Kids: Turn Recycled Materials into a Craft Toy for a Pet Cat

Cats and kittens are playful pets, and love to pounce on anything that moves. "Anything that moves" can be a ball of yarn, a ball, a bug, or a cat toy. But pet cats don't need brand new cat toys to satisfy their playful urges. Recycled materials work just fine for this craft project that unites kids and pets cats.

Kids can make a fun and exciting cat toy for their pet feline, using recycled materials they have at home. This is a project for kids who are old enough to know how to use an embroidery or sewing needle, with or without supervision. Children under three should definitely not do this craft because the objects involved could be choking hazards.

Recycled Materials Needed for the Cat Toy Kids Craft

a pair of inexpensive, but protective gardening gloves (or use one stray gardening or heavy-duty glove)

10 small and recycled items that your pet will like. The items should be shiny, or make a noise, or can bounce. Most importantly, the item should have a hole in it so it can be threaded.

Some recycled objects to find around the house for this kid's craft include:

a big, round button from mom's sewing kit
a medium-sized or small bell
an empty spool of thread, especially a wooden one
pom poms of all sizes
an empty key ring
an old key chain
a knotted piece of yarn
a strip of colored or shiny ribbon
part of a fishing lure (without the hook, or any tiny pieces that can come off)

Tools Needed to Make the Recyled Cat Toy Kids Craft

an embroidery needle or a large sewing needle
a pair of scissors
any color of embroidery floss or heavy-duty thread

Preparation for the Recycled Cat Toy Kids Craft

First, collect all of the items you will need. Your pet cat may be pretty curious at this point. Next, cut 10 strands of the embroidery thread into strands that are about seven inches long.

How to Make the Recycled Cat Toy Kids Craft

Take a strand of embroidery floss and thread it through the needle. Roll the end of the embroidery floss between your thumb and pointer finger, to tame stray ends. Thread the eye of the embroidery needle with the floss. Tie a really good knot at end of the embroidery floss.

With the glove off of your hand, stick the embroidery needle in the finger tip part of the thumb on the glove. Now pick an object fromthe ones you have collected. Thread the other end of the embroidery thread through a hole on the object. Shake the glove and test it, to see if the embroidery thread is the right length for cat play.

Now do the same for the remaining four fingers on the first glove. Vary the recycled objects on the glove, to make it even more fun for the pet cat. Do the same for the second glove.

Why do two? Since you're already using one glove, why not use the other? Now the cat will have two toys, or one can be given as a gift.

If you only had one glove, like a stray or mismatched glove, that's fine too. It's a great way to recycle and reuse it.

Using the Recycled Pet Toy

Now you can your cat can enjoy some safe play time. The glove protects your hand. The objects are securely fastened, which reduces the risk of a cat choking.

This recycled craft cat toy is one to be enjoyed by family and the pet cat. For safety reasons, do not let the cat play with the Happy Glove alone, in case he or she does manage to remove an object. Plus, it is more fun to enjoy this recycled craft together, with your pet cat.