Something really special…the handmade gift!

A close friend’s birthday is tomorrow.  Now I could have gone shopping at the Bangor Mall.  Or I could have shopped online and never left the house.  But neither appeal to me.  I love to give and receive homemade gifts.  When someone gives me a homemade gift, I feel honored and cherished because they have invested their time, their creativity, and their love in that gift. The gift of TIME, the time that it takes to design, gather materials, assemble them,….. that is so incredibly special in today’s busy world. My friend loves her cats so I made a little 3-dimensional shelf kitty that looks like her cat “Buster”.

I have made these for years and they were great sellers back in the day when I did craft shows.  I’m sharing the pattern with you so I have put the pattern and instructions here on the site so that you can download it as a PDF file.  Just trace the pattern onto a piece of wood and cut it out with a band saw.  A jigsaw won’t work as there are some pretty tight corners, particularly in the area of the front legs. The painting on this piece is very basic so you don’t have to be an “artist” to make it.  And you can personalize it by painting it the colors of the recipient’s kitty and by adding cute add-ons.  I used a ball of yarn on the one in the picture but in the past I have made a mini catnip mouse toy, or added a jingle bell, or a little bird ornament or just a feather stuck to the paw or mouth.  Get creative and most of all, have fun! Click on the link below to open and download the free pattern.

“Kitty Baby” Shelf Kitten packet