Showing posts with label feline enrichment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feline enrichment. Show all posts

Monday, 30 March 2026

**CRAFTING WITH CATS** **EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA** WE MADE A SUPURR FLUFFY CARROT CATNIP KICKER TOY

A festive Easter‑themed scene featuring ten cats sitting in a row, each wearing a pastel bow. They’re surrounded by cherry blossoms, colourful Easter eggs, and a banner reading “Easter Crafting With Cats @BionicBasil®.” One cat has a speech bubble saying, “Let’s make something epic!” creating a playful, crafty holiday vibe.

Learn how to make supurr fluffy DIY catnip carrot kicker toys in this fun Easter‑themed tutorial ~ Another epic instalment in the Crafting with Cats series at www.bionicbasil.com
A cheerful Easter‑themed illustration featuring two orange cars driven by rabbits holding carrots, with large pastel Easter eggs, scattered carrots, and green grass between them. A wooden sign in the centre reads “EASTER,” creating a bright, festive post‑divider design.

Supurr Greetings, Pawesome Pals

Thanks for joining us for our Crafting with Cats segment. Today, we're sharing our eggstra special Easter project. 

If mew missed any of our previous CWC posts, stop by the Crafting with Cats Page and see all our previous projects, and mew don't have to be an expert in anything to make any of them. Plus we offer workarounds and no-sew projects for those who don't like to sew.

*    *    *
**A quick note before we begin**

All Crafting with Cats ideas and creations are our own design, and we share them for purrsonal/home use only.

  So purrlease do not copy for commercial/resale purrposes.

Copyright ©BionicBasil®

*    *    *

This time we're making the pawesome

The Supurr Fluffy Carrot Catnip Kicker Toys


Six bright orange, fluffy catnip carrot toys with green leafy tops are arranged in a row on a wooden surface. The text “Supurr Fluffy Catnip Carrots” appears above them, creating a playful and colourful pet‑themed display.

What We Used:

Orange Faux Fur

Green Feather Trim

Wadding or Stuffing

Catnip

Cotton Thread

Scissors

Sewing Machine and Needle 

Optional Cat ~  Smooch was today's Craft Room Snoopervisor

A white cat with black markings sits on a wooden floor in a craft room, wearing a collar with a small red bell. Colourful fabric catnip carrot toys—one orange with stuffing showing and one green—are scattered around him, with shelves of bright craft materials in the background. Smooch appears to be “helping” with the catnip carrot‑making project - yes he does have several 'flakes' of catnip on his chin! LOL

"What do mew mean I've got catnip on my chin?" Smooch said, then added. "I definitely have NOT been trying the catnip stash!"

A cheerful Easter‑themed illustration featuring two orange cars driven by rabbits holding carrots, with large pastel Easter eggs, scattered carrots, and green grass between them. A wooden sign in the centre reads “EASTER,” creating a bright, festive post‑divider design.

Let's Get Started

A four‑panel collage showing the steps for making a faux‑fur catnip carrot toy. Panel one displays bright orange faux fur with green trim for the leaves. Panel two shows a long triangular cardboard pattern with measurements. Panels three and four show the orange faux fur cut around the pattern with a small seam allowance, alongside two purple circular pieces used in the crafting process.

1. We used some of the orange faux fur left over from our pumpkin bed project a few years ago. We bought some green feather trim on a satin ribbon for the leaves.

2. Next, we winged it, and just made a long triangular pattern - see dimensions on pic. As we wanted a longer kicker toy, so the first one was just a test, but luckily it worked out purrfect.

3. & 4.  Then we got some of the old faux fur offcuts and cut out our pattern, with a 1cm or 0.5" seam allowance all around.

A four‑panel collage showing steps 5–8 of sewing an orange faux‑fur carrot toy. Panel five shows the triangular fabric folded in half with the furry sides together and pinned. Panel six shows the edge being sewn on a machine with a straight stitch. Panel seven displays the stitched piece before the zig‑zag finish. Panel eight shows the carrot shape turned right‑side out, revealing the fluffy orange fur

5.  We folded it in half with right sides together, or the furry side inside. And pinned in place.

6.  We used a basic straight stitch to sew up the edge, and then we used a zig-zag stitch to stop the edges from fraying.

