Activity Mat Tutorial

Lucky enjoying his new activity mat!

Last week someone posted an activity mat similar to this that they found on Amazon, on the Facebook group Canine Enrichment. However, that one was only seventeen inches square ... a little small for my boy plus it didn't ship to Canada anyhow so I decided to have a go at making one. Several people commented that they would like it if I shared a step by step tutorial with them. For those of you from that group here it is ... finally! I must apologize for the delay in posting. All was going well and I was on schedule to finish it on Saturday afternoon and type this up ... but, that morning I stupidly decided to try out our dirt bike. I haven't ridden a bike in seven years and even then it was a nice little cruiser. A dirt bike it seems is a whole different feel, to cut a long story short I shot forward only a few feet and somehow managed to throw myself off and am now nursing a torn ligament at the base of my finger! So right now I have my little finger, which is a lovely shade of purple, strapped to my ring finger to stop it getting caught on everything - it doesn't fully bend due to swelling and sticks out catching on everything and setting the whole pain thing off so figured it would heal much quicker if I took it right out of service!  So, without further whimpering from me here is the tutorial!


For this I used a fleece throw that I just happened to have handy, measuring 50" x 60" - I used almost all of it, just to give you an idea how much fabric in total. I also used a piece of co-ordinating fleece that was 20" x 28" and three 3" wide strips cut from some quilting cotton fabric for the binding. Finally I used a 31" x 19" piece of plain cotton canvas for the top.

 

Cut List:

1 Piece fabric for top layer measuring 31" x 19" - I used a cotton canvas type fabric
2 pieces of fleece 14"x14"
12 pieces of fleece 14" x 6"
1 piece of fleece 6"x8" - I used a blue fleece
1 piece of fleece 6.5"x8.5" (green, placed under the above blue piece)
4 pieces of fleece 6"x12"   (blue again)
1 Piece of fleece 19'x31" for the back
3 strips of cotton fabric 3" wide, each 45" in length and sewn together to form one long 3" wide strip - this is for the binding.

At one end of the cotton canvas draw lines 1" apart, leaving 2" top and bottom and 2" from the left hand edge.

 

Next, take the 12 strips of 6"x14" fleece and fold them in half lengthwise. Place the folded edge of each piece on each line. Open up the folded fleece and pin on center line, top and bottom. Sew down each center line.

Place the folded edge of each piece on each line.

Open up the folded fleece and pin on center line, top and bottom. Sew down each center line.

When you have sewn all twelve and secured the thread (I pull through to the back and knot) take scissors and cut each folded piece from the free edge to about 1/4" from the stitching.

Et Voila! The snuffle mat part of the mat is complete.  Now take a break, coffee or wine is acceptable at this point!

The snuffle mat part of the mat is complete. 

Now place the 6.5"x8.5" piece on the canvas and stitch around the edge. Then place the 6"x8" piece on top of that, repeat! Sew a line off stitching across the center of the rectangle and then carefully cut a cross on the top piece of fleece only to make two little envelope pockets. Stitch one of the 6"x12" pieces of fleece on also, stitching all the way around the edge. Place the remainder pieces on top and stitch one line up the center to make a cloth book.

You're almost there!  We're doing great and your puppy is going to think you are the best human in the whole world for this!

Now take the two 14"x14" pieces, fold them in half and sew along the outer edge to make two tubes. Open out turn half inside out .... makes no sense so check out the photos!

Now run some hand stitching, big running stitches along the raw edge and gather up to make a little baggy! Attach these to the mat also. I had to do this bit by hand!

 By now you should have a mat that looks something like this ...

 Lay the mat on top of the 19"x31" piece of fleece, pin 1/4" in all around and stitch.

Finally take the long 3" wide strip of cotton binding we made, fold in half and iron. Now as I said by this stage I was slightly incapacitated with my right hand being out of service so at this point I am going to give you the link to a blog tutorial for binding a quilt which is basically what I did next!

The end result should look something like this!

Et Voila ... at long last an activity mat for your pup to cherish!

Again, apologies for the delay in posting to those who have been patiently waiting! This is the first tutorial I have ever attempted to blog ... I may have missed bits or not been very clear in my instructions ... if so please, please leave me a comment/ask a question and I will do my best to answer you as quick as I can!

Someone seems to like it!