Now There's an Idea! {Martha Stewart's Mousey Cat Toy Tutorial}

A friend of mine just adopted a cat, so I thought I'd make him a couple handmade cat toys. My cat loves little fake mice, so I scanned the web for a template (why reinvent the wheel, right?). Low and behold, I stumbled upon a template and tutorial on Martha Stewart's site. Martha has heaps of tutorials for really classy crafts, complete with great pics, great templates, and detailed instructions.

The mouse tutorial did not disappoint! Step two was a little light on instruction, perhaps. I sewed the sides together first, and then sewed the bottom on. Had to make little clips around the bottom of the sides to make it fit to the bottom (hmm, should have taken a pic of that!). I used the fabric scraps that I had laying around, rather than hunting for old menswear (like the tutorial calls for). I also substituted some braided wool for the bias tape that Martha and co. use for the tail. For a little extra fun, I added some dried catnip with the cotton batting in mine. The little details (ears, eyes, nose) are a little time consuming, but I think the outcome is super-cute and makes a great gift for a new pet-owner!

You might be tempted to enlarge the template, but don't do it! (These mice are the perfect size for a cat's mouth). Don't overstuff either, or your carnivorous cat won't be able to grab hold.

For those of you who knit, my friend Laura over at Home Sweet Home, has a great tutorial for an eyeball cat toy too!

How about you? Any handmade pet toy ideas?