3 Crafty Ways To Deal With Pet Hair
March 4, 2018
If you’ve ever groomed a Persian cat or a dog like a Husky, you’ll be amazed at how much hair they can produce in one brushing – mountains and mountains of the stuff! It seems a waste to throw it all away. Surely there’s something you could do to put all that pet fur to good use. We found a few creative ideas that are fun and practical. Check it out!
What to do with all that pet hair?
While it might seem bizarre at first to think of creating things like sweaters and hats from your pet’s hair, when you consider how meaningful it would be to have something like that to remember them by after they’re gone, you can begin to understand how important these crafts can be and why people do them.
Pet Hair Crafts
Malamutes have often provided warmth for their humans. By producing a soft and extremely warm coat that sheds regularly enough, they have been known to clothe a whole tribe with their rich fur. But they’re not the only breed known for their magnificent coats. The Samoyed, Alaskan Husky, Great Pyrenees, and Shiba Inu also produce a weave-worthy shed to rival sheep wool.
Some people opt to spin this fur into yarn by adding a detergent and combing the fur into strands. If you’re not up to that task, don’t worry. There are commercial outlets that can do it for you.
However, when it comes to crafts, sweaters aren’t your only choice. A trend hitting Japan has people going crazy for cat fur hats made for cats. The designer known as @rojiman on Instagram, makes these delightful hats for cats. No spinning is required, just collect your cats fur and start by rolling it together before sculpting it into shape.
Dog hair also makes excellent hats, according to another Japanese artist by the name of Hideko Tsujii. She crafts hats from dog hair, and incorporates cat fur into her knitted creations. Her clients say they make wonderful mementoes of their furry loved ones.
If you’re keen to craft something from your pet fur, why not try felting. It’s pretty easy to master, once you collect enough dog or cat hair. Just start rolling the hair it into balls so you can sculpt it into different shapes. They even make great toys for your pets. They’ll recognize their own scent immediately and be intrigued by their new plaything.
If you have more than one cat or dog with different colour fur, keep their hair separate so you can experiment with different shades later on. If you want some creative ideas, check out Gourmet Felted on Etsy. As seen in the photo above, this artist has a gift and takes custom orders.
You can make just about anything from miniature animals to jewellery.
Pet Fur Jewellery
A simple braided piece of your pet’s fur crafted into a bracelet is a beautiful way to remember your beloved pet. It’s an easy thing to create and a stylish item to wear.
If you’re feeling more creative, take some inspiration from this Etsy designer by the name of Flora Davis. She makes a range of jewellery crafted from your cat’s fur.
Recycle Your Pet Hair
Another easy way to make good use of your pet hair is to stuff a pillow with it. Might sound odd and of course, you can wash it before you do, but your pets will love it. It also makes a great memento after your pet is gone.
If you just want to get rid of the darn stuff, then try using it around the borders of your garden. The scent of the fur will ward of pesky animals like small predators and even some insects. And the birds love it for stuffing their nests.
It’s also a good idea to check if there are any hair drives in your area. Hair is a great absorbent for industrial oil spills and is often used in the clean-up. Some companies are known to need pet hair for testing allergy medication, so check to see if there’s a call-out. They are always happy to get donations.
Lots of ways to make good use of all that pet hair and some creative ideas to help you decide how you’ll memorialize your beloved pets.
by Natalie Secretan
Puppy Dog Capers
Photo credit: Gourmet Felted by Fiber Artist, Gerry