Stuffing Toys

After making your cat toy, you will need to decide what to stuff it with. I have experimented with a lot of different materials. While you can easily go and purchase stuffing at the store, you can also use materials found around the house. I recommend trying all of these materials to see which one your cat likes best. If you want to add catnip, you can mix it with any of these materials.

Plastic Bags

Grocery and other plastic shopping bags create a light-weight toy and keeps these bags out of landfills. As a bonus, the balls are washable. If using the e-wrap stitch, plastic bags are your best stuffing option because it won’t matter if you can see between the stitches.

 

Polyfil/Stuffing

This is good for a ball that is squishy and soft, and even lighter than the plastic bags. One bag will fill a lot of toys, so the cost isn’t much.

Fabric

Use leftover bits of fabric such as clothing or sheets. If you use a heavy fabric, such as denim, it will give the toy more weight to it which some cats prefer.

Dried Beans

Dried beans will create a heavier toy with a different feeling. However, the toy won’t be washable and you won’t be able to use it with toys done with the e-knit stitch.