Cats are known for their love of climbing. Maybe your kitty enjoys dangling from a branch and pretending to be a tiger (like ours!) or likes to watch the world go by from an elevated position.

Cat trees are a great way to provide enrichment for your cat, allowing them to play and relax. Many cats prefer to sleep in an elevated position, which means cat trees provide the perfect place for them to feel safe and secure.

We’ve rounded up 16 of the very best DIY Cat Tree Ideas we can find on the internet today. And the good news is they’re all free!

So, from an adorable small tree based on a cactus to an epic design using a real tree trunk as the central feature, choose your favorite and learn how to build a cat tree of your very own!

For each plan, we’ve included the approximate level of DIY skill required, along with the materials and tools you’ll need to get started. Now let’s get going on the cat tower plans!

The 20 DIY Cat Tree Ideas (With Plans)

1. Cactus DIY Cat Tree from Nifty on BuzzFeed

Skill Level: Medium

There’s no need to worry about your cat picking up prickles from this super-cute Cactus Cat Tree plan from Tracy Raetz and Nifty on BuzzFeed.

Feel free to match the felt flowers to your house décor, and add a little catnip before watching your cat climb this super fun cactus.

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2. Dadand.com’s DIY Cat Tower & Kitty Condo

Skill Level: Beginner – Medium

If your cat’s looking for a stylish place to hang out, build them this budget-friendly DIY cat tower from Dadand.com. Featuring 4 platforms, this is a great choice if you have multiple cats.

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3. Instructables 21 Step DIY Cat Tree

Skill Level: Medium

Linda Rose on Instructables made this large cat tree using mostly recycled and reclaimed materials – what a winner! With multiple platforms and cozy spots for your cat to hide in, this is an excellent design if you have plenty of room to spare.

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4. Instructables 7 Step DIY Cat Tower Plans

Skill Level: Beginner

If you’re looking for a quick and simple DIY Cat Tower, check out this version from Instructables. With just 7 steps, you can have this ready in just a few hours.

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5. Real DIY Cat Tree Plans by Brittany Goldwyn

Skill Level: Medium – Advanced

If your indoor cat loves the feel of real branches beneath their paws, then treat them to this real cat tree by Brittany Goldwyn. This impressive cat tree features 3 platforms, faux vines, sisal scratching posts, and a rocky base.

Brittany does note to avoid using the faux vines if you think your cat might have a cheeky nibble!

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6. Epic DIY Cat Tree Featuring Multiple Platforms and a Real Tree

Skill Level: Advanced

If you’ve just finished removing some trees from your backyard, you can use this post from Boredom Therapy as inspiration for an epic real cat tree.

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7. The Experimental Home Large Cat Tree

Skill Level: Advanced

Set aside a day and your cat can be the proud owner of this large cat tree designed by The Experimental Home. This DIY cat tree will provide plenty of space for your cat to eat, sleep, hide, and play.

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8. Cat Tower Tree from Imgur

Skill Level: Medium

If your cat loves to climb, then this Cat Tower Tree from Imgur will keep them occupied for hours. Featuring a hollow interior, our cat can climb both inside and outside this tree!

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9. Ana White’s Cat Tree With Walkways

Skill Level: Beginner

If your cat loves looking down on life from up high, this cat tree from Ana White features long walkways for them to enjoy. What’s more, Ana suggests even a beginner DIY’er can complete this with her easy step-by-step plan.

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10. HGTV DIY Cat Tree With Basket Beds

Skill Level: Beginner

This Cat Tree With Basket Beds from HGTV features a simple plan that uses a PVC pipe to create a tall tree. There are cute baskets for your cat to take a nap at various heights too.

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11. WikiHow Ladder Cat Tree

Skill Level: Beginner

If you’ve got an old wooden ladder waiting to be thrown in the trash, WikiHow has an excellent tutorial with full instructions for how to convert it into a stunning multi-level cat tree for your lucky furry friend.

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12. Southern Revivals Cat Tree Play Tower

Skill Level: Medium – Advanced

This beautiful, minimalistic cat tree play tower from Southern Revivals incorporates real branches alongside plenty of space for your cat to play and chill out.