7. This is what it looked like before the zig-zag stitch.

8. Then we turned it right sides out, or fluffy side up! MOL

A four‑panel collage showing steps 9–12 of making a stuffed faux‑fur catnip carrot toy. Panel nine shows the materials laid out: an orange furry cone, soft wadding, a paper cone of catnip mix, and a small tool. Panel ten shows the carrot being filled with wadding using a wooden stick. Panel eleven shows the inside of the cone as catnip is added. Panel twelve reveals the finished fluffy orange carrot, fully stuffed and shaped

9.  Let's get ready to start stuffing. The wadding we used is from a cushion, and our catnip is homegrown.

10. & 11.  We used a wooden chopstick to push the wadding and catnip down the carrot. And we didn't overstuff so it has movement.

12.  Say hello to the fluffy carrot.

A four‑panel collage showing steps 13–16 of making a faux‑fur catnip carrot toy. Panel thirteen shows a white cat with a red‑bell collar sniffing a container of catnip. Panel fourteen shows the cat sitting beside the orange furry carrot piece, green feather trim, and crafting tools. Panel fifteen shows the carrot with the green feather topper attached. Panel sixteen displays the finished fluffy carrot kicker toy on a wooden surface.

13.  Smooch had to sample the catnip just to make sure it was the supurr extra primo blend. (Mew see, he lied about not having any earlier! MOL)

14.  Then he eagerly awaited the next part. 

15.  We cut the feather ribbon into a 4" or 10 cm length and rolled it up. Apologies for no pics here, but the P.A. found it impawsible to take any while trying to hold the carrot and feathers in place and then take a pic. Smooch couldn't believe it, and said, "That's a purretty poor effort, and I think mew need to try harder!"

We won't post the P.A.'s reply! MOL 

Anyhoo, basically while holding the rolled up feathers, mew stuff them into the top of the carrot and hand sew the whole top together, pulling your stitches tight so it gathers everything together leaving a nice domed top with the feathers poking out. 

16. And here's the finished fluffy carrot kicker toy.  


We didn't stop there; we made five more! MOL

A white woven basket sits on a wooden table filled with large plush orange catnip carrots, each topped with bright green fluffy leaves. The soft, furry carrots stand upright in the basket, with bookshelves and household items blurred in the background, creating a cosy indoor craft‑room vibe.

Let's see what The B Teams' reaction was:


Or watch on YouTube by clicking here.

As mew can see, Fudge thought the carrots were all his, basically because they are ORANGE! MOL

But that aside, and Fudge's little rough and tumble with Melvyn over sharing said carrots - see the video, they were enjoyed by all.
A cheerful Easter‑themed illustration featuring two orange cars driven by rabbits holding carrots, with large pastel Easter eggs, scattered carrots, and green grass between them. A wooden sign in the centre reads “EASTER,” creating a bright, festive post‑divider design.

And that furiends furry sadly brings us to the end of our eighth Crafting with Cats post, we do hope mew liked it.

And if there's anything mew'd like us to make, leave a comment and we'll see what we can come up with, as the craft room is almost open full time again for the summer months! MOL  

We'll be back on Wednesday with more Midweek News, so do stop by to see what we have in store for mew this week. 

Until then...
Bold block‑style text reading “STAY CRAFTY” in light blue with a pink drop‑shadow effect, creating a playful, creative, three‑dimensional look
... and utterly epic!

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team 










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Disclaimer:
We at BionicBasil HQ are not responsible or liable for any injuries to persons and/or cats, crafting addictions, glue on cats, paper cuts, misplaced pins and needles, cats stealing your supplies, broken scissors, cat fur stuck to your projects, or your project not turning out as planned. By using this information, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless BionicBasil and staff from any and all claims for personal injuries or damages arising from the use of any Crafting With Cats posts we share.
Copyright Notice
© [2026] BionicBasil®. All Rights Reserved. No part of this post, characters, or lore may be reproduced, scraped, or rewritten in any form (including AI) without express written permission
Graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com 
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Monday, 22 December 2025

