DebsDaysDesigns Etsy Shop

Hi, I'm Deb, and welcome to my Etsy shop! I'm a former school teacher turned crafter/cruiser/kitten foster parent. On any given day you'll find me doing at least one of those things. (Although the pandemic has put the cruising on hold right now.)

For several years now I've been putting down my thoughts, creating crafting tutorial videos, and telling stories about fostering kittens here on the blog. Lately I've been working at putting some of my most popular YouTube crafting tutorials into a written form. Those are the patterns you'll find here - the ones viewers like the most. These digital patterns come with step-by-step directions, photos, and links to my tutorial videos all in one PDF download.

Check back frequently as I'm adding patterns weekly. With over 100 published crafting videos I still have a lot of PDF digital versions to come! 

Click to shop my Etsy shop and start your next project today!

Essential Supplies for Keeping Foster Kittens Happy and Healthy - Foster Kitten Friday

After having spent several years fostering young kittens, there are some supplies I've come to rely on time and time again. From food to litter and bedding to toys, check out some of those important supplies you'll need when you welcome the little foster kittens into your home.

Today we're talking about those supplies to help keep the baby kitties happy and healthy.

I've added links to Amazon so you can see photos and prices of the different products. I am a participant in their affiliate advertising program so if you make a purchase through my link I will earn a small commission. The purchase helps support me in purchasing replacement products for each year's foster kitties. I buy most all of my supplies from Amazon, but do get your supplies wherever is cheapest and easiest for you!

Check out the adventures of some of my most recent foster kitties here. You'll see them as they work towards growing up big and strong. And bonus - you'll find plenty of cute kitty cat photos!

Supplies for Keeping Foster Kittens Happy and Healthy ( and Busy)

Keeping foster kittens happy and playful is pretty easy. The key is toys and they have plenty of favorites.

• Sparkle Balls  are soft balls they can carry around in their mouths.

Don't even think about taking
away Sage's sparkle ball.

• Crinkle balls are almost as popular. 
• Jingle balls are toys - and noise - kittens love playing with.
• Mouse toys are treated by my foster kittens just like they would a mouse. I even had one of my foster kittens who thought he should bring it to me over and over and over. 
• Wand toys require participation from you, but boy they are fun.
• A track toy - one with balls inside they spin around and around - can be a fun way for them to spend some of their time.
• A cat tunnel/tube is a place you'll find foster kittens spending a lot of their time. Whether they are running from one end to the other or hiding in it or swatting at one of their siblings through the side, you can't go wrong with one of these.
• Cardboard cat scratchers give kittens a chance to learn how to use their claws - and not on your furniture. They usually come with catnip you can add, but kittens under three months old don't care much about catnip. If your kittens are older, put the catnip on there and watch them go crazy.
• Cat trees are great exercise for kittens and give them opportunities to explore some vertical space. The quality varies so look for one with consistently good reviews. The sturdiest one I've ever had was given to me as a gift by Simply Cats for being named their Foster of the Year. They do sell the sturdy cat trees here, but you'd have to be in the Boise area to pick it up.

Crazy things happen on cat trees by the window.

• Keeping kittens healthy can be easy. But also hard. If they are sick, you'll want the vet or shelter to take the lead and let you know what you need to do. They may ask you to take the kitten's temperature frequently so you'll need a thermometer. And no, you don't put it in a baby kitten's mouth, on their forehead, or under their armpit.

Sometimes a warm lap (and some antibiotics)
are just what the doctor ordered.

• It isn't until about five weeks of age when baby kittens can regulate their own body temperature. Up to then, foster parents will need to provide a heat source for the babies. My preference is the Snuggle Safe Pet Bed Microwave Heating Pad, a round disc you warm in the microwave. Check out my step-by-step tutorial for how to make extra covers for it right here.
• There may be times you need to separate sick kitties from healthy kitties. You may want to have an extra room available or use what I use - the handy-dandy Jespet pop up pens. 
• Foster kittens frequent have upper respiratory issues and a good humidifier can help. I have both a larger humidifier and a smaller one.  

Busted climbing on top of the playpen and
playing with the humidifier. Silly kitty!

• A kitchen scale (or postal scale) is also important whether sick or healthy. As a foster parent, you'll need to make sure your kittens are gaining the expected amount of weight each week. When I am fostering bottle babies, I weigh them every single day.

You mean I have to be weighed on a
kitchen scale in the sewing room? Yep.

