For pets in shelters with no belongings of their own, a gift that’s made with love can be incredibly comforting. In honor of National Craft for Your Local Shelters Day, celebrated on July 21st, try your hand at making these crafts to bring joy and comfort to shelter pets - and maybe even help them find their forever home.

Before You Begin: Quick Tips for Crafting For Your Local Shelters

Before you begin, contact your local shelter to find out what kind of donations they can accept. Finished crafts should be sturdy and safe for pets. Avoid using materials that can pose a choking or obstruction risk if chewed or swallowed, like buttons, eyes, or glitter. Finished crafts that are easy to wipe down or machine wash are best.
If your crafts aren’t well-suited for shelter pets, you can still craft to help animals in need. Consider contributing handmade goods to your local shelter’s next fundraising event, like prizes for raffles and auctions, or selling at local crafts fair and donating proceeds to the shelter.

10 Easy Project Ideas To Craft For Your Shelter

1. Adopt Me Bandanas

Help shelter and foster dogs get more attention at adoption events by making adorable “Adopt Me” bandanas. You can buy blank bandanas in bulk or make your own with fabric scraps. Cut fabric into triangles, or create squares that can be folded over. A length of about 22” will fit most dogs, though you can also make other sizes to accommodate all pups large and small. Finish raw edges with a serger or by hand-sewing with a blanket stitch. Decorate and write “Adopt Me!” in big letters with iron-on decals or with fabric markers.

2. Collar Accessories

Collar accessories slide onto any size collar, perfect for helping dress up adoptable dogs and cats for adoption events. Use your sewing, knitting, or crocheting skills to make bow-ties, flowers, or pom-poms. Cut 3/8 inch elastic band into 2” strips and sew ends together to create loops, then sew decorations to loops to make them easy to slide onto collars.

3. Snuffle Mats

A snuffle mat is an enrichment puzzle toy that consists of a rubber mat covered in long strips of fabric. Dogs and cats love to “snuffle” through the fabric to find treats sprinkled within. They’re surprisingly easy to make, even if you don’t have a sewing machine or crafting skills. All you’ll need is a rubber sink mat and scrap fabric. Old, clean t-shirt fabric, denim, or fleece can work. Cut fabric into six-inch long, two-inch wide strips. Loop strips of fabric into each hole in the mat and double-knot to secure. Then, tie in another layer of strips, looped in the opposite direction, until your snuffle mat is fluffy and ready to hide a bounty of treats.

4. Feral Cat Shelters

Community cats are feral or stray cats that are cared for by humans, but are not socialized enough to make good pets. Your local shelter may have community cat programs like trap-neuter-release services, or you can find a feral cat organization near you that may accept cat shelters. A feral cat shelter is easy to make. All you’ll need is a large tote with a lid, a Styrofoam cooler, and straw. Use a box cutter to cut a cat-sized hole in the side of the tote (about 6 inches in diameter) and another in the side of the Styrofoam cooler to make an entrance. Fill the cooler with straw, then place inside the tote. That’s how easy it is to create an insulated home for stray and feral cats!

5. Cat Toys

Toys for cats are easy to make. You can knit, crochet, or sew a ball with spare fabric or yarn, then simply stuff with catnip. You can make balls, mouse or fish shapes, or fun food shapes - get creative! Or, if you can crochet, try making an easy-peasy kitty curly-cue. Just make a chain of at least 20, then 3 half-double crochets in each chain. Fasten off, twist, and you have a springy toy that cats can’t resist.

6. Rope Bones

Rope bones are perfect for teething puppies and dogs that love to fetch. They’re also incredibly easy to make. You can use old t-shirt fabric, fleece blankets, denim, or just about any scrap fabric. Cut three strips of any fabric into equal lengths, knot together one end, braid, and knot again to secure.

7. Handwoven Leashes

Paracord dog leashes, made of weather-resistant parachute rope, are fun and affordable to make. you’ll end up with sturdy gear that can suit dogs of just about any size. You can also use paracord to make toys and collars. Macrame cord, clothesline cotton cord can also be used to make sturdy, stylish handmade leashes for shelter dogs. Weaving a leash can be as simple as attaching two lengths of cord to a swivel hook or carabiner with lark’s head knots, braiding along the length, and creating a handle by folding over and securing a loop with an additional length of cord. If you’re really crafty, try making different designs, like a coupler for walking two dogs at once.

8. DIY Cat Scratchers

For foster and shelter cats, scratchers can offer a safe, healthy outlet for their urge to scratch, as well as a way for them to scent mark to make their temporary space feel like home. There are many ways to make DIY scratchers, from scratching posts made with sisal rope wrapped around a PVC pipe, to scratch pads made with scrap cardboard. One easy way is to cut cardboard into long strips, then roll tightly and secure with masking tape to create a round, flat scratching pad.

9. Beds and Crate Mats

Shelters are always in need of comfy, machine washable bedding for dogs and cats to nap on while they wait to claim a spot on someone’s couch. Old blankets and towels, just as they are, can make good bedding for shelter pets. You can also crochet, knit, weave, or sew just about any material that you have available. Beds can be as simple as two squares sewn together to make a cushion, or as complex as a cozy cave bed for pets to curl up in.

10. Pet Sweaters and Tees

Clothes can help keep foster and shelter pets warm, as well as help them stand out and catch their potential adopter’s eye. If you’re a skilled crafter, try sewing, crocheting, or knitting sweaters in various sizes. Or try one of many no-sew options. You can cut an arm off an old sweater and add arm holes to make a sweater for a small dog or cat. Or you can cut the bottom off an old baby onesie to make an instant cat or dog tee.

VISION

Every pet deserves to live a long, happy, healthy life.