Supplies Needed

Craft felt.

9 inches (23 cm) by 12 inches (30 cm). Any color works.

Fabric pen

Scissors

Poly-fill stuffing

Dried catnip.

Loose catnip and catnip buds are both good options.

Sewing needle

All-purpose sewing thread

Thin wooden dowel.

Dowels approximately 1 foot (30 cm) long are easier to handle.

100-grit sandpaper

Hot glue gun

Hot glue gun sticks

Twine.

Jute line or other heavy string could also work. You need at least 40 inches (102 cm).

Preparing the Fishing Pole

Cut the dowel down.

If starting with a longer dowel, use a hand saw to cut the wood down to a length between 1 and 1.5 feet (30 and 46 cm).

Sand away any rough edges.

Thoroughly file the cut edges of the dowel with 100-grit sandpaper. Both ends should feel rounded and smooth when finished.

Cut a length of twine.

Unroll roughly 40 inches (102 cm) of heavy twine. Cut the twine with scissors.

Coat the end of the dowel in hot glue.

Apply hot glue to one end of the dowel rod. Use enough glue to cover 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) of wood.

Wrap one end of the twine around the dowel.

Carefully press one end of the twine into the glue at the bottom of the glue patch. Wind the twine around the end of the dowel several times until it reaches the end of the rod.

Trim the excess twine.

Use scissors to cut the remaining loose twine down to a length between 28 and 30 inches (71 and 76 cm).

Knot the twine.

Tie a simple overhand knot onto the loose end of the twine. Position the knot roughly 1 inch (2.5 cm) away from the end of the twine.

Making the Toy Fish

Trace the outline of a fish onto the felt.

Sketch a simple fish outline onto a piece of felt using fabric pen or marker. The outline should be approximately 4 inches (10 cm) long and 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.6 cm) wide.

Cut out the fish.

Fold the felt in half, then cut along the sketched outline using sharp scissors. Doing so should produce two identical halves.

Glue the twine to one half.

Apply a ½ inch (1 cm) dot of hot glue to the center of one fish half. Carefully press the knotted portion of twine into the hot glue, then allow the glue to dry.

Match the two halves.

Stack one fish half on top of the other. Keep all edges evenly aligned. The “wrong sides” of the material should face inward, trapping the knotted twine in between both halves.

Sew along one side.

Prepare a sewing needle with all-purpose thread. Stitch along the top half of the fish, from nose to fin, using a blanket stitch or other type of edging stitch. Sew over the twine during this step, as well.

Insert the stuffing.

Stuff the fish with a small bundle of poly-fill. The fish should have more dimension, but the open edges must still be able to meet when brought together.

Add the catnip.

If desired, wedge a tiny amount of dried catnip into the poly-fill. Use one catnip bud or ¼ tsp (1.2 ml) of loose catnip.

Sew the remaining side.

Join the remaining open edges using a blanket stitch or similar edging stitch.

Play with your cat.

The cat toy is now finished and ready for your cat to enjoy.

Download or Print this DIY Cat Toys Checklist

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Introduction

Use this DIY cat toys checklist to create a toy for your cat using craft felt, twine, and a wooden dowel. This version of the classic “fishing rod” toy requires the use of basic sewing skills, but overall, the project is quick and easy to complete.

Details