Are you having trouble coming up with holiday gift ideas for family and friends? This week’s book just might help you out. If you own a cat, and you’re feeling a little adventurous, author Kaori Tsutaya’s “Crafting With Cat Hair” will show you how to share a piece of Fluffy with loved ones by turning what he sheds into little works of art.
I’ll bet that some of you are shaking your heads right now. Perhaps this book is not for you. That’s OK. But if you’re mildly intrigued with the idea of transforming cat hair into crafts, keep reading because this is a real book, and it has real instructions for making hand puppets, book covers, tote bags and more.
A certain amount of prep work is required to transform feline fuzz into usable material, and the author does a good job explaining the process of felting. Once the hair is fashioned into felt you’re ready to start crafting. If you’re alarmed at the thought of how much hair might be needed to create a tote bag, don’t worry. Like many of the crafts in this do-it-yourself guide, the cat hair is used as an embellishment not as the main source of material. Once you’ve got the hang of artfully applying cat hair to mittens and scarves, you’ll be proud to show off your hairy accessories.
Besides making knickknacks, there are other benefits to collecting cat hair. Regular brushing is good for your kitty’s coat, and recycling something that usually ends up on your new sofa or trapped in the dust bunny zone is just plain smart. That’s nothing to sneeze at.
Jan Johnston is the Collection Development Coordinator for the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District. Email her at readingforfun@fvrl.org. She blogs at youbetterreadnow.blogspot.com.
