Cat owners love to shout their affinity for cats from the rooftops. From sharing kitten photos on Instagram to buying beautiful cat-centric coffee table books to decorating your home with cat decorations, there are no shortage of ways to express your love for cats. However, if you love cats and enjoy a good craft project, you've come to the right place. Read this article to find out some of the most adorable DIY cat stuffed animal projects that you can make yourself and add to your home cat decor.
14 crafts to make your own stuffed cat
1. Pusheen Plush by Flying Mio
Materials: fuzzy gray socks, yarn, stuffing, felt, foam board, felting needles, wool, plastic animal eyes, clay Tools: scissors, hot glue gun, needle Difficulty level: Beginner
Pusheen is one of the most famous cat characters and this beginner's tutorial is great for anyone who loves this adorable little cartoon kitten. Although some sewing is required, it is easy to make using a needle and thread, so even beginners can easily make it. For interested crafters, making this Pusheen stuffed animal requires quite a few materials, but they are all affordable and easy to find at your local dollar store, making this project easy. Not only can it be completed, but it can also be made cheaper.
2. Felt stuffed cat by Artsy Crafty Mom
Image credit: Artsy Crafty Mom Materials: Felt, pencil or fabric maker, thread, cotton or scrap felt fabric Tools: Scissors, needle Difficulty level: Beginner
This small felt stuffed cat project is a relatively easy DIY to complete thanks to the included template that the creator provides for free on his website. Choose a piece of felt fabric in your favorite color, trace the pattern onto the fabric, and carefully cut it out. Assembling felt stuffed animals requires some experience with a needle and thread, but only basic stitches (backstitch, blanket stitch, etc.) can be handled by most beginners. Stuff your kitten with materials you have on hand, such as scraps of cotton or felt.
3. Stitch by Faye crochet cat stuffed animal
Image Credit: Stitch by Fay Materials: Chenille thread, embroidery floss, safety eye, polyester fiberfill, stitch marker, thread Equipment: Crochet hook, needle Difficulty: Intermediate
This adorable crochet cat stuffed animal is made from thick, soft chenille yarn, making it super light and cozy, perfect for snuggling. The finished project is quite small, but the exact size of the finished kitten will depend on the tension and materials used. This is a no-sew DIY, but you will need some crochet experience to follow the instructions.
Please note that to access the patterns you will need to subscribe to the exclusive content of the website. It's free to join and you'll get access to many other adorable patterns for future projects.
4. Cute Kitty Softie from DIY Softies
Image credit: DIY Softies Materials: fleece, felt, thread, pins, fabric Tools: scissors, sewing machine, needle Difficulty: Intermediate
This cute stuffed kitten is perfect for beginner sewing projects, but perfect for those who know their way around a needle and thread. This pattern is available for purchase on Etsy and is very affordable and worth the price. The pattern PDF will be emailed to you immediately after purchase. It includes highly detailed, color-coded instructions to make your project as easy as possible. You can customize your kitty by choosing the fleece and thread colors that look great.
5. Felt tabby cat by Leah Griffiths
Image Credit: Lia Griffith Materials: Pins, felt, embroidery floss, safety eye, polyester fiberfill, fabric pen, tacky glue, jingle bells Tools: Cricut (optional), detail scissors, craft scissors, stuffing tool, needle Difficulty: Intermediate
This felt tabby cat project is an adorable 3D felt stuffed animal that stands on its own and makes a great decoration for your shelf. This tutorial provides a pattern and gorgeous color instructions for making a hand-sewn kitten. The final project is quite large and can be completely customized if you don't like the orange and brown combination provided by the original creator.
You'll need to purchase a membership pass to access this tutorial by Lia Griffith, but membership gives you access to hand-picked craft projects, live workshops, and more. You can choose from several membership options to find the one that best fits your budget.
6. Weighted Cat Stuffie by Artsy Fartsy Mama
Image Credit: Artsy Fartsy Mama Materials: Minky or fleece fabric, fabric markers, felt, Fabritack, polyfil, polypellets, thread Tools: scissors, funnel, needle Difficulty: Intermediate
The weight of a weighted stuffed animal can induce the effect of deep touch pressure (DTP), a firm tactile input that can relax the nervous system. DTP mimics the sensation that occurs when someone is hugged or stroked. Therefore, weighted padding can reduce anxiety and have a calming effect.
This weighted stuffed cat project is relatively easy and perfect for beginner sewers. The plush pattern is available from Teacup Lion, while instructions for the weighted plush version can be found on her web page at Artsy Fartsy Mama. This pattern is also available in other animal options such as dogs, foxes, and wolves.
The key to making this project perfect for children and adults with sensory issues are the poly pellets. These stuffed beads are non-toxic and come in several weights, making it easy to find the right weight for your needs. Unlike other common stuffing options such as rice or beans, poly pellets are washable, making it easy to keep your stuffed animal clean.
7. Cute bookstore sock kitten
Image provided by: Kawaii Bookstore Materials: Socks, pen, stuffing, thread, decorative stitches, decorative ribbon Tools: Scissors, needle Difficulty level: Beginner
This adorable sock kitten DIY is an easy project you can do on your own or with your kids in an hour or two. You can use a sewing machine if you prefer, or a needle and thread if that's easier. The original creator attempted to use a sewing machine, but preferred hand sewing instead. One thing I especially loved about this craft was that the final product was just as fun and funky as the socks you used to make it. Of course, you could use plain black socks, but why be boring when there are so many cool sock patterns out there?
8. Wool patchwork cat by Purl Soho
Image credit: Purl Soho Materials: Felt wool, thread, fiberfill, embroidery, muslin, bag of dried lentils Tools: Scissors, sewing machine Difficulty: Intermediate
This adorable wool patchwork cat is a great project for anyone who loves the look of vintage stuffed animals. It's a little more advanced than the other projects on the list, but not so difficult that it's inaccessible to people who consider themselves beginners. There are a lot of things you need to cut, but our free templates make it easy. A bag of dried lentils acts as a bean bag and gives this stuffing a little weight, allowing it to sit nicely on a desk or shelf.
9. Marquity Plush by Choly Knight
Image credit: Choly Knight Materials: Fabric, appliqué fabric, adhesive web, sewing thread, stuffing Equipment: Sewing machine, scissors, iron, fabric marker, seam ripper, pins, needles Difficulty: Advanced
It doesn't get cuter than this sweet mermaid/kitten hybrid stuffed animal. This project is definitely much more advanced than the others we'll be featuring today, but it's still a great challenge for anyone who wants to test their stuffed animal making skills. However, we have provided all the instructions and templates you need to complete this DIY. This project has a bit of customizability as you can choose not only the fabric type but also the color of the marquiti. The creator recommends using plush, stretchy fabrics like minky or felt for best results.
10. Terry cat stuffed animal by Dollmaker
Image credit: Dollmaker Materials: Terry towel, polyester fiberfill, thick thread, fabric marker, eye buttons (optional) Equipment: Sewing machine Difficulty: Easy
This cute and simple terry cat stuffed animal project is a quick and inexpensive project using materials you probably already have at home. If you have spare towels taking up space in your linen closet, this is the perfect DIY to put them to good use. Ultimately, the color and softness of your stuffed animal will be determined by the terry towel you use. You can further customize this project by choosing the eyes you want your kitten to have. Button eyes are great, but if you prefer a more “sleepy” look, you can also sew the eyes on with thread.
11. Unicorn Kitty Pillow Plush by Choly Knight
Image credit: Choly Knight Materials: Fabric, appliqué fabric, fusible web, sewing thread, polyfill stuffing, fabric markers Equipment: Sewing machine, scissors, iron, needle, pins, seam ripper Difficulty: Advanced
Similar to the Mer-Kitty project above, this Unicorn Kitty stuffed animal is a little more challenging, but the end result is absolutely gorgeous. Again, you can customize your plush by choosing the color and fabric type, but the creator recommends stretchy options like fleece or minky to give the stuffed animal a squatter, rounder shape. Masu. Choly Knight provides complete color instructions and printable templates to ensure your projects go as smoothly as possible. However, you will need some experience using a sewing machine before attempting this DIY.
12. Blooper the Cat by Fluffmonger
Image credit: Fluffmonger Materials: Fleece, lightweight knit fabric, embroidery thread, stuffing, thread, marking tools Tools: scissors, sewing machine, pins or clips, stuffing tools, doll needle Difficulty: Intermediate
This cute fleece kitty project requires some sewing experience, but it's not as difficult as it may seem at first glance. There are many ways to customize your kitten. For example, make the eyes and nose felt or sew the nose with satin stitch and tie the eyes with embroidery. You can also use glass eyes if the project is not for children, or plastic eyes for a child-safe nose and eyes. Some clever artisans customized their projects using other materials, such as upcycled sweaters and polyester fleece.
13. Pastel Pusheen Plush Toy by Maqaroon
Materials: Fluffy pastel socks, fabric markers, thread, scrap cards, markers Tools: Needle, scissors Difficulty: Intermediate
If you want another Pusheen stuffed animal, how about this cute pastel colored stuffed animal? This cute stuffed sock is super easy to make with materials you probably already have at home. Actually, other than the Pusheen-esque face and shape, it's not that different from the other sock stuffed animal projects we reviewed today. This project doesn't have a downloadable template, so you'll have to draw and cut out the facial details yourself. Luckily, Pusheen's face is so simple that even the worst drawers should work just fine.
14. Cute stuffed cat by Let's Make It Together
Materials: Fabric, cardboard, fabric markers, fiber filling Tools: Scissors Difficulty: Intermediate
This super sweet kawaii style stuffed animal is a great project for anyone who likes a challenge. The original creator didn't include a link to a printable template, so you'll have to hand-draw everything yourself. The YouTube tutorial also does not provide written instructions or narration, which can make this project difficult for some people, especially auditory learners. Thankfully, the video tutorials are very thorough, so even if you're a visual learner, this DIY won't be too difficult.
final thoughts
There is no shortage of stuffed cats available for purchase at your local department store or children's toy store. However, by creating your own, you have the creative freedom to customize the stuffed animal to your own taste and style. Plus, there's nothing more rewarding than crafting something to show off or display in your home.
Featured image credit: jantsarik, Shutterstock