**CRAFTING WITH CATS RERUN**CATMAS SPECIAL** ~ HOW WE MADE OUR FURRY OWN EPICALLY EPIC CATMAS TREE SCRATCHER WITH VELCRO CATNIP ORNAMENTS

A festive promotional graphic titled "CATMAS SPECIAL: Crafting with Cats" features a white background filled with colorful Christmas-themed decorations and crafting supplies, including pinecones, ribbons, ornaments, candy canes, a snowman figure, a wreath, a red heart, a paint palette, and wrapped gifts. Multiple cat paws of various colors and patterns reach into the scene from different directions, playfully engaging with the materials. The border is decorated with multicolored stripes, enhancing the cheerful and whimsical holiday theme. Text reads: "CATMAS SPECIAL Crafting with Cats all paws on deck in the craft room ©BionicBasil®"

 Supurr Festive Greetings, Pawesome Pals

Welcome to another one of our Crafting with Cats Catmas Specials.  

If mew missed any of our previous CWC posts, stop by the Crafting with Cats Page and see all our previous projects, and mew don't have to be an expert in anything to make any of them. Plus, we offer workarounds and no-sew projects for those who don't like to sew.

*    *    *
**A quick note before we begin**

All Crafting with Cats ideas and creations are of our own design, and we share them for purrsonal/home use only.

  So purrlease do not copy for commercial/resale purrposes.

Copyright ©BionicBasil®

*     *     *

In today's Crafting with Cats, we're making the only Catmas tree mew'll ever need: 

A festive cat scratching post designed to resemble a Christmas tree, labeled "Catmas Tree Scratcher with Velcro Catnip Ornaments." The black, conical tree is decorated with colorful elements including red and green gift boxes, red mushrooms with white spots, and small red and green pom-poms. A white star tops the tree, and Velcro catnip ornaments are attached throughout. The base is covered in green faux grass, enhancing the tree-like appearance. The scratcher sits on a wooden table in a cozy room with bookshelves, chairs, and holiday decor. Text at the top reads: "www.bionicbasil.com.

Catmas Tree Scratcher with Velcro Catnip Ornaments

What We Used:

One x Road Cone 750mm or  29.5" high

Sisal rope ~ we used 60 m x 6mm or 196ft in black

Faux fur for the bottom ~ we used dark green

Felt squares ~ we used red, white and green

Velcro tape ~ we used black

Ribbons for trim

stuffing/wadding

Optional sparkly pom poms

Catnip ~ organic homegrown extra-strong primo quality

scissors, non-toxic glue/glue gun, cotton thread, sewing machine, or needle

>^.^<

Optional Cat ~ Smooch was today's Craft Room Snoopervisor

Smooch, a white cat with black markings on his head, stands alert on a wooden surface in a colourful craft room. He wears a red collar with a small silver bell, embodying his role as the "craft room snoopervisor." Behind him are shelves filled with vibrant markers, containers, and decorations, creating a lively and creative atmosphere. On the table near Smooch are various objects including a red and white box with black Velcro . Text in the bottom right corner reads: "www.bionicbasil.com.


Let's Get Started on The Tree

A collage of four step-by-step photos showing the transformation of an orange road cone into a wrapped decorative item. 1. A standard orange traffic cone with a reflective white band sits on a wooden table in a cozy room. 2. The top of the cone is partially wrapped in black sisal rope, covering the reflective band. 3. More of the cone is wrapped in black rope, extending further down. 4. The cone is now fully wrapped in black sisal rope, giving it a sleek, textured appearance. Text overlay explains that the cone was purchased from Amazon, placed on a lazy-susan turntable for easier gluing, and wrapped gradually using approximately 60 metres (196 ft) of rope. The final few metres are left unwrapped until steps 5 to 11 are completed at www.bionicbasil.com

1. - 4. Get a road cone. We purchased ours from Amazon. We placed it on a lazy-susan turntable, which made it much easier to glue the sisal rope in place. Just glue a few centimetres/inches at a time until the entire cone is covered as above. This cone is 750 mm or 29.5" high and took approx 60 metres or 196 ft of rope. It did take a while to glue, as mew can imagine, but it looks purretty nifty when done. Leave the last couple of metres/6ft or so until mew have finished steps 5 to 11.

