Looking for a fun DIY project to try this fall?
With chillier weather approaching, your kitty will need a warm place to curl up! Here’s how to make her a cozy cat bed using an old sweater.
What you’ll need:
- sweater
- pins
- polyester filling
- square or circular pillow (optional)
- scissors
- needle
- thread
- OR sewing machine (optional)
Step 1: Choose a sweater.
- Most cats have a favorite sweater that they love to sleep on. If this happens to be your favorite sweater, choose one that you never wear.
- If the sweater has a high neck, cut it off and set it aside for future patch-jobs.
- Note: If you purchase a sweater from a second-hand store, be sure to wash it first using an all-natural laundry detergent.
Step 2: Sew the neckline.
- Turn the sweater inside-out and sew a straight line just below the neckline to seal it shut. You can use a sewing machine or do it by hand using the thread color of your choice.
- Turn the sweater right-side-out.
Step 3: Sew across the sweater from armpit to armpit.
- Use pins to mark out a straight line across the front of your sweater from armpit to armpit.
- You can turn the sweater inside-out for this step as well to ensure a nicer finish. Sew just above or just below the pins.
- Remove the pins and turn the sweater right-side-out.
Step 4: Stuff the arms of the sweater.
- You’ll need your stuffing for this step. Fill the arms with the stuffing, ensuring it’s packed as tightly as possible without stretching the material.
- Leave an inch of fabric unstuffed at the cuff of one of the sleeves so you can sew them together.
Step 5: Sew the arms together.
- Tuck the cuff of the fully-stuffed sleeve inside the other so that they overlap completely.
- Sew the arms together as securely as possible along the edge of the visible cuff.
Step 6: Cut and discard the bottom of the sweater.
- Spread the sweater out with the looped arms on top. Using your pins, mark around the outer edge of the arms.
- Cut along the line of pins, ensuring you cut through both layers of fabric.
Step 7: Stuff the body of the sweater.
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Using the rest of your stuffing or a pillow, stuff the body of the sweater in between the arms.
Step 8: Sew the arms to the body.
- To complete your DIY cat bed, flip the sweater over and sew the arms of the sweater to the body as securely as possible.
- Flip the bed over and gift it to your feline companion!
AUTHOR PROFILE
Animal Wellness is North America's top natural health and lifestyle magazine for dogs and cats, with a readership of over one million every year. AW features articles by some of the most renowned experts in the pet industry, with topics ranging from diet and health related issues, to articles on training, fitness and emotional well being.
