Instead of viewing cat hair as a nuisance, why not consider it a source of raw material for some truly engaging crafts? If a fur ball necklace, a felted cat fur purse, or a tiny hat crafted from cat hair sound like you, read on.
6 Ideas for Recycling Cat Fur Constructively:
1. Wash it, card it, spin it, and knit it.
Humans have been making yarn from sheep’s wool for at least 10,000 years. Why not create a useful ball of yarn from cat hair as well? There’s plenty of it! And making yarn out of cat hair is not as complicated (or as weird) as it sounds. Check out the instructions in this article!
Collect the wool during your cat’s weekly brushing sessions. Store it in a cloth bag because it can mildew if trapped in plastic. When you have at least 4 ounces of cat hair, wash it gently in a large bowl filled with warm water and dish soap. Allow the fiber to air dry on your counter.
If the fur is not at least two inches long, you’ll need to blend it with another fiber such as Alpaca. Hand carding the fiber is easy and fun. Once your fur is ready to spin, you can try spinning it yourself using a drop spindle, or you can avail yourself of the services of a pet fur fiber artist.
What could be more fun than knitting or crocheting with a yarn made from your cat’s fur? It’s got to be better than just cleaning it up and tossing it away, right?
2. Make an eye-popping cat clone.
If you have an unused $25,000 lying around, you can ask a company called ViaGen Pets to create a perfect genetic twin of your cat – like these cats here! To make a more affordable clone of your feline friend, simply collect plenty of loose fur, purchase craft animal eyes, and cut a tiny nose out of pink felt.
Arrange the fur into the shape of a cat, add the eyes and nose, and voila! a perfect replica of your cat. Snap a picture of your cat with its “clone” to post on social media. Make sure to tag us in it so we can see your handiwork.
Looking for a professional, 3-D replica of Kitty? Contact a craft company that specializes in sculpturing pet lookalikes out of the animal’s hair.
“Making yarn out of cat hair is not as complicated (or as weird) as it sounds”
3. Take up pet hair felting.
This ancient textile art uses either needles or moisture to bond fibers to one another in a tight, durable form. Your pet’s hair can be needle felted into a replica of the pet, a finger puppet, a piece of jewelry, or even a cat toy. You just need your cat hair, a felting needle, and a felting surface to get you started on this intriguing new hobby.
4. Create cat-inspired jewelry.
Necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings can all be crafted from a collection of loose cat hair. Simply gather up the cat’s leftover hair, roll it into tight balls, and store them until you are ready to craft an elegant personal ornament.
One woman described these balls of white cat hair as having a “lovely appearance that reminded me of oversized white pearls.” Cat hair can also be shaped into hearts or disks and wrapped with multicolored wire for a particularly striking model. Since pieces of cat hair jewelry retail for more than $200, this idea for loose cat hair may be the most lucrative one conceived yet.
5. Craft creative cat costumes.
Your cat can love wearing its hair all over again. With a little ingenuity, you can create costumes for your cat out of old hair that will seem brand new. The hats that Japanese photographer Ryo Yamazaki made for his cats were felted from their fur, and the internet went crazy over them. Learn to make cat fur hats yourself and have your very own cat in the hat.
- Recommended Read: Top Tips for Removing Cat Hair
6. Use cat hair for genuinely practical purposes.
Tie fishing flies with cat hair, use it as fertilizer on your plants, or add it to your compost heap. While not as creative as some of our other suggestions, these do have plenty of practical merits. Other creatures enjoy cat hair, too. Stick a tuft of it near your bird feeder, and watch how quickly that useful building material disappears. It makes a baby-soft lining for nests, and some mama birds will be grateful to you for sharing it.
Did you know certain environmental organizations accept donations of cat hair? They stuff pantyhose with the fur to make an absorbent hair boom that will sop up oil during spills.
Finding New Ways Of Using Your Cat’s Hair
For more great ideas on using your excess cat fur, consider purchasing the book Crafting with Cat Hair.
Tell us about the fun, creative, and zany ways you’ve seen loose cat hair put to good use.
You can (ahem) let your hair down in the comments.
Feature Image Credit: Dimhou, Pixabay
