13 DIY Cat Christmas Ornaments

When you look at a Christmas tree, the ornaments that hold the most meaning are rarely the pristine, store-bought ones. They’re the ones with a story.

And for so many of us, our feline friends are the stubborn, furry, main characters of our family’s story.

It only seems right that they get a place of honor among the branches. This provides a tribute that’s as unique as they are.

In this collection, we’ve gathered 13 cat Christmas ornaments that you can make at home with tools you may already have.

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13 Cat Christmas Ornaments

1. Felt Reindeer Cat with Stitched Details

What’s Needed

• wool-blend felt sheets
• metallic or glitter felt
• embroidery floss
• sequins and beads
• stuffing (like Poly-Fil)
• temporary stabilizer paper
• craft glue stick
• ribbon or twine for hanging
• sharp scissors
• embroidery needles
• beading needles (optional)
• printer

Instructions

1. First, get the face pattern onto your stabilizer. Go ahead and stitch the eyes and nose onto a piece of felt, then cut the face shape out and gently wash away the stabilizer paper.
2. After the face piece has dried completely, attach it and a small belly patch to the front body piece of the felt cat face ornament using a simple running stitch.
3. Next, you will stitch the whiskers right over the top of the face piece. Once you’re done, wash away any little bits of the stabilizer pattern that are left.
4. To decorate the belly, attach your sequins by securing each one with a seed bead on top to act as an anchor. You can then fill in any empty spaces with more beads.
5. Cut the antler shapes from a sheet of stiff metallic or glitter felt. Use a small dab of glue to set their position at the top of the plain back body piece.
6. Now, place the decorated front piece right over the back piece, making sure the bases of the antlers are hidden in between the layers. Stitch around the entire edge with a running stitch.
7. Be sure to leave a small opening as you sew. Push a small amount of stuffing through the gap to puff up the body, and then stitch the opening completely closed.
8. For a hanger, simply loop a length of ribbon through the stitches at the top of the ornament’s back and tie the ends securely in a knot.

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2. Painted Salt Dough Cat Ornaments

What’s Needed

• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Cold water
• Acrylic craft paint
• Clear sealer
• Ribbon or twine
• Mixing bowl
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper or aluminum foil
• Small paintbrushes
• Skewer or large needle

Instructions

1. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Slowly stream in the cold water and mix until a smooth dough comes together.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for about ten minutes. Once it’s kneaded, just let it rest for twenty minutes.
3. Go ahead and pull off small chunks of dough. Use your hands to mold each one into a simple cat head shape.
4. Take a skewer and carefully poke a hole through the top of each cat head. This is where the hanging ribbon will go later.
5. Arrange your finished shapes on a baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper. Make sure to leave some space between each one.
6. Bake them at 250°F for around two hours. You’ll know they’re done when they feel hard to the touch and are totally dry.
7. It’s important to let the ornaments cool completely right on the baking sheet. Don’t move them while they’re still warm.
8. Once they’re cool, you can decorate the shapes with acrylic paints to bring your cat designs to life. Let the paint dry completely.
9. To protect your paint job, brush on a thin coat of clear sealer. After the sealer is fully dry, you can thread a ribbon through the hole for hanging.

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3. Salt Dough Cat Friendly Christmas Ornaments

What’s Needed

• Flour
• Salt
• Water
• Acrylic paint
• White emulsion paint
• Paverpol, Mod Podge, or clear varnish
• Ribbon or twine
• Tin foil or baking paper
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon
• Rolling pin
• Baking tray
• Cat-shaped cookie cutter
• Straw or skewer
• Paintbrushes
• Oven

Instructions

1. First, combine your flour and salt in a bowl. Begin adding water slowly, mixing until you get a soft, pliable dough with a texture similar to Play-Doh.
2. Knead the dough for a few minutes until it’s smooth. Then, on a lightly floured surface, roll it out to a thickness of about 5 mm.
3. Go ahead and use your cookie cutter to cut out the cat shapes. Carefully move each piece to a baking tray lined with foil or parchment.
4. Bake them at 165°C for about 50 minutes. It’s a good idea to check on them halfway through to prevent cracking. Make sure you let the ornaments cool completely before you start painting.
5. Apply a base coat of white emulsion paint to each piece. Once that’s dry, decorate them with acrylics to match your favorite feline markings for some fun cat friendly Christmas ornaments.
6. When the paint is dry, seal the surface using Paverpol, Mod Podge, or a varnish. This step will protect your paint job and help strengthen the ornament.
7. Finally, thread a ribbon through the holes you made earlier. Now you can hang the finished cats on your tree or give them as a gift to a fellow cat lover.

