CAT HAIR TOTE BAG
Carry your cat all around town. These totes may be small, but they’re just the right size to hold a magazine or electronic device. It is easy to make them look more sophisticated by attaching felted cats and leather handles.
Materials
- Cat hair just big enough to fill both hands
- Cardboard to cut out design for cat hair felt
- Pencil or pen for drawing pattern on cardboard
- Cutting mat to spread underneath the card when you cut
- Felting needle to pierce the cat hair fabric and sew it together to make felt
- Sponge or felting mat for felting process
- Sheet-style felt (8-1/2 by 20 inches)
- 2 leather straps or cords (each 14 inches long)
- Whatever decorative bell or beads you like
Tools Sewing machine, machine thread, sewing needle, marking pins, etc.
From the book Crafting with Cat Hair
by Kaori Tsutaya.
Step 1
Fold the sheet-style felt in half lengthwise and sew lengthwise 1/4 inch from the edges on each side.
Step 2
Sew diagonally in the bottom corners, making a gusset.
Step 3
Turn the bag right side out (the opposite of how it is in step 2) and sew on the leather straps or cords to make the handles.
Step 4
Prepare the pattern:
- Trace one of the designs onto cardboard or create your own design
- On top of a cutting mat, use a craft knife to cut out your design and make a pattern
Step 5
- Place the design pattern wherever you like on the bag
- Hold the pattern firmly down on the bag to keep it from slipping, put the cat hair into the area where you want the image to appear and jab evenly with the felting needle to secure the shape
- After you have applied the cat hair, remove the pattern and poke neatly around the contour of the design to secure it
Step 6
Jingle, jingle! Bells or beads give a decorative touch. You can also add as many cats as you like!
