How to Sew a Cuddle Sack for Your Small Pet

Like people, small pets appreciate privacy and a soft place to sleep or enjoy some solitude. By following some simple directions, you can give your little friend a cozy retreat of his or her own. These pet sacks take very little fabric and are a perfect way to use those remnants and scraps left over from other sewing projects. Design a cuddle sack that coordinates with your decor or that matches your pet's personality.

Things You'll Need

  • Sewing machine
  • Cotton fabric
  • Fleece fabric
  • Thread
  • Scissors
  • Ruler or yardstick
  • Iron
Show More

Instructions

  1. Find the fabrics for your pet sack.

    • 1
      Choose a pretty fabric.

      Visit your favorite fabric store or search through your stash to find a fabric for the outside of your pet sack. Cotton works best. Select the color of the fleece that will be used for the lining.

    • 2
      Use an iron to crease your fabric before cutting.

      Measure and cut the fabrics. For a pet sack that will measure approximately 7 inches by 7 inches when finished, start with a rectangle of fabric that measures 9 inches by 16 inches. To get a straight edge when cutting the fabric, fold it over to measure it and then iron the crease to create a line for cutting. Cut your fabric following the crease line.

    • 3

      Lay your cotton fabric on top of the fleece and cut around it, resulting in a piece of fleece lining the same size as the cotton outer fabric. Iron the outer fabric until it is wrinkle-free and lays flat. Do not iron the fleece as it may scorch.

    • 4
      Stitch right sides together.

      Put the right side of the outer fabric against the fleece and stitch along the top. The stitching should go on the long side of the rectangle, not the short side.

    • 5

      Open up the project and lay flat. One side will be the cotton outer fabric and the other side will be the fleece, connected in the middle. Fold the fabric in half so the cotton matches up with the cotton, and the fleece meets with the fleece, with the right sides together. Make certain the seams line up with each other. It will look like a flat tube. Stitch along the length starting with the cotton end.

    • 6

      Turn down the pet sack along the seam so the right side is out and the fleece side is in. The design of the sack is now obvious, with a sewn edge at the top and a raw edge at the bottom. Iron the sack being careful not to touch the fleece lining with the hot iron.

    • 7

      Sew across the bottom, closing up one end of the pet sack. Using the scissors, trim close to the seam.

    • 8

      Turn the pet sack inside out so the fleece is on the outside and the cotton is on the inside. Push the seam down inside the sack and smooth the sack out flat using your hands. Put another seam across the bottom approximately half an inch from the edge. To reinforce this seam sew over it again. This creates a French seam with no raw edges.

    • 9

      Turn the pet sack right side out, smooth out with your hands until it lays flat and iron. Remember to avoid touching the fleece lining with the hot iron. The end result is a pouch for a pocket pet such as a hedgehog, hamster, or small rat. Your pet sack is now finished.