How to Make a Catnip Toy

A scrap of material with some dried catnip makes a fun gift to give to your cat or cat-loving friends. Learn how to dry your own catnip by reading "How to Dry Herbs."

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Dressmaker Pins
• Fabrics
• Needles
• Sewing Machine
• Threads
• Scissors
• Twine
• fresh, dried catnip

1. Decide on the toy shape: mouse, heart, ball or whatever shape catches your fancy.
2. Make a pattern by drawing the shape on a paper grocery bag, leaving a 3/8-inch seam allowance around the design.
3. Cut the pattern out.
4. Fold a piece of the scrap material you wish to use to make the toy, keeping the nice sides together.
5. Pin the pattern onto the scrap material, and then cut out the pattern.
6. Straight stitch a 3/8-inch seam around the cutout, but double check that the right sides are together before you do.
7. Leave about an inch opening in seam.
8. Trim the seam at the corners or curves, cutting from the outside to the edge of the sewn seam.
9. Turn the toy right-side-out, and fill with dried catnip.
10. Hand stitch the remaining 1-inch opening closed.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are doing a mouse shape, add a tail by placing a piece of twine or cord inside as you sew the seam, with the long end inside of the material. Once you turn the material right-side-out, the long tail will be outside.
• Consider growing your own organic catnip to use inside the cat toy.