The barn cat. Most barns have them. This one I suppose could pass for a wild tiger too, so maybe I’ll toss him into the zoo series when I do that ;-) but for now, we’ll call him a tigger kitty. :) There’s only one animal left in the farm series of cardboard tubes, I’m sure you can guess what it is now! Meanwhile, let’s make this cute cardboard tube cat.

Ok, so not all kitties live in a barn. Mine certainly don’t. Spoiled brats.

First cut a piece of cardboard tube to about 1 1/2 inches. Paint it orange.

Paint some dark brown stripes on both sides.

Use a small round stencil sponge (called spouncers) dipped in light orange paint (or just mix some orange with a little white or yellow) to add the cheeks. Use the handle end of a paintbrush dipped in pink paint to add the nose.

Cut a strip from the remaining cardboard tube for the tail. Paint it orange and add brown stripes.

Take an orange chenille stem and cut a 4 inch piece off. Set that piece aside for the ears. Take the remaining length of stem and cut it in half. Coil the two pieces around the handle of a paintbrush and slide the coils off, these are the legs. Glue them inside the bottom of the tube so that they stick out the front. Bend them to look like the cat is laying down.

Take that 4 inch piece for the ears and cut it in half. Bend both pieces in half and glue inside the tube at the top. Glue the tail to the back and curl it around the cat. Use a Sharpie marker to add whiskers, eyes, and eyebrows. :)