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11 DIY Cat Plushies You Can Make Today (With Pictures)

Ashley Bates

By Ashley Bates

Cat playing with stuffed toy

Sometimes, simple toys are the most entertaining for our cats. These can be customized to fit your personal preferences, plus they’re fun crafts that you can make by yourself or with friends and family. Some of these plushie plans require a little more sewing skills than others, but most are pretty basic and something that even young children can learn to do.

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The 11 DIY Cat Plushies

1. Felt Cat Plushie by Artsy Crafty Mom

DIY FELT CAT PLUSHIE
Image Credit: Artsy Crafty Mom
Materials: Brown, white, pink, and black felt, fabric marker, cotton or scrap felt
Tools: Scissors, needle, and thread
Difficulty: Easy

This simple felt cat plushie is adorable, easy to make, and can be customized to look just like your cat at home. It comes with a free template to help you cut out the head, body, tail, nose, ears, eyes, and fur. After that, all it takes is a little hand stitching before you’re left with an adorable plush toy for your cat to play with. Change up the look of each one by using different colors or playing with the shape.


2. Softie Cat Sewing Pattern by Sew Modern Kids

DIY CUTE KITTY SOFTIE CAT SEWING PATTERN
Image Credit: Sew Modern Kids
Materials: Fleece, felt
Tools: Needle and thread
Difficulty: Easy

While you do have to buy this sewing pattern, it is still affordable. Once you buy it, you can make as many plushie toys as you want so it’s certainly worth the money. It does require a little bit of hand sewing, but it only requires a few basic sewing skills. The overall design may be set, but this is another toy that you can change the look of simply by buying different colors of fleece or felt.


3. DIY Cat Toy by Nifty Thrifty DIYer

DIY Cat Toy
Image Credit: Nifty Thrifty DIYer
Materials: Fabric of your choice, stuffing, catnip
Tools: Scissors, tape measure, sewing machine
Difficulty: Medium

We love this DIY plush toy because it has a simple shape and gets stuffed with catnip to make it even more enticing for your feline friends. You can make it as large or small as you want, and the fabric you choose is entirely up to you. These toys do require a sewing machine to make, although you could easily hand sew them if you wanted to. Because of the use of a machine, it might not be the easiest project on the list.


4. DIY Cat Laying Animal Plush Toy by Handmade by Ting

Materials: Fabric, thread, pattern
Tools: Sewing machine, scissors
Difficulty Level: Medium

We love this little tutorial because you can essentially make it whatever you want. Is it a fox? Is it a cat? Is it a dog? It could really be anything. It’s super easy to make, and the results are very satisfying.

We really like the step-by-step process of this tutorial. The creator walks you through each step, explaining the process in the text on the screen. The explanation is thorough, making the tutorial easy to follow since this is a pattern,

Even though we have full confidence that anyone could do this DIY if they tried, it would likely be best for experienced sewists. The creator has a PDF pattern available—or you can draw up your own.


5. Chibi Cat Plush DIY by Mimibits Cool Craft

Materials: Velboa, minky fabric, felt fabric, stuffing
Tools: Needle, scissors
Difficulty Level: Medium

We absolutely went wild over this adorable plushie by Mimibits Cool Craft. Rather than filling your screen with unnecessary words, the creator simply shows you a slightly sped-up version of the making process so you can follow along.

If you need assistance with the sewing aspect of this creation, the maker links to other videos in the description that show how to sew the face and body.

If you feel you need more confidence making it on your own, the creator offers a paid pattern in the link below the video.


6. Sitting Kitty Plush by BeeZee Art

Materials: Fabric, stuffing, thread
Tools: Sewing machine, scissors
Difficulty Level: Experienced

This BeeZee Art Sitting Kitty Plush DIY shows how to produce a very adorable design your cat will love—or you can keep it as a decoration! This creator goes through the process step-by-step, explaining each action she takes.

So, while this is a moderately complex project, she makes sure to go slowly so you can keep up. You will need a sewing machine for this design, as is shown. However, if you’re an experienced sewist, you can attempt hand-stitching.

