As Christmas fast approaches, we all have our trees up, the decorations around the house and maybe some presents wrapped. Almost ready to breath a sigh of relief and relax.
But for those of you who love your cat (or your dog) and would love to have a forever keepsake of them, I've come across a wonderful product. Its "Sculpey Keepsake Pawprint Clay Ornament Kit". It includes the clay, a ring to shape the clay in, a roller, a tool for engraving, and a ribbon to hang it. The kit costs just under $5 at JoAnn's where I purchased mine. However, I was unable to locate the same product online. There are a few online stores that carry it if you aren't near a JoAnn's location, or they no longer have any, however, many of them are at a higher cost.
Sculpey Keepsake Clay Ornament Kits: Pawprint Ornament Kit
The whole project takes about... 45 minutes. You start with 2 minutes of kneading the clay, then it takes about 5 minutes to shape it into the circle. Once shaped you have to just make sure to wipe any dirt off your kitty's foot and then dry it. The next step, depending on your cat's temperament will vary. You just have to take their foot and press it down into the clay, making sure to press down on each toe. Don't worry, they clay shouldn't stick to their fur. Also because cats tend to have smaller feet (or even bigger feet like Smokey) you should be able to get both of their feet on your ornament. Now that you have it made, you just pop it in the oven at 275degrees for about 25-30 minutes. Once its cooled, add the ribbon and you've got a wonderful ornament to keep forever.
Now, you could probably make these as well with any other light weight clay, such as a paper clay. Its easy to work with and air drys, so there is no baking involved. For the circular shape you could easily use a cookie cutter, or make a frame from cardboard. To add the holes, just use a chopstick, which could also be used for adding a name.
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| Smokey's 6 Toed Paws |
For Crocheters/Knitters:
This is a little project I did just being in a the holiday spirit and just because I enjoy putting Smokey in cute things sometimes. Its a crocheted jingle bell collar-scarf. Made thick to keep kitty's neck warm in the cooler nights of the winter season. Now this one is done in red and green, but any colors can be used to fit your particular holiday, or for any occasion.
Now as any good cat lover knows, no two cats are the same. So I can't give a precise number for anything on this patter, because all kitties have very different necks. However, as a base, this was my formula:
Measure your cat's neck- Smokey's is about 13in.
Add about 2in to this for a comfort fit.
Use size 7 hook
1st: Chain 51 (4st= 1in)
2nd: Row 1 begin with single crochet in every chain stitch
3rd: Row 2 turn and do 51 single crochets in every single crochet
4th: Row 3- continue with this pattern till you have 12 rows (or until desired thickness)
If changing colors: I've done 3 red, 6 green and then 3 red. However, your color choices can be whichever you choose.
Once you've reached the end, tie it off, and weave the remaining yarn into what will be the inside of the collar.
Now you will need an embroidery needle to stitch the two ends of your collar together. Or you can attach hook and eye closures, if you have a cat that doesn't like things slipped over their head. However for adding the bells, you will need a smaller needle, as the eye of the large ones will not fit through the loop on the bell.
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| Smokey enjoying his warm collar |
