Wooly Mouse Cat Toy

Create a natural cat toy with a little bit of wool, catnip and some needlefelting knowhow.

Here's what you'll need to make the wooly mouse:

• wool (from batt, roving, or source of your choice)
• needlefelting needle
• foam block
• catnip

Pull a section of wool off of your source, and layer approximately 3 times. The larger the amount of wool you start with, the bigger your end result. Keep in mind that as you needlefelt your shape will gradually shrink up as the fibers intertwine.

Roughly shape your wool into the shape of a teardrop on your foam block, then start needlefelting!

If you're new to needlefelting, it's the process of using a very sharp needle with tiny barbs to felt fiber. Needlefelting is accomplished by repeatedly stabbing the needle into fiber. The tiny barbs on the needle cause the fibers to tangle and interlock with one another, making a very sturdy fabric.

As you're needlefelting, don't forget to continually flip over your work to felt both sides evenly, and keep the general teardrop shape.

Once you're satisfied with the initial shape and felt tightness and thickness, fold your teardrop in half like a pierogi. Working from the small teardrop end - which will be the nose - down to the wider end, needlefelt closed.

Remember to continually flip over your project to felt from both sides.

You will ultimately create a hollow tube shape. Leave the far end open.

Fill up your wooly mouse with catnip at the open end.

Wooly mouse is really just a wooly pierogi until he has some ears! Pull two tiny bits of wool from your source, and roll into disks. Felt both sides tightly.

Once your disks are felted, pinch each disk closed at one end, and felt directly onto each side of wooly mouse's head.

Give wooly mouse to your cat and watch her have a blast!