Our teenage kitty, Lucy Loo, is adorable… but she’s also a total slob. {We love her, but someone had to say it}. Between the kibble and wet food her bowls needed a little help. So, I whipped up this DIY quilted cat bowl mat to catch the mess. The best part? It only took me about 20 minutes start to finish! This is a super easy pet sewing project you can make with fabric scraps, batting, and a little stitching—definitely one of those easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy makes.

Whether you’ve got a messy kitty like Lucy, or you just like your kitty to have cute accessories, this project is quick, fun, and totally beginner-friendly.

Measurements & Cuts

First, I measured the length and width of Lucy’s bowl set to decide how big the mat needed to be. I aimed for about 14″ long by 7 ½” wide—just a little bigger than her bowls to catch the spills.

Here’s what I cut:

Strips: 7 pieces of fun cotton, each 7 ½” x 2 ½”

Backing: 1 piece cotton, 15″ x 8 ½”

Batting: 1 piece, 14″ x 7 ½” (use whatever batting you have—don’t overthink it)

Sewing the Mat Together

Step 1. Place the backing fabric right (pretty) side down. Center the batting on top.

Step 2. Take one strip and place it right side up, lined up with the left edge of the batting.

Step 3. Place a second strip face down on top of the first, completely covering it. Pin through all the layers (strips, batting, and backing).

Step 4. Sew a ¼” seam along the inside edge of the strips, all the way through the layers.

Step 5. Flip open the second strip, finger press (or roll) the seam flat.

Step 6. Repeat the process with the third strip, then the fourth, and so on until all strips are sewn down.

💡 Note My Lack of Panic: In my reel, you’ll see I ended up with a little extra batting peeking out after the seventh strip. Easy fix—I just trimmed it along the edge of the last strip. 1. No one on the planet will ever notice. 2. No one is going to take away my birthday.

Self-Binding the Kitty Bowl Mat

I purposely cut the backing larger than the batting and strips so it can self-bind. Translation: instead of adding a separate binding, the backing folds over to the front, creating a natural border.

For the corners, fold them into neat triangles to meet the batting. Then fold the short sides in the same way as the long ones. Clip and sew along the folds with a ⅛” seam.

Start with the long sides (top and bottom). Fold the raw edge up to meet the strip edge, then fold one more time over the strips. Clip in place, then sew close to the fold (about ⅛”).

All Done!

And that’s it—your DIY cat bowl mat is ready to handle all the spills, splashes, and kibble chaos your kitty can dish out. Lucy Loo has been using hers for a while now, and let’s just say it’s a total game-changer for keeping her feeding area cute and (mostly) tidy. This fast and easy sewing project checks all the boxes: perfect for beginners, a thoughtful gift for fellow pet parents, and a fantastic scrap buster! Proof that sewing something useful doesn’t have to take all day.