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13. Instructables Cheap And Cheerful Cat Tree

Skill Level: Beginner

If you’re looking to make a cat tree on a budget, this cheap and cheerful version from Instructables uses a range of reclaimed materials including an old kitchen unit. Feel free to substitute any of the materials with something else you have in your garage.

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14. Hallmark Channel Wood Ladder Cat Tree

Skill Level: Beginner

By combining two wooden ladders, this clever cat tree plan from Paige Hemsis on the Hallmark Channel means you can easily build this cat tree in an afternoon or less.

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15. Instructables Wall-Mounted Cat Tree

Skill Level: Medium

This Wall-Mounted Cat Tree on the Instructables site is an excellent choice if you have an energetic cat and need a tree that is going to stand up to some serious climbing! By fixing the platforms of this tree to the wall, it’s made stronger and sturdier than your average cat tree.

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16. Luxury Cat Tree from Show Cats Online

Skill Level: Advanced

Show Cats Online sure know a thing or two about cats. Their plan for a Luxury Cat Tree includes a carpeted tube, an adorable house, and plenty of spots for your cat to climb and scratch.

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17. DIY Star Trek Themed Cat Tree

Skill Level: Moderate

Do you want your cat to live long and prosper? Would a nerdy cat tree fit right in with your home décor? If so, this Instructables Star Trek cat tree might be perfect. It’s built to look like the Starship Enterprise and Romulan Bird of Prey. This iconic tree is the perfect place for your cat to have out-of-this-world adventures. The detailed instructions for this tree include schematics, measurements, and handy tips to make the assembly easier than it looks.

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18. DailyPaws Easy DIY Cat Tree

Skill Level: Moderate

This chic cat tree is the perfect addition to a modern, polished living room. With a rustic pet cave and a cozy cradle suspended in a wooden frame, it’s a beautiful balance of form and function. By switching up the colors and materials, it can fit in any style of home, and it’s perfect for cats that love to sleep and snuggle elevated. This tree does have a dearth of scratching spots, though, so it’s important to make sure you’ve also got a scratching post available.

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19. Hometalk Custom Cat Tower and Toy Storage

Skill Level: Moderate

This farmhouse-style cat tree is a great DIY project that’s sure to stand out. We love the white and brown coloring they chose here, but you could customize it to match your needs. The wooden tray at the top of the tower makes a perfect perch, while the crates offer a great hiding place without being too closed off. Finally, a small, lidded wine box near the base of the tree offers a step up while hiding a handing storage space. The instructions walk you through making an exact replica, but they also give lots of ideas for customization and creativity to help you work with what you have. This DIY also is full of genius tips—like attaching carpet squares with Velcro for easy cleaning—so make sure to check it out even if you go with another plan.

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20. Small Space Stool Tree

Skill Level: Beginner

This easy cat stool is cheap, cheerful, and simple to upcycle from materials you have on hand. With no major woodworking and lots of ways to customize it, it’s perfect for a beginner. The top of the stool is turned into a great padded cat perch, a fleecy hammock is hung from the bars beneath, and the legs are turned into scratching posts. A pair of bristle brushes with the handles sawed off encourages your cat to rub up against one leg, and cat toys can be hung from the middle of the stool. If you have a larger cat, this tree might be a little small and unsteady, but smaller cats will love it.

Alternatively, if you want to surprise your cat with something cool, check out the Hepper Hi-Lo Cat Scratcher. It's not just a scratcher; it's a piece of modern furniture that your cat can play on. It's got a curvy design that's perfect for stretching and moving, and it's built tough with strong birch plywood and thick B-flute cardboard. You can adjust it to three different heights, which keeps cats entertained. Plus, it won't break the bank! Our cats love it, and we do too.

At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest, so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!

Conclusion

So, there you have it! A list of inventive DIY cat towers and trees. We hope you enjoyed our round-up of the very best free DIY cat tree plans available for you to try and hopefully you now know how to build a cat tree from scratch!

No matter what your level of DIY skill, there’s a cat tree plan to suit you – from a PVC cat tree plan to one using real branches for a touch of the outdoors.

And the good news is we can almost guarantee that your cat will be happy with whichever you choose!

See more:

• 10 Best Eco-Friendly Cat Trees — Reviews & Top Picks
• 8 DIY PVC Cat Tree Plans You Can Build Today (With Pictures)

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Featured Image Credit: Africa Studio, Shutterstock