A collage of four step-by-step photos labeled 5 to 8 showing the process of preparing faux fur for a DIY cat scratching post. 5. A green faux fur fabric is laid beneath the base of the cone-shaped post, ready to be cut to size. 6. A measuring tape is wrapped around the base of the cone, showing a circumference of approximately 90 cm (35.4"). 7. A circle is drawn in the center of the faux fur fabric, matching the measured size. 8. The circle has been cut out, creating a hole in the middle of the fabric, ready to fit around the post. These steps illustrate how to customize the base covering for a festive cat scratching post project. At www.bionicbasil.com

5. Take your faux fur and cut to size, leaving enough to finish underneath.

6. Measure the circumference at the base of the cone; ours is approx 90 cm or 35.4".

7.  Draw the same-sized circle in the middle of the faux fur.

8. Cut out the hole, and mew should have something that looks like this.

A collage of four step-by-step photos labeled 9 to 12 showing the final stages of assembling a Catmas Tree Scratcher. 9. The cone-shaped post is placed on green faux fur fabric, with the edges tucked under the rope to check fit. 10. The base of the cone is coated in a thick layer of non-toxic PVA glue. 11. The faux fur is positioned and gently pressed onto the glue; edges are later glued underneath, and the final section of sisal rope is secured to both the faux fur and the rope above. 12. The completed Catmas Tree Scratcher stands upright on its green faux fur base, displayed on a wooden table in a cozy room. These steps complete the festive DIY scratching post project. At www.bionicbasil.com

9. Check that it fits properly, tucking it under the rope.

10. We used regular non-toxic PVA glue for this stage and coated the entire base in a thick layer.

11. Place the faux fur in situ and gently press onto the glue. Leave to dry and then glue the edges to the underside to finish. Finally, glue the last part of the sisal rope to finish off. We stuck ours to the faux fur and the rope above to make sure it was secure.

12. Mew should now have a finished Catmas Tree Scratcher that looks something like this.

Let's Decorate The Tree

The Catnip Star Tree Topper

A four-panel collage showing the step-by-step creation of a Catnip Star Tree Topper. 1. A star-shaped cardboard template with a longer bottom point lies on a wooden surface. 2. Two matching star-shaped pieces of white fabric and a piece of stuffing material are prepared for assembly. 3. A pile of dried herbs, likely BBHQ’s epically epic catnip, is ready for filling. 4. The completed star-shaped item is sewn shut and filled, displayed on the wooden surface as a festive cat toy or tree topper. These steps illustrate a fun and crafty way to make a catnip-filled decoration for a Catmas Tree. At www.bionicbasil.com

1. We created a simple 4-point design with a longer point at the bottom, so it can be stuffed into the top of the tree, but still easily pulled out.

2. Cut 2 pieces in your chosen fabric and stitch around the edge, leaving a small gap for stuffing and catnip.

3. BBHQ epically epic catnip.

4. Sew up the gap, and mew should have something that looks like this.

Pandora, a fluffy torti cat, stands on her hind legs with front paws reaching up to a tall, cone-shaped Catmas Tree Scratcher. The tree is wrapped in black sisal rope with a green faux fur base and a white tip at the top. The scene is set indoors, with a red door, flower arrangement, and cozy household items in the background. Text at the bottom reads: "www.bionicbasil.com"

Pandora came to snoopervise at this point and to also do a bit of quality control! MOL

*    *    *

 The Velcro Catnip Ornaments 

A four-panel collage showing the step-by-step creation of Velcro Catnip Ornaments for a festive Catmas Tree. 1. Various fabric pieces in red, white, and brown are cut into shapes including a square present, a bauble, and a bell, laid out on a wooden surface. 2. A white ghost-shaped ornament has a black patch (soft side of Velcro) glued to its back. 3. The ornament is decorated with white mesh strips resembling ribbon or tails, following the Catmas Star stitching method. 4. A completed red ornament with white spots is attached to a textured vertical surface, likely the Catmas Tree Scratcher, using Velcro. These steps show how to make and attach festive catnip-filled decorations to a scratchable holiday tree. At www.bionicbasil.com

1. We chose a basic square for a pressie, a shaped bauble and a bell for our catnip ornaments, but mew could make anything mew like.

