Crafting with Cat Hair

October 3, 2011
Yes, you read correctly: cat hair is the principal material involved in this craft. And no, no cats were harmed in the making of the book. Tsutaya is a cat fancier who’s come up with one of the more inventive techniques for recycling: use those clumps of fur you brush off your cat (or pick off your black clothing before heading to work in the morning). A bonus is it’s good for the cat. Tsutaya gives instructions for 10 projects, starting with easy finger puppets and going up to mittens, gloves, hats, and scarves to which cat-hair felt shapes are applied. Instructions for care of the craft items and the source of the material are included, as is a gallery of photos of the donors. Intensely cute; it will be lost on dog lovers.

November 1, 2011

Japanese cat lover Tsutaya was astonished at the amount of hair her cats shed during their daily brushing, so she decided to make felt out of cat hair, then turn the felt into cute, cat-themed crafts. If hair balls come to mind, think again--most of the projects are quite subtle and feature cat-shaped cat-hair appliques on household items and accessories. The pieces are simple enough that supervised children could make them, and the directions are clear. Tsutaya also includes fun facts about cats and plenty of cute pictures. These crafts aren't for everyone, but cat lovers will have a lot of fun with this book.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.