Japanese Cat Dolls
45 – 60 min
Ages 10+
What Will You Learn?
In this project, you’ll use a pattern to cut out felt pieces and sewing skills to make tiny dolls shaped like cats with stitched faces. Download the PDF instructions!
Meow
Cats go Meow meow. White Cat meow, Black Cat meow, Striped Cat meow. There are other cats too: tabby cat, alley cat, calico cat… You can make your cat according to the neighborhood kitty you know.
Ask your campers to describe cats they have seen. What color are the cats? Do they have stripes or spots?
Cut out Pattern Pieces
Step 1
You will need 2 arms, 2 legs, 2 ears, 2 faces, 6 whiskers, 2 brown or black pupils, 2 white eye pieces, and 2 clothes pieces cut from felt. Download the pattern to print.
Make the Face
Step 2
Glue the eye whites on the pupils (Square 1).
Step 3
Backstitch around the white of the eyes with 4 strands of brown thread. Repeat once around the white of the eyes to make them stand out on White Cat (Square 2 & 3).
Step 4
Use 6 strands of brown thread to make the nose with a single French knot (Square 4).
Step 5
Straight stitch the mouth with 6 strands of brown thread (Square 5).
Make the Head
Step 6
Position the whiskers on the backside of the face and glue them on. Put the glue on the end points of the whiskers. Wait until the glue dries (Square 6)
Step 7
Insert the ears to the face and overlock stitch (whipstitch) them with 1 thread of face-colored thread (Square 7).
Step 8
Stuff the head with cotton.
Make the Body
Step 9
Use 6 strands of thread to make two triple French knots on the clothing front (Square 8).
Step 10
Inserting the arms and legs, overlock stitch them in, stuff with cotton, and sew shut with 1 thread of clothes colored thread (Square 9).
Finish the Kitty
Step 11
Sew the head onto the clothes with 1 thread of face-colored thread. If desired, draw in the stripes with your colored pencil (Square 10 & 11).
What's Next?
Want more kawaii animals? This project is from The Cute Book by Aranzi Aronzo. Their other books The Bad Book, Cute Dolls, Fun Dolls, Cuter Stuff have even more projects.
Take it Further
Why not have campers make a pattern of an animal or monster of their own? Have them sketch it on paper first then make a simple pattern. Use the techniques above to sew the creature.
About the Magazine
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Materials:
- Felt
- yellow
- black
- white
- brown
- any color you like for clothes
- Embroidery Thread
- yellow
- white
- black
- brown
- color of the felt you chose for clothing
- Cotton
- Brown colored pencil
Pattern: Download the pattern
Printable PDF: Japanese Cat Dolls PDF
