Wait! Don't throw those hideous shoulder pads away! (A shoulder pad upcycling tutorial)

I LOVE THRIFT SHOPS. I love the thrill of finding something awesome for hardly any money, and I especially love when that something awesome is vintage.

My favorites are really retro vintage button-down shirts. The ones with the ties at the neck are the best! The only problem is, those cute shirts usually have some pretty terrible shoulder pads. I used to throw shoulder pads away and felt terribly guilty about it, until I realized that our cats would probably love a new catnip-stuffed toy.

So, throw your shoulder pads away no more! If you have cats, or know someone who has a cat, this would make a great DIY gift or stocking stuffer.

Here is how I did this simple little upcycling project:

 I started by taking some shoulder pads from a funky shirt I plan to refashion:

Then, I folded it in half and decided about where to put my buttons.

 Next, I folded it in half and sewed it with my sewing machine. I used gold thread because that is what was on my sewing machine now. :)

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Afterward, I stuffed it with catnip, and sewed it shut.

VOILA!! Cute little mousey cat toy... from a shoulder pad!


I hope you like it. Do you have any other creative uses for shoulder pads? I would love to hear them!