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4. Polymer Clay Winter Cat Ornament

What’s Needed

• Polymer clay
• Aluminum foil
• Clear plastic fillable ornament
• Bunny tear grass
• Super glue
• Black fine-tip pen
• Posca pen
• Rolling pin
• Clay cutter or craft knife
• Sculpting tools
• Baking tray
• Oven

Instructions

1. Start by conditioning your white polymer clay. You’ll want to knead and roll it until it’s soft and pliable, then roll it out into a thin sheet.
2. Take some aluminum foil and press it into a flattened bowl shape that will fit the bottom curve of your clear ornament. Wrap your clay sheet around this foil shape.
3. Go ahead and bake this clay base according to the directions on your polymer clay package. Once it’s done, allow it to cool completely.
4. To begin how to make cat-themed ornaments, take some gold and scrap brown polymer clay and mix them until you achieve a nice marbled pattern. Divide this marbled clay into two pieces.
5. Form the larger piece of clay into a ball for the body. Then, use a pointy tool to press in a few marks that resemble sitting legs.
6. For the ears, create two small, flattened balls of clay. Attach them to the top of the cat’s head, making sure to smooth the connection points so they blend in.
7. Roll out a small piece of colored scrap clay to create a scarf. You can cut little fringe details on the ends before you wrap it around the cat’s neck.
8. Take another piece of your mixed clay to form the tail. Shape it how you like, then attach it securely to the back of the cat’s body.
9. Add a few small white clay balls onto the cat’s body and the white base to look like snowflakes.
10. Bake the complete cat figure and the base again, following the package directions, and let it cool completely.
11. Once the clay is cool, lightly sketch the cat’s face on with a pencil. When you’re happy with the placement, trace over your sketch with a fine-tip black pen.
12. Using a Posca pen, you can add some decorative stripes to the cat’s scarf for a finishing touch.
13. Cut the stems from the bunny tear grass and use super glue to attach them to the white clay base, creating the look of small trees.

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5. Cute Cat Ornaments from Salt Dough

What’s Needed

• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Warm water
• Black paint pen
• Glossy Mod Podge
• Twine
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon
• Rolling pin
• Cat head cookie cutter
• Drinking straw or wooden skewer
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet
• Paintbrush
• Pencil

Instructions

1. To get started on your Christmas cat ornaments, combine the warm water, flour, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir everything together until a rough dough starts to form.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it. Roll the dough out so it has an even thickness of about ¼ inch.
3. Using your cat head cookie cutter, press it firmly into the dough to cut out your shapes.
4. Take the end of a drinking straw and use it to poke a clean hole near the top of each ornament. This will be for the hanger.
5. Carefully arrange your ornaments on a baking sheet that you’ve lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake them at 225°F for 4 to 6 hours, making sure to flip them once about halfway through. They’re done when they feel completely hard and dry.
7. After you take them out of the oven, let the ornaments cool completely right on the baking sheet.
8. Once they’re cool, sketch a simple cat face onto each ornament with a pencil. When you like the look, trace over the lines with a black paint pen.
9. Make sure the pen marks are fully dry, then brush a thin layer of glossy Mod Podge over the front of the ornament to seal your design.
10. To finish, thread a piece of twine through the hole you made earlier and tie it in a loop for hanging.

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6. Simple Stuffed Black Cat Felt Ornament

What’s Needed

• Black felt
• Ribbon
• Fiberfill stuffing
• Iron-on vinyl, 3D fabric paint, or embroidery floss
• Sewing machine or needle and thread
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors
• Straight pins

Instructions

1. Start by cutting out two identical cat shapes from your black felt. Take one of the felt pieces and decorate it with a cat face.
2. You can use iron-on vinyl, fabric paint, or embroidery floss to bring your black cat felt ornament to life.
3. Cut a piece of ribbon that’s about 14 inches long. Tie it into a bow, then pin the knotted end so it’s sandwiched between the two felt layers at the very top.
4. Begin sewing around the edge of the cat shape using a 1/8-inch seam allowance. Make sure to leave a one-inch opening at the bottom so you can add stuffing.
5. Gently push a small amount of fiberfill stuffing into the ornament through the opening until it has a soft, plush shape.
6. Once you’re happy with the stuffing, simply sew the opening at the bottom of the ornament closed.
7. If you’d rather not sew, you can apply a thin line of hot glue around the edges to join the two felt pieces. Just remember to leave an opening for the stuffing before you seal it up completely.