We're not done with supplies yet! Join me soon for:

Supplies for Making Your Fostering Job Easier

In case you missed it, check out:

Essential Supplies Needed for Feeding Bottle Baby Kittens

Essential Supplies for Keeping Baby Kittens Warm and Comfortable

Make Homemade Stuffed Fabric Carrot Decorations - Tutorial Tuesday

Looking for homemade spring sewing or crafting project ideas to brighten up your Easter holiday or summer gardening home? How about making some easy homemade DIY fabric carrot decorations? Whip these up with some fabric and fiberfill stuffing with today's Tutorial Tuesday.

For today's fabric carrot project you will need:

• Pieces of fabric for the carrot 
• Green fabric for the leaves
• Fiberfill stuffing
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting ruler
• Cutting mat
• Scissors
• Iron
• Sewing machine
• Hand needle
• Matching thread

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Now available in my Etsy store as a digital download with the written directions, step-by-step photos, printable templates, and link to the tutorial video. Click to find out more!

Looking for something else? 

Check out some of my other Easter sewing and crafting projects!

Otherwise, you can find the step-by-step how to tutorial for the homemade fabric carrots sewing project here:

Sewing Pattern Downloads with Directions, Photos, and Video Links

You've come to rely on Deb's Days for new sewing tutorial videos each week and now I'm excited to announce I'm adding yet another way for you to access the sewing projects. It's something you've been asking for - digital downloads of the projects.

Update: All written patterns with step-by-step directions, color photos, printable templates, and video tutorial links have been moved to my Etsy shop, DebsDaysDesigns.

Essential Supplies for Keeping Foster Kittens Warm and Comfortable - Foster Kitten Friday

After having spent several years fostering young kittens, there are some supplies I've come to rely on time and time again. From food to litter and bedding to toys, check out some of those important supplies you'll need when you welcome the little foster kittens into your home.

Today we're talking about those supplies to help keep the baby kitties warm and comfortable.

I've added links to Amazon so you can see photos and prices of the different products. I am a participant in their affiliate advertising program so if you make a purchase through my link I will earn a small commission. The purchase helps support me in purchasing replacement products for each year's foster kitties. I buy most all of my supplies from Amazon, but do get your supplies wherever is cheapest and easiest for you!

Check out the adventures of some of my most recent foster kitties here. You'll see them as they work towards growing up big and strong. And bonus - you'll find plenty of cute kitty cat photos!

Supplies for Keeping Foster Kittens Warm and Comfortable

• It isn't until about five weeks of age when baby kittens can regulate their own body temperature. Up to then, foster parents will need to provide a heat source for the babies. My preference is the Snuggle Safe Pet Bed Microwave Heating Pad, a round disc you warm in the microwave. Check out my step-by-step tutorial for how to make extra covers for it right here.
• Snuggle Kitty, a stuffed animal with a pulsating heartbeat, gets placed in the same area. It comforts kitties who are missing their mama. 
• I use a couple different types of beds for the foster kittens. Some of the babes prefer to climb deep into the soft and plush cuddle cave. Other kitties like the plush open bed instead. 

Wyatt, my foster kitten born with no back feet,
 slept wherever was easier to get to.

• Pop up playpens keep kittens contained in the early stages when they need just a little space to roam. I've found connecting two playpens works even better as I can have a separate litter box room for them. There are several different types out there, but I really love my Jespet popups because they are bigger, sturdier, and easier to clean than some of the others.

It's a two room kitty cat camping tent!

• A clear playpen with connecting plastic panels is another good option. It gives the little ones space while you can see exactly what's going on. And believe me, you'll want to know.
• Blankets, blankets, blankets. You may have to wash kitty blankets every single day (sometimes more than once a day) so it's nice to have plenty of extras around  - fuzzy warm blankets, fleece blankets (I have a no-sew fleece blanket tutorial right here), and even receiving blankets. Yep, receiving blankets. There may be times you need to wrap a kitten for bottle feeding or you just might have a hisser/scratcher/lunger who needs to be wrapped to be given medication. 

We had to swaddle Dutton like a baby
to get the eye ointment in those little eyes.

We're not done with supplies yet! Join me in the upcoming weeks for:

Supplies for Keeping Baby Kittens Happy and Healthy
Supplies for Making Your Fostering Job Easier

In case you missed it, check out last week's Essential Supplies Needed for Feeding Bottle Baby Kittens