You can eyeball it and create your own template for this piece if you want. Or you can purchase the PDF pattern linked in the description. Remember that hand stitching takes significantly longer, so keep that in mind for timing estimates.


7. Pusheen Cat by Creative DIY

Materials: Sock, thread, stuffing, glue stick, sharpie
Tools: Scissors, glue gun, needle
Difficulty Level: Easy

This pusheen cat DIY by Creative DIY is oh-so-easy. If you’re looking for an adorable plushie, you can whip up in a matter of minutes—look no further! You can also stuff this little kitty with catnip for a zesty kick.

If you have a few socks on hand, you can make a handful of these plushies for extended play.


8. DIY Felt Chubby Cat by KN Felt Creations 

Materials: Felt, thread, stuffing, catnip (optional)
Tools: Needle, scissors
Difficulty Level: Easy

This tiny DIY Felt Chubby Cat by KN Felt Creations is an inexpensive, perfectly sized little cat toy you can make today! Felt is relatively cheap, and you don’t need a fancy sewing machine to create it. So, it’s perfect for beginners.

There is minimal audio and no written instructions on the screen. However, you can see what she is doing step by step so you can follow along. Even though she does not fill it with catnip, you can add some for enhanced play.


9. DIY Sock Cat by INNOVA Crafts

Materials: Pair of fuzzy socks, stuffing, thread
Tools: Needle, scissors
Difficulty Level: Easy

Have an old pair of fuzzy socks lying around that you never really wear anymore? Turn it into a cute creation. This Sock Cat by Innova Crafts is a project anyone can make! You use one sock for the body and legs—the other for the head and tail.

This project requires hand stitching instead of sewing machine work. If you feel comfortable with a needle and thread in your hand, you might prefer this project. However, if you want the faster route, certainly pick another one of our options.

This plushy is very squishy. It’s the perfect size for play or cuddling. You can add catnip to the inside or leave it as is.


10. DIY Cute Cats Yarn Pom Pom by Art IDEA

Materials: Yarn, glue stick
Tools: Scissors, glue gun
Difficulty Level: Easy

This is arguably one of the cutest DIY cat projects we found, and it doesn’t take much skill at all! You can whip up one (or two or three) of these kitties in no time! This is a fabulous no-sew option—ideal for those creators that just don’t want to fiddle with needles.

Even though the creator uses black and white in this video, you can make this little kitty look however you want. If you have a few skeins of yarn, get started right away. If not, you can pick up a few batches from your local department store or craft shop.

Rather than extensive sewing, you simply wind up the yarn, make a few cuts and ties here and there, and glue the pieces together.


11. Sock Kittens DIY by Moth Art

Materials: Socks, thread, stuffing
Tools: Needle, scissors
Difficulty Level: Easy

Here is another way to repurpose your old socks! Or, if you’re feeling extra creative, you can pick up a pair that has a pattern you love. This Sock Kitten DIY from Moth Art doesn’t have any on-screen written instructions, but it goes slowly step-by-step with visual demonstration.

If you have basic sewing skills, you can hand-stitch this piece with minimal effort. In this particular DIY, they look like a cool little Christmas kitty—so you could always use this as a holiday gift idea for your felines when the time comes, too!

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Things to Avoid

We love the concept of making your own toys for your pet cat, but that also means you need to be careful about the materials you use. Try to avoid using small, hard objects that could be a choking hazard to your cat. You should also avoid string when possible because it could come detached and get swallowed. Whenever you finish your project, make sure that you remove all needles from the plushie before allowing your cats to play with it.

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Summary

Cats don’t always need the biggest, most expensive toys to have a good time! They’re usually just fine with small, soft objects that they can sink their teeth and claws into. When they’re shaped like animals, their natural hunting instincts are activated, and they can’t help but stalk and pounce on their new toys. These plushie DIY projects are perfect if you’re stuck at home and looking for a craft to keep you busy. Your cat might not appreciate your hard work, but they’ll definitely enjoy their new toy!


Featured Image Credit: guvo59, Pixabay

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