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7. Felt Cat in a Wreath Ornament

What’s Needed

• Felt fabric in various colors
• Embroidery floss
• Fiber fill or cotton balls for stuffing
• Sewing thread
• Small decorations
• Printer and paper for the template
• Embroidery needle
• Sewing needle
• Scissors
• Straight pins

Instructions

1. Print out the cat and wreath templates. Go ahead and cut out the paper pattern pieces for the body, head, and back leg.
2. Pin your paper patterns onto the felt and carefully cut out all the fabric shapes you’ll need to create your handmade fabric cat ornaments.
3. Using an embroidery needle and floss, stitch a face onto the cat’s head piece. You can add details like a nose, whiskers, and use sequins for the eyes.
4. On the front body piece, go ahead and stitch the paw lines. You can also add any other decorations you like, such as a small felt ball or a piece of yarn.
5. Now, align the back leg piece with the front body piece and sew it securely into place.
6. Place your decorated front piece on top of the plain back piece. Be sure to sandwich a loop of ribbon between these layers, right where the head will eventually attach.
7. Sew around the outer edge of the body, but remember to leave a small gap open for stuffing.
8. Gently push a small amount of fiber fill into the body to give it a little bit of shape, then stitch that opening closed.
9. Next, cut out and decorate your felt wreath. You can use small buttons, beads, or a simple ribbon bow.
10. Place a tiny bit of stuffing behind the cat’s face piece and then sew it onto the front of the wreath.
11. To finish the ornament, carefully tack the back of the cat’s head to the back of the wreath with a few small stitches to hold it all together.

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8. DIY Cat Friendly Christmas Ornaments from a Tin Can

What’s Needed

• Empty cat food can
• Spray paint
• Cardstock or paint chip samples
• Craft glue or hot glue
• Pipe cleaner
• Scissors
• Drill with a small bit

Instructions

1. Take an empty cat food can, peel off the label, and give it a thorough wash and dry.
2. Find a well-ventilated area and apply a thin, even coat of spray paint to the outside of the can. Let it dry for about fifteen minutes.
3. Go back and spray a second light coat on the can to get full coverage, then allow it to dry completely.
4. While the paint is drying, you can cut out the cat’s facial features from your paper samples.
5. You’ll need two triangles for ears, two smaller pink triangles for the inner ears, a pink nose, white circles for the eyes with black pupils, and some thin black strips for whiskers.
6. Once the can is fully dry, go ahead and glue the paper face pieces onto the front of the can. Let the glue set completely.
7. You’ll need to carefully drill one small hole through the top rim of the can.
8. To make the hanger, fold a pipe cleaner in half to form a loop. Push the two ends through the hole from the outside, and then twist them together on the inside to secure them.

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9. Dog And Cat Christmas Ornaments DIY Paw Print

What’s Needed

• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Water
• Acrylic paints
• Permanent marker
• Acrylic varnish or clear sealer spray
• String or ribbon
• Ornament hooks
• Medium mixing bowl
• Cookie sheet
• Rolling pin (optional)
• Straw or pen
• Paintbrushes

Instructions

1. Turn on your oven to 250°F and leave it to heat. While it’s warming up, mix the flour and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Start adding the water gradually, stirring as you go, until all the ingredients come together and form a dough.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it becomes soft and easy to work with.
4. Flatten the dough out to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch. You can use your hands or a rolling pin for this part.
5. Now, gently press your pet’s clean paw right into the center of the dough to make a nice, clear imprint.
6. Carefully trim the excess dough from around the paw print. You can cut it into any shape you like, such as a circle or an oval.
7. Take a straw or a pen and carefully poke a hole near the top of the ornament for the hanging string.
8. Place the finished ornament on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake it for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until it’s completely hard and dry to the touch.
9. When it’s done, take the ornament out of the oven but leave it on the baking sheet to cool down completely.
10. Once it’s fully cooled, you can decorate it with acrylic paints. This is the creative part of making dog and cat Christmas ornaments DIY, so have fun with it and let the paint dry.
11. Using a permanent marker, proceed and write your pet’s name and the year on either the front or the back.
12. Find a well-ventilated spot and apply two or three coats of acrylic varnish to the front and back, making sure to let it dry completely between each coat.
13. After the varnish has fully cured, thread a piece of string through the hole and add an ornament hook to finish it off.

