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Since most dogs don't wear a lot of couture ensems, the options for giving your dog a stylish look are limited. Of course, you can try the classic “Spuds” McKenzie” sunglasses, but only a few pooches will actually keep them on. Then there’s the laid back bandana or genteel rain boots — both have a classic look. However, for more innovative canine outerwear, you’re probably going to have to tailor something to fido’s size and style. Luckily DIYers have several video tutorials and approaches to make designer dog collars. Watch the video lessons below and your furry friend will be turning the dog run into a fashion runway.
Refashioning a Belt
Perhaps one of the simplest ways to create a distinctive dog collar is trimming a vintage (or low-cost) belt to the size of your dog’s neck (with a little give) and add a D-ring that can be used to attach a leash. The Sorry Girls show that this approach usually doesn’t require more than a cut, making a hole or two and attaching the D-ring.
Paracord Collar
Jennifer from Sea Lemon uses a two different types of knots to make paracord collars for dogs big and small. If you don’t have previous experience with knotting paracord, you’ll probably need some time to get up to speed on technique. Don’t be dismayed, though. The project is easy enough to be your first paracord creation.
Button Down Dog Collar
Meg Allen Cole brings a little preppy cool to your pooch’s neck. Pick out an old button-down shirt with a look you still like. Iron the collar, flip over the shirt and then cut it off with a little extra flap of fabric to spare. To stiffen the collar, flip up the extra fabric and secure it in place with a hot glue gun. Petite dogs may need a smaller collar. If so, you can cut the collar in half and glue the sections together to make sure the collar wrap is snug. Thrifted Living shows how to add a clip on bow tie to the same idea for a little extra panache.
Sewn Collar with Polyester Strap
Professor Pincushion uses a combination of cloth ribbon and 1 inch polyester strap to create a collar that can be customized with almost any material. The result may be cute, rugged, old school or inventive. a D-ring and plastic buckle are also necessary to secure the collar to the leash and attach the two ends of material. Since it can be hard to find tightly woven polyester straps in widths less than one inch, the approach may not be suitable for smaller dogs, but it’s still possible. The ribbon or strip of material is then sewn to the strap with a top stitch thread to give the two pieces of material a tight bond.
Fabric Collar with Interfacing
Suzanne Cotney sews hundreds of dog collars for her business and demonstrates her process in this lo-fi tutorial. Her materials are little more than fabric, interfacing and hardware. The interfacing is key to creating a strong collar. This approach probably won’t be quite as durable as the polyester strap and may not make sense for bigger dogs. Still, if it’s easy enough to make hundreds at a time, it could be fun to give your dog several different looks depending on the day of the week and the weather.
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