Homemade Flower Catnip Toys

Finished homemade flower catnip toys ready for gift-giving. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Homemade Flower Catnip Toys

Every Christmas for a number of decades now, I make homemade catnip toys for the cats in my life. Some live with my brothers, others are with friends. And then I live with two cats that couldn’t imagine opening their Christmas stockings without finding fresh catnip toys in them.

Seems a little early to be talking about homemade catnip toys, doesn’t it. Well, it isn’t because you need to plan ahead. First step, plant the catnip this spring. I grow not only my own but one of my cats enjoys eating the fresh leaves when I bring a sprig inside.

Catnip is a perennial herb so once you plant it, it should come back over the years. Don’t use chemicals oh them and you can easily pick, and dry, for homemade catnip toys.

Homemade Flower Catnip Toys Inspiration

This past year, I made these homemade flower catnip toys out of felt. Buy felt out of season and it will be less expensive than getting jt around Easter and Christmas.

After drying the catnip on top of my refrigerator, I store it in an old coffee container and glass jar so I have it ready to use.

The dried catnip goes t into the circular flowers after the yellow centers were sewn on. The stem and leaves are one felt piece.

Easy to make homemade flower catnip toys out of felt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

If the long stems and leaves are too challenging, just cut out a tiny green leaf that can be added when the flower is stitched closed.

So where is the catnip? You can put it inside the yellow circle or you can sew the larger flower petals together and sneak it between the petals.

You can also make the catnip toy flower with a short leaf. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Store these homemade flower catnip toys in an airtight container with dried catnip. That’s also how you can refresh the toys periodically.

Do cats like them?

I have been making homemade catnip toys for decades and my cats have enjoyed a variety of designs. Even cats that haven’t responded to store purchased catnip have a different reaction to fresh dried catnip.

Shirley Honey even seems to think she can warm her paws on one made for her birthday!

One of my cats seemingly warming her paws on a catnip toy. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

You can make these as simply as a felt square that you fill with dried catnip and then tie with a ribbon. Or you can be creative with a different design.

Oh. One more thing. Keep an eye on the cat if you have one, mine have been tempted to “help.” I have lost a number of felt pieces that way!

Charlotte