Introduction: Upcycled Cat Wand

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About: I enjoy hiking and plant foraging... but most of time I do chores!

In this instructable I will show you how to make a cat wand / sparkler toy for your cats or kittens.

Materials:

  • Nail Polish
  • Wood Dowel
  • Cotton Thread
  • Chip Bag (Doritos)
  • Blue Masking Tape

Tools:

  • Scissors
  • Utility Knife
  • Table Edge

Step 1: Cut Strips

In this step, you'll want to create the strips of the wand that will make noise and sparkle.

  1. Wash the chip bag. It should be difficult to open and fairly rigid so that the wand is durable.
  2. From the chip bag, cut out a rectangle about 5-6" wide by 12-16" long.
  3. Tape the rectangle so that approximately 1/4" to 1/2" covers the edge of the table.
  4. Cut strips to the edge of the table that are approximately 1/8" to 3/8" wide.
  5. The strips should all be joined together at the top by that covers the edge of the table.

Step 2: Add Slot

In this step, add a slot to the dowel to hold the strips:

  1. Gently rock the utility knife back and forth at the edge of the dowel.
  2. Apply light pressure to make a slot about 1/2" to 3/4" deep.
  3. Do this carefully! It's easy to split the dowel in half or injure yourself.

Step 3: Wrap Strips

In this step, wrap the wand and place the string:

  1. Insert the strips into the slot, about half-way.
  2. Wrap the strips around the wand.
  3. Insert a string near the end of the wrap.

Step 4: Wrap String

In this step wrap and secure the string:

  1. Tighten the strips with the string inserted.
  2. Wrap the strips completely at the dowel-rod end.
  3. Tape the string to hold the wrapping tight.

Step 5: Lacquer

In this step, finish the wrapping with nail polish:

  1. Cover the wrapping with nail polish.
  2. Let wrapping dry for a few hours.
  3. Cut off the excess string.

BONUS: I tried making a few different sizes of wand. What's important is that the strips are thin and about 4-6" long. If they are too short, they are too rigid to make noise.

Step 6: Play

Play with your cats or kittens. You can use it to replace worn out existing toys, like shown on the tower. Cats and kittens love the toy, shown is a worn out prototype.