2. Hot glue the soft side of the velcro to the back of each toy 

3.  Decorate with ribbon. Stitch together and follow the steps for the Catmas Star.

4. Hot glue the rough/scratchy side of the velcro to the tree, attach the toy and repeat until mew have made all your catnip decorations. 

And mew should have something that looks like this...

Isn't it epically epic?

The handcrafted Catmas Tree Scratcher stands on a wooden table in a cosy indoor setting. The cone-shaped tree is wrapped in dark textured material with a green faux grass base and topped with a white fabric star. It is decorated with small gift box ornaments, red and baubles, and sparkly red and green pom-poms attached using Velcro. The tree appears sturdy and well-balanced, surrounded by festive decor and household items. Text at the bottom reads: "www.bionicbasil.com"

We added a few red and green sparkly pom-poms, glued velcro on to those too and attached to the tree.

It's supurr sturdy too, so don't worry about it toppling over, as it has a nice weight to it.


So what did we think to our special Catmas Tree? 

Ginger cat Fudge stands on his hind legs, reaching up to touch a star-shaped ornament atop a festive Catmas Tree Scratcher. The tree is cone-shaped, wrapped in black rope, and decorated with gift boxes, stockings, and pom-poms, all set on a green faux grass base. Behind the tree, black cat Parsley is partially visible, observing the scene. The setting is indoors, in front of large glass doors with a view of a gravel-covered outdoor area. Text at the bottom reads: "www.bionicbasil.com"

Fudge went straight for the star, Parsley and Melvyn also really enjoyed it.

A four-panel collage showing cats and a rabbit interacting with a festive Catmas Tree Scratcher. The tree is cone-shaped, wrapped in black rope, and decorated with ornaments including gift boxes, pom-poms, and a white star topper. In various panels, Melvyn (tabby), Fudge (ginger), and Parsley (black) are seen exploring or playing near the tree. The background features large glass doors with a view of a gravel-covered outdoor area. The website "www.bionicbasil.com" is visible in one panel

Stop by our Instagram account as we'll be posting the video's there and mew can see just how much we love our tree and what fun we're having with it.

In all honesty, this project turned out so much better than we could have ever imagined and for all those kitties being yelled at for climbing real Catmas trees, get your staff to make mew one of these, and mew can pull the ornaments off to your heart's content, climb it, scratch it, steal the star and generally be as naughty as mew like and it doesn't matter a hoot!

We think it's one of the best things we've ever made, what do mew guys think?


Health and Safety

Here at BBHQ, toys with pom poms on are only available to The B Team when the P.A. is snoopervising the play session.

Use pom pom toys under supervision only.  

Or mew can just make the Catmas Tree Scratcher without the pom poms.  If your kitty is a total heathen toy destroyer, definitely make it without the pom poms! 

Mew should regularly check shop-bought toys and discard anything that is damaged, broken, or defective.


And that furiends furry sadly brings us to the end of our second Catmas Crafting with Cats post, we do hope mew liked it, and if mew decide to make your furry own Catmas Tree Scratcher, we'd love to see, so feel free to tag us on social media @BionicBasil - Instagram & Twitter or @BionicBasilCats on TikTok.

So we'll sign off on this bright and breezy Monday and look forward to your company on Wednesday's Midweek News.

In the meantime

Keep calm and have a niptini, well, it is almost Catmas! MOL

Festive purrs

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team







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Disclaimer:
We at BionicBasil HQ are not responsible or liable for any injuries to person/s and/or cat/s, crafting addictions, glue on cats, paper cuts, misplaced pins and needles, cats stealing your supplies, broken scissors, cat fur stuck on your projects, or your project not turning out as planned.  By using this information, you hereby agree to indemnify and hold harmless BionicBasil and staff from and against any and all claims for personal injuries or damages of any kind arising from use of any Crafting With Cats posts we may share.

Graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com 

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