There’s nothing like a furry friend when you’re feeling down or worried. And the great thing about these “Peace Pets” is that they fit in your pocket—and they’re completely potty trained!

First, let’s gather some supplies:

Some kind material — the thicker the better, like fake fur, an old sweater, a thick pair of socks… Or, if you want to make mini pets, you can use puff balls and felt!

Sewing scissors — or regular scissors that are mighty enough to cut through fur

Glue

(Optional) needle and thread

Googly eyes. If you’re making a larger pet out of fur or fabric, you can also use stuffed animal eyes, which you can find at a fabric or craft store

(Optional) cotton balls if you want to add stuffing to your fur or fabric pet

If you’re making a mini pet out of a puff ball, you can skip ahead to the next step.

For a larger pet, decide how big you want your peace pet to be by folding your piece of fur in half.

If you want your pet to be smaller, do a little trimming until you get it to a size you like.

Now, looking at your folded piece of fur or puff ball, decide where you want your pet’s eyes to be.

If you’re using googly eyes like the eyes in the photo below, just push the fur aside in the spot where you want your eyes to be, apply some glue and place your eyes on top. You’ll want to apply some pressure and give your eyes a good long time to dry.

If you’re working with fur or fabric and want to use stuffed animal eyes instead of googlies, see next step.

To add stuffed animal eyes like the ones in the photo below, open up your piece of fur and — very carefully — use your scissors , to make very tiny holes in the places where you want your eyes to be. If you make the holes too big, your eyes could slip through.

You can make your tiny holes by either opening your scissors up and (carefully) twisting the end of one of the blades into the fur, or you can pinch the fur together and make a tiny snip.

Now you’re ready to add your eyes!

Just slip each eye through one of the holes and close it with the plastic backing.

Got your eyes in? Great! Now let’s close up the sides of your furry pet.

If you want to add a little stuffing first, you can put some cotton balls inside, but your pet will be plenty furry and lovable without stuffing, too.

To close the sides, run a line of glue along the edges and press firmly, then wait for it to dry. Or you can sew the sides shut with a needle and thread. If you are sewing, no need to first turn your pet inside out — the fur will hide the stitches.

What about some feet for your mini pet?

While mini pets are very happy to snuggle up in your hand or pocket, you can give your pet some feet by cutting a piece of felt or heavy paper into a heart shape and gluing it to the bottom of your puff ball. Just a spot of glue will do.

Now all you need is a name!

And of course we’d love to meet your new pet. First though, here’s a little idea for you to try…

Maybe you’ve seen these little dolls around? Many generations ago, the people of Guatemala created Worry Dolls like these to carry away their worries. According to the legend, when you tell your worries to the dolls and put them under your pillow or near your bed, they will do your worrying for you so you can sleep peacefully and wake up free of worry.

We’ve found that Peace Pets can be helpful that way too.

To try it, just whisper your worry to your pet. Then try your best not to think about it for a while. At the very least, you’ll get a nice break from worrying — and maybe, you never know, your pet will magically make your worry go away. Pets have been known to do that.

Ready to introduce your pet to us? Oh good! We love animals.