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Felt donut cat toys

4/7/2016

 
I know I talk about my dog, Franklin, a lot on here, but I also have two middle-aged lady cats. The dog and the cats do not like each other, so they mostly keep to their own spaces. Franklin is a dog, so I can go on hikes with him all the time; the cats have literally never been outside in their lives. So, I provide what better zoos call "enrichment," i.e. toys. Enter this felt donut I whipped up.
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Now, I sewed this on my machine, but you (or a child) could definitely hand-sew this. There aren't any tricky inside-out seams. And it's a cat toy; the cat won't care if the stitches aren't perfectly tiny and even. I'd recommend just gluing the frosting on, instead of sewing it on, to save even more time. 
Either hand-sewing or machine, here's how you make one. Or, skip down to the bottom to see the toy in action with my cat Hambone. 
First draw and cut out a donut (more properly a "doughnut," but that seems archaic, so I'm sticking with donut; I apologize, copy editors) from a sheet of scrap paper. Place this template on top of two layers of brown felt, and cut around the outer circle. Because these won't be exact, symmetrical shapes, mark a point on the same spot on each circle, so you can match them up again later. I used a pin, but later I switched to a white chalk pencil. 
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Here's the chalk line match-up idea:
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Use a chalk pencil and the template to trace the inner circle onto the felt. Keeping both felt circles together (pin them, if you'd like), fold them in half and cut out the circle. 
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Now, draw a squiggly frosting circle on the paper template and cut that out. Use the shape to cut out the pink felt frosting overlay.
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Attach the frosting to just one of the brown felt circles, either by sewing it on, or using hot glue. 
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Now, match up your two halves again, and pin them together. Sew the inside seam of the donut first, then sew about 2/3 around the outside.
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It's time to stuff the donut! I sprinkled catnip on the tufts of fluff as I pushed it inside. Press it into place around the unsewn quadrant, too. 
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Pin the remaining open area closed, and sew it shut. Done! 
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Do cats like it? Oh yes they do!
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(thanks to Hambone for her modeling help.) 
xo!

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    I'm Debbie Way, an artist and writer who enjoys making things.

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