match once sewn into place. If your cat is young and prone to ripping, you also do this with a larger single piece of felt, if your wish. I opted to use up some scrappy off cuts for my ribbon and topper.
- Optional: Cut smaller pieces of felt for a matching (or complimentary) bow or topper. You can make your topper or bow from larger pieces of felt instead of smaller pieces sewn together, if your wish. I opted for a matching pink four petal floral bow topper with flowery yellow centre since Tiger’s birthday also our first official day of spring.
- Sew the ribbons to one of your gift squares using a complimentary colour of thread or embroidery floss.
- Pre-sew the bow or topper pieces if/as needed. I doubled the felt layers in each piece of my floral bow for extra thickness.
- Sew the bow or topper onto your gift. For a stronger toy, you can sew all edges of the bow or topper down. For my toy, I first sewed the pink pieces of my floral bow onto the gift through the centre of my ribbons, and then stitched the yellow flower accent over the centre to reinforce the connection.
- Trim the ends of your ribbon to the sides of your square, if/as needed.
- Layer the squares, embellished side out.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edges, until you are approximately 3/4 attached.
- Add filling of stuffing and (optional) catnip. See alternative stuffing ideas above for jingle or crinkle toys.
- Sew to finish stitching the toy closed, trim any threads if/as needed, and enjoy!
DIY Halloween Frankenstein Cat Toy
Ever the fearless hunter, Tiger was particularly fond of swatting Frankenstein. Monsters, beware! Moagie is on guard! This toy is a miniature version of our larger stuffed Frankenstein dog toy. I liked Humphrey’s monster so much that I made an itty bitty kitty version for Tiger.
- Cut a rectangle of green fabric for the head. Trim the bottom edge of the face to slightly round the jawline. Just a touch – Frankenstein is a square fellow – haha! If your felt is big enough, you can fold at the bottom neckline, as shown. This eliminates a seam. Alternatively, you can use two separate pieces and sew all the way around instead of folding.
- Cut accent pieces for the face and hair from scrap felt.
- Using complimentary thread colours, incrementally sew the pieces for the face and hair securely into place.
- Optional: Sew to add a scar (optional) using black thread or embroidery floss.
- Optional: Cut thick grey felt or other strong material to create a bolt (omit for safety if you think you cat will try to kibble off the bolts). Sew around the exterior using black thread or embroidery floss to artificially add dimension and style to the bolts.
- Fold the head closed, embellished side out. Position the bolt (if including) at the base of the head, against the fold.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edges, until you are approximately 3/4 attached. The exterior of our toy is closed using a blanket stitch – simple sturdy, and perfect for a Frankenstein especially in a nice “scar” stitching colour like black as shown. Because the bolts protrude through the neck, you can fake the look of blanket stitching as you secure through the bolts, then carry on with normal blanket stitching to close up the rest of the head.
- Add filling of stuffing and (optional) catnip. See alternative stuffing ideas above for jingle or crinkle toys.
- Sew to finish stitching the toy closed, trim any threads if/as needed, and enjoy!
DIY Holly Spring Cat Toy
“Deck the halls with meows of holly…fa la la la la la la la la…” Our Christmas cat toy is a festive sprig of catnip-scented holly. Real holly (as well as mistletoe and many other holiday decorations) is toxic to cats, but this toy sprig is kitty-liscious.
- Cut two large holly sprig shapes (the full size for your finished your toy) from green felt, including both a leaf and a circle at the end for the berry. If you aren’t comfortable free-handing, draw it first on the felt or use paper to make your own template. Layering your felt to cut both at once will ensure a uniform shape for joining.
- Cut a slightly smaller holly leaf from a different shade of green felt for the inner accent. If double siding, cut two. Alternatively, you can skip the accent and make a simpler toy.
- Cut a circle of red felt for the holly berry. If double siding, cut two.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew your leaf accent onto one of the base sprigs. Repeat if double-siding.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew the top of your berry onto the embellished sprig. Do not need to sew around the edges at this stage, only the top of the berry. Repeat if double-siding.
- Layer your base sprigs together, embellished side out.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edge of your berry to attach the edges of the berry and the sprigs.
- Fold the leaves apart and stuff the berry end. It’s a small opening and may be hard to stuff later when you are filling the rest.
- Using a complimentary thread colour, sew to around the outside edge of your leaves, until you are approximately 3/4 attached.
- Add filling of stuffing and (optional) catnip. See alternative stuffing ideas above for jingle or crinkle toys.
- Sew to finish stitching the toy closed, trim any threads if/as needed, and enjoy!
Play Safe, Furfriends!
Remember, toys are for playing and playtime is safer (and more fun!) with you involved – see more cat toy tips and safety advice. Tiger is a pretty chilled out old kitty, and these toy ideas might not be suitable for younger or more destructive cats. As an extra caution, if your cat is in the company of other animals or small children, ensure their safety as well. Small objects like sat toys could pose a serious choking or blockage hazard. To keep our dog’s from stealing Tiger’s toys, we keep playtime interactive, away from the dogs, and store his toys safely.