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10. Oven-Bake Clay Cat Ornament

What’s Needed

• White oven-bake polymer clay
• Thin satin ribbon
• Small cat-shaped cookie cutter
• Clay rolling pin
• Toothpick
• Baking tray
• Parchment paper
• Hot glue gun (optional)
• Oven

Instructions

1. Take a small chunk of white polymer clay and knead it until it’s soft. Once it’s pliable, use a rolling pin to flatten it to an even thickness to start making your cute cat ornaments.
2. Press your small cat cookie cutter firmly down into the clay to create your shapes.
3. Using the tip of a toothpick, carefully poke a clean hole near the top of each cat cutout. This will be for the ribbon later.
4. Place the clay cats on a baking tray that’s been lined with parchment paper, then bake them according to the directions on the clay package.
5. After baking, make sure you allow the ornaments to cool completely on the tray before handling them.
6. Cut a piece of ribbon, loop it through the hole at the top of the ornament, and tie a secure knot to create a hanger.
7. Take another, smaller piece of ribbon and tie it into a little bow around the cat’s neck.
8. If you find the bow is shifting around, you can use a small dot of hot glue to tack it in place and keep it from moving.

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11. Cat Butt Christmas Ornament

What’s Needed

• Felt in your cat’s body color
• Pink felt or fabric yoyo
• Freezer paper or template
• Needle and thread
• Aleene’s Tacky Glue or similar
• Pipe cleaner (~5″)
• Polyester stuffing
• Scissors

Instructions

1. The first step in making this funny cat felt ornament is to get the cat’s butt and body template onto freezer paper by either printing or tracing it.
2. You can then iron the paper to the back of your felt, cut the shapes out, and then peel the freezer paper away.
3. Take your pink felt circle or fabric yoyo and center it behind the cutout where the “butt” is supposed to be. You can then stitch it or glue it down to hold it in place.
4. Bend a piece of pipe cleaner into a small tail shape. Sandwich the end between the two body pieces, right near the tail area, and use a bit of glue to make sure it stays hidden inside the seam.
5. Now you can sew the two main body pieces together. Just be sure to leave a small opening on one side that’s big enough for the stuffing.
6. Gently push polyester stuffing through the opening until the ornament is lightly filled. Once you’re happy with the shape, stitch the opening closed.
7. The curled pipe cleaner tail also serves as the hanger. All you have to do is twist or bend it into a shape that can easily catch on a tree branch.

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12. Glued Felt Cat Ornament with Button Eyes

What’s Needed

• Felt
• Scrap fabric or a second color of felt for hearts
• Tiny buttons for eyes
• Embroidery floss for a hanger
• Craft glue suitable for fabric
• Polyester stuffing
• Embroidery needle
• Scissors
• Paper and pen for the pattern

Instructions

1. Trace your pattern and cut out two cat shapes from the felt. Be sure to flip the pattern over for the second one.
2. From your scrap fabric, cut out two small hearts to get started on your DIY fabric cat ornament.
3. Go ahead and glue one heart and two button eyes onto the front side of each of the cat pieces.
4. Take one of the cat pieces and apply a line of glue along the inside edge, making sure to leave about a 1.5-inch opening on the side for stuffing.
5. Carefully place the second cat piece right on top, lining up the edges as best you can. Let the glue dry completely before moving on.
6. Once it’s dry, gently push small bits of stuffing through the opening you left. Keep going until the ornament is lightly filled to your liking.
7. Apply a bit of glue to the opening to seal it shut. You can hold it closed with a clip or just your fingers until the glue has had a chance to set.
8. To finish, use a needle to thread a piece of embroidery floss through the top of the head. Just tie the ends together to make a simple hanging loop.

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13. Baked Dough Paw Print Ornament

What’s Needed

• 1 cup baking soda
• ½ cup cornstarch
• ¾ cup water
• Saucepan and spoon
• Toothpick
• Parchment paper or aluminum foil
• Baking tray
• String or ribbon
• Oven

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, combine the baking soda and cornstarch. Begin to gradually add the water, stirring everything together over medium heat.
2. Continue stirring the mixture until it thickens and forms a smooth, dough-like ball that pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pan.
3. Take the dough off the heat and let it cool down until it’s comfortable enough to handle. Then, just knead it gently until it becomes soft and pliable.
4. Divide the dough into small balls and then flatten each one into a circle. Now you’re ready to get a gentle paw impression and create some cute cat ornaments.
5. Carefully press your cat’s paw firmly and evenly into each dough circle. After that, use a toothpick to make a small hole at the top for hanging.
6. Transfer your ornaments onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake them at 250°F for about 30 minutes, or until they are completely dry and firm.
7. Make sure you let them cool completely before you try to thread any string or ribbon through the holes for hanging.

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Conclusion

Your Christmas tree deserves ornaments that reflect your love. We hope you found a few projects from these 14 cat Christmas ornaments that you liked.

To make the holiday special, we recommend you try one or mix several styles to create a look that feels special.

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