Several months ago, a good friend sent me an Instagram post about Crafting with Cat Hair.

😳 🙀 😆

But today, here and now, I was in a 5-day intensive business seminar.

"Intensive" meaning 75 hours long. I love learning (Where’s my nerd herd at 🤓!?) but this was lonnnggggg!

It was the last day.

I was drifting off in the middle of something about compounding and optimizing sales and instead, I was thinking about the sandwich baggie I’d been filling with Bear’s cat fur.

You see, I brush Bear every day, and afterwards, whatever fur is on the brush goes into that sandwich baggie.

Why?

For crafts.

Of course.

Didn’t know I was THAT person, but apparently, I am.

Until days ago, I had never done crafts with cat hair.

But this is 2022, people.

Anything goes now.

I chuckled, then remembered my friend’s birthday was coming up!

She had done pet sitting for Bear as a kitten many times, and I thought it would be fun to include a finger puppet as an ornament on top of her birthday gift. (Yes, I’m also that person.)

The seminar was pretty unconventional in that there were no significant scheduled breaks. You get a random 10-minute break here and there, and once we even got 6 minutes.

This all has to do with disrupting patterns and rewiring for new ones, so that we’re receptive to new ideas.

Anyway, by the last day, we had a 40-minute break.

Time for Crafting With Cat Hair!

Instead of eating, I found two YouTube videos, grabbed the baggie of cat fur, some cardboard, scissors, plastic wrap, my glue gun (that I had to unearth from packed boxes) and dish soap.

I cross-referenced the two videos, but since I didn’t buy the book, I realized halfway through that I missed some steps.

But it’s okay, the puppet was cute and functional.

Then I realized I needed some eyes, nose and a collar.

I went through my neglected jewelry craft supplies and found something the eyes and nose: blue-gray and citrine Swarovski crystals. And for the collar, a sterling silver bead!

This is becoming a fancy cat!

I finished the main puppet during the break and added the eyes, nose, and collar during the next 10-minute one.

Crafting Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Many people who have a trauma history suffer from anxiety.

Crafting has been shown to be calming and stress-reducing, lowering your anxiety.

By day 5 of the seminar I'd started to feel anxious.

How I was going to remember this stuff?

How was I was going to do it all?

I noticed my breathing was shallow, my stomach was tight, and then as a coping mechanism I started to drift…this is when the bag of Bear’s fur popped into my head.

Our bodies and minds are trying to keep us safe

Our bodies and and minds are incredible.

They know what we need, when we need it, and are always trying to keep us safe.

I will tell you that after that cat finger puppet was done, for the rest of the seminar, I’d glance over at it and just smile.

I definitely felt more calm, grounded, and balanced again

I felt like myself!

(I ended up buying the book, because I’m now a cat hair crafter. Apparently.)

I also included below some brief information on a 3-step plan for using our flower essence blends for trauma.

Are you a crafter?

If you’re a crafter, I’d love to know what you make and if you craft anything with your cat’s hair, please share! 😀😻

With Love and Above,
Siena

Flower Essence Blend Plan for Trauma

Step 1: TRAUMA-HEAL

Step 2: FORGIVENESS

Move to the FORGIVENESS blend. Part of the healing process is to forgive, whether it's another person, an organization, or set of circumstances, and also, to forgive yourself. Forgiveness is about gaining more freedom from the prisons of resentment or perspectives that can drain your energy, such as wishing things had gone differently. Use FORGIVENESS for one cycle, repeat if needed.

Step 3: REVIVE

Third step, move to REVIVE. REVIVE is all about getting your emotional, physical, and spiritual energy back, to recover what the trauma suppressed: who you truly are! Use this one for at least 2 cycles.

*Super helpful: CALM

The CALM blend is an all-purpose aid to help support and maintain the energy of peace and calm. So I would be remiss if I didn't mention it as a wonderful supplement to the plan above. 

*Our blends work best as a complement to your holistic and self-care regimen, which may include meditation, journaling, therapy, and other inner and spiritual work.