July 19, 2019

Fabric Dog Collar Tutorial

Today I am sharing how I like to make dog collars! It is such a fun, fast project. You can sew one in 10 minutes or less.

Last month we visited family in Utah and I spent time with my in-laws' dog for whom I made a collar this time last year. I made a cute little scarf as well, I'll share that too!

After a year the collar was much dirtier, of course, but I was pleased with how it had held up overall. Since it has passed a quality test, I thought I was ok to share with you my process.


First you need hardware! I have ordered from a few different shops on Etsy but my favorite is Kraft Haus Supply Co. They have lots of options for sizes and finishes, and the packaging is beautiful! These are really sturdy metal pieces, the large one weighs almost 7 oz. so make sure you don't use that one on a tiny dog.

I used the 5/8" width in Antique Brass, the 1" in Gunmetal, and the 1.5" Rose Gold.

Or you can check out all the dog collar hardware sets together here.



Fabric shown is Riley Blake Basic 1/8" stripe in Navy, Tilda Apple Butter, and Cotton and Steel Freshly Picked by Melody Miller. The 3 under the collars are all Bonnie and Camille Wovens by Moda.



If you do better with videos, you can watch this entire process in my Instagram highlights, just click the Dog Collar circle on my profile page to watch!

Next, figure out the dimensions of the fabric strip you need.

The width of you fabric strip should be 4 times the final desired width, so here's a handy chart for you-

Hardware width:       Fabric strip width:














The 5/8" would be a great one any sized dog in my opinion, plus then you can use Jelly Roll strips! The 1.5" is BIG, save that for large dogs, and when you really want to make a statement. My favorite size is probably the 1". That gives you enough space to show off the fabric, but not too heavy.

Note: The wider your strip, the less body it will have on its own. You may want to add a strip of interfacing or stabilizer of some sort to give it better shape and hold up to the heavy hardware. It will need to be the same length as your strip, and the width of the hardware you are using. 

Now for the length. The length of your strip needs to be about 8" longer than your final circumference. Neck sizes of different dog breeds can range from 9 inches up to about 22, so if you're making a gift and can't measure, that should give you a good idea. If you're making a small collar you can fit your strip from a fat quarter. For larger ones you will need yardage, or you can just join 2 strips to get the length you need. I did that for my big one!

Now that you have your correct strip size take it to the ironing board. Press the strip in half lengthwise, then press the edges to the center, the press in half. You made a double fold!


Stitch down both sides of your folded strip very close to the edge. I'd recommend a thicker polyester thread for more long-lasting durability, but cotton wouldn't be the end of the world. If you have zig zag stitch on your machine, stitch across the ends of the strips a few times to finish them off. (I had the wrong machine set up for that today!)



Feed one end of your strip through the "D ring" and the clip as shown, leaving a 2.5" or so tail.



Slide the ring to the right out of your way, and sew the tail down, going back and forth across the same spot several times to reinforce.



Now slide the ring over to your stitches and sew along the other side, as close as you can, reinforcing again.



One side is done! Now for the other end. Feed it through the slider, up and over the middle bar. Make sure your strip isn't twisted!



Now feed the end through the other side of the clip, and back up under the other side of the slider.



Tug that through a little more and fiddle around with it until you have space to fold over that tail and sew it down to itself.

 

You've done it my friend! Now for the dashing little scarf.

Start with a square of fabric, anywhere from 10" to 20" will work, depending on the size of your dog. I like to use a woven fabric for this part so that I can create a little fringe on the edges.
 Cut the square in half diagonally.

Stitch along the 2 short ends of the triangle a 1/4" away from the edge. Use a pretty small stitch length, this is going to prevent fraying.

Now fold over the long side a 1/4" and press, then fold and press again. Stitch right down the center of that fold, backstitching at both ends to secure.

Now go back and fluff out your short edges, pulling out any long threads from the grain to create a little fringe. Throwing it in the wash will help this part along. Here's the scarf I made for my in-laws' dog, you can see the cute little fringe there.


If you don't want to do it that way you can just fold, press and stitch all 3 edges.

I am working on my Pinterest skills. The pins turned out cute right? I'd be so pleased if you'd pin one for me. Thank you!!


19 comments :

  1. Great tutorial! Thanks for sharing! ��

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  2. This is just in time for my dog's first birthday! I can't wait to make him all sorts of collars! Thank you!

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  3. Oh such a great help. I can make several. Our Aussie also needs scarves! Thanks so much!

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  4. I love this and all of your tutorials!
    They are so clear and detailed and simple and happy and shinning!
    Every time I come to your page I feel light with both meanings, with no weight and no darkness.
    Thank you!

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  5. But because they are so small, it is difficult to place larger items of clothing properly on the board, which can be annoying when ironing sleeves or anything that needs to fit around the end of the board. best ironing board

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  6. Nice Blog. Thanks for sharing this Information. keep updating. it's really good work. well done.
    Top 10 Dog Breeds

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  7. How does the scarf stay on the dog? I don't see how it fits around the collar?

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    Replies
    1. The scarf is just tied in a knot, it's plenty long for that.

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  