11 DIY Cat Christmas Ornament Plans You Can Make Today (With Pictures)
Updated on
Christmas is a great time to be a cat. They get to enjoy playing with the ornaments, knocking down the tree, and generally wreaking havoc, but we love them still. Why not remember your kitty in the celebrations with some cute feline ornaments this year?
Even if crafting isn’t your forte, this list is full of whimsical and festive ideas to make putting together a kitty-themed tree easy. No matter what your craft of choice is, this list will help you put together something you’ll be proud to see on your tree. Ornaments like this also make great gifts for cat lovers in your life.
Top 11 DIY Cat Christmas Ornament Plans
1. Salt Dough Cat Ornaments
| Materials Needed: | Salt, flour, water, paint, ribbon, paintbrush |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
Salt dough is so easy to make and so stunning! These ornaments use supplies that you probably already have in your kitchen, but the addition of a little bit of paint really elevates the look! Salt dough does take a few days to dry, so make sure that you give yourself time before you put them on the tree.
2. Keepsake Pawprint Christmas Ornament
| Materials Needed: | Handprint ornament kit, metal tag (optional), metal stamping kit (optional) |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
Handprint ornaments have become so common in recent years that you can even buy kits to make them! Dukes and Duchesses blog walks us through turning a store-bought handprint kit into a professional-looking paw print ornament so you can remember your cat’s tiny paws forever.
The kit makes this ornament easy, and the blog even shows how to add an optional metal name tag to the ornament.
3. Sparkle Paw Print Salt Dough Ornament
| Materials Needed: | Salt, water, flour, modge-podge, paint, glitter, gold sharpie, ribbon |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
If kits aren’t your thing, here is another great paw print craft. This ornament is made from salt dough, which won’t be quite as crisp as a plaster cast but is less messy. The example ornament is beautifully finished with paint, glitter, and a bright pink ribbon—the perfect choice for a fussy princess.
If that’s not your cat’s style, you can always change the colors and finish.
4. Cat Embroidery Hoop Ornaments
| Materials Needed: | Mini embroidery hoop, black thread, sewing machine, button, ribbon, fabric |
| Difficulty Level: | Medium |
This cute ornament is a perfect project for anyone who knows how to sew. Clear step-by-step instructions and a template help you make a cute felt cat with button eyes and a Santa hat. These ornaments are perfect gifts for a crafter who loves cats.
The tutorial assumes you have basic knowledge of sewing, so it’s not the best for a complete beginner, but anyone who’s completed a few sewing projects could finish this quickly.
5. Primitive Felt Cat Ornament
| Materials Needed: | Felt, embroidery floss, stuffing, freezer paper, embroidery needle, scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
Even a beginner at hand sewing would be able to complete this cute cat face ornament. A simple pattern and clear instructions help bring together an ornament that can be made in any color combination. The “primitive” style of the ornaments also makes it suited to a beginner, with any imperfections only adding to its charm.
6. Cat Butt Christmas Ornament
| Materials Needed: | Felt, fabric yo-yo (optional), freezer paper, needle, thread, glue, pipe cleaner, polyfill |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
This ornament may not be for everyone. But if you have a healthy sense of humor and a cat that loves to stick his tail up, these cat butt ornaments might make you smile. The ornaments are a fairly simple felt shape with a printable template to guide in cutting out.
They come together with a combination of glue and stitching, but you could easily make it a new sewing project too.
7. Crochet Cat Purr-esent
| Materials Needed: | Yarn, crochet hook, stuffing, safety eyes |
| Difficulty Level: | Medium |
This cat “purr-esent” ornament is an adorable addition to any Christmas tree. With big round eyes peeking out of the present box and adorable little ears, this amigurumi ornament sets out to capture your heart. You can make the cat up in any color to make it match your cat’s coat or make a whole litter of tiny kittens to cheer up your tree.
8. Itty Bitty Christmas Kitty Crochet Ornament
| Materials Needed: | Crochet thread, hook, scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This simple crochet cat pattern is so cute! The simple oblong shape of the cat makes it a fairly simple crochet project, with only a few shaping details to bring it to life. A simple loop of yarn is all that’s needed to make it ready for the Christmas tree.
8. Four Poly Clay Cat Ornaments
| Materials Needed: | Polymer clay, metal loop |
| Difficulty Level: | Medium |
Simply Ornaments’ tutorial guides you through making a basic polymer clay cat shape and dressing it up in four different ways. This ornament set is a little trickier, so don’t expect magical results if you are new to polymer clay, but the clear instructions and simple shapes make the tutorial manageable for an ambitious beginner.
9. DIY Cat Glitter Ball Ornament
| Materials Needed: | Clear ball ornaments, glue, air-dry clay |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
There’s nothing that makes a mess like cat fur, except maybe glitter. This sparkly ornament uses glitter, glue, and clay to make a cute and simple cat ornament that’s sure to sparkle delightfully when the Christmas lights hit it.
The result is just stunning—especially for something that uses mainly dollar-store materials!
10. Wood Slice Photo Ornaments
| Materials Needed: | Photos, modge-podge, drill, paintbrush, ribbon, pencil |
| Difficulty Level: | Medium |
Wood slices can add rustic charm to your tree, and this tutorial makes the process simple. A photo of your precious kitty gets turned into a cute and rustic ornament with only a little wood slice and a few other tools.
11. Cat Treat Ornament Gift
| Materials Needed: | Clear fillable ornament, cat treats, ribbon, embellishments |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This clever ornament doubles as a sweet gift to your kitty! By filling a clear ornament with a few of your cat’s favorite treats and embellishing it with stickers, you create a pretty, functional ornament that your cat will be looking at all season long.
On Christmas morning, you can empty out the ornament and let your cat enjoy the treats.
Final Thoughts
We hope the list in the article has given you some inspiration for the next holiday season. Whether you make one (or two!) of these ornaments for yourself or give them as a gift, you will find the perfect one that will make any cat-lover smile!
Related Reads:
- How to Keep Cats Out of a Christmas Tree (5 Tricks)
- Do Cats Eat Christmas Trees? Are They Poisonous to Cats?
Featured Image Credit: alexandramontanaro, Pixabay
