DIY recycled cat bed

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Animal Wellness
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DIY cat bed

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.

  • 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!