Who doesn’t love fleece? As well as being warm and comfortable, fleece is fun and easy to work with, making it a favorite fabric for all kinds of crafts. But fleece isn’t just for us “humans.” Pets also like warm and comfortable. So if you have a dog or cat and enjoy making crafts, here are some fun and easy fleece projects to make for your pet.
Doggy Tug and Chew Toy
Despite its light weight, fleece is extremely durable, making it an ideal fabric for dogs to chew on and pull on. To make a fur rope doggy toy, all you need is three long strands of fur that are about 3 inches wide by 36 inches long. Tie a strip at one end and then braid it into a tight rope. Then tie the other end in a tight knot and trim the other end. Kids will love helping out with this project. Since toys get dirty and dirty with use, they can be easily cleaned in the washing machine. It is a good idea to make several snooze toys at once as they will wear out with use and need to be replaced.
Cat / Kitten Fleece Blankets
If you own a cat, you know they don’t prefer to curl up in a cozy blanket. The local animal shelter knows this too and they are always on the lookout for new blankets for homeless cats and kittens. Fleece is the ideal fabric for cat blankets, as it provides the warmth, breathability and washability it needs. It’s also inexpensive, and its non-fraying features make it easy to use and even more suitable for donation purposes. Making cat blankets is also a great way for the whole family to spend quality family time together. All it needs are some that are machine washable fleece material and some sharp scissors. To make a large fleece blanket, cut two fabric rectangles that are 18 inches wide by 28 inches long.
Now lay one rectangle on top of the other and, cutting both pieces at once, cut a 3-inch square from each corner and discard the pieces. Now, bring the rectangles together, separating all sides by making ¾ inch by 3 inch cuts, making sure to make the cuts as even as possible. Now tie the top layer edge to the bottom layer edge using a double knot and your blanket is done. A smaller blanket for kittens can be made from two rectangles of fabric cut 14 inches wide by 18 inches wide. To donate blankets contact your local humane society.
Pom-Pom Fur Ball
When it comes to making fun toys for cats and dogs, few things beat a pom-pom fur ball. And like most fur crafts, fluffy balls are super easy to make. All you need to do is cut 3 to 6 pieces of fleece about 1 inch wide by 60 inches long. Now cut a 3-inch by 6-inch rectangle of cardboard and wrap each length of fur loosely around the center of the 4-inch piece of cardboard, one at a time. When all the fur pieces are wrapped, there should be about an inch of cardboard showing at each end of the cardboard rectangle.
Now carefully slide the fleece piece free of the cardboard and tie a 1-inch by 6-inch piece of fleece around the center of the fleece piece as tightly as you can. Trim the ends of the knotted piece with scissors and then cut all the fleece knots on either side of the knotted piece and flatten the resulting pom-pom ball. Finish by trimming the pom-pom balls to the desired density. Give it a try, and you’ll be asking yourself who has more fun with pom-pom balls, you or your pet?
