How to Make a Crinkle Play Bag for Your Cat

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 14, 2022

Homemade cat toys are fun to make and cost effective, plus they make great gifts. Crinkle play bags are little cocoons made of crinkly fabric for cats to crawl inside and enjoy. You can make one yourself by creating your own crinkly fabric, adding trim, and completing your sack. With just a few craft supplies and a little bit of effort, you can create an adorable homemade gift for your cat to enjoy.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Creating Your Own Crinkly Fabric

1
Gather materials. In order to create your own crinkly play sack for your cat, you'll need to gather some fabric and other craft materials. The fabric sizes listed here are just a guideline. If your cat is very large (or very small) you may want to modify these measurements.
- 2-16 x 36" (40.6 x 91.4 cm) pieces of fabric (can be different colors/patterns)
- 36 x 5" (91.4 x 12.7 cm) piece of fabric (or 36"/91.4 cm feather boa) for trim
- 16 x 36" (40.6 x 91.4 cm) piece of newspaper or cellophane
- A needle and a strong thread (such as embroidery thread)
- Scissors
2
Create your layers. Lay out one of your 16 x 36" (40.6 x 91.4 cm) pieces of fabric of fabric. Layer it with your "crinkle" material (your newspaper or cellophane). Top it with your second 16 x 36" (40.6 x 91.4 cm) piece of fabric. The crinkle layer should be in the middle, with the regular fabric under it and on top of it.^{[1]
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- If you want, you can sprinkle a bit of cat nip between the layers.
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3
Secure your layers. Using your needle and thread, hand sew all four sides of your fabric layers. Start at one corner, and move down each side, one at a time. It can be helpful to pin the layers together using straight pins while you sew. Be sure that your thread penetrates all three layers.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Adding Trim

1
Choose your trim. The trim of your crinkle play sack makes the toy cute and fun. You can select a piece of fabric in a contrasting color or cute pattern. Or you can choose a feather boa, faux fur fabric, or sparkly sequin fabric. Have fun with your choice of trim.
2
Line up your trim. Lay out your crinkle fabric, and line up your trim on the 36" (40.6 cm) edge that you plan to use for the opening. If using traditional fabric (as opposed to a feather boa) fold the trim in half short-ways, so that 2.5" (6.35 cm) of trim falls on each side (front and back) of your crinkle fabric. If you are using a feather boa or other non-traditional material, you will attach the material to the outside edge of your crinkle fabric, instead of folding it over.
3
Attach the trim to your crinkle fabric. Using your needle and thread, carefully attach your trim to your crinkle fabric. Be sure to sew along all four sides of your trim. It can be helpful to secure your trim with straight pins while you sew.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Making Your Sack

1
Fold your crinkle fabric in half the "wrong" way. The final stage in creating your crinkle toy is to sew your fabric into a sack. In order to do this, you will fold your fabric in half the wrong way (so that the fabric you want on the outside is on the inside).
2
Sew the side and bottom together. Now using your needle and thread, sew along the bottoms of the sack. Then, sew together the final unattached side. It can be helpful to pin the bottom and side together using straight pins while you sew.
3
Turn the bag right side out. Once both side of the sack have been sewn together, turn the sack right side out, so that the seams are hidden inside. Don't worry about messing up the paper/cellophane. Moving it around will actually help to be more crinkly and enjoyable for your cat!

Community Q&A

Question

Can I nail the bag onto my cat playhouse I made from a bookcase?

Community Answer

You could, but make sure there are no sharp edges of nails exposed to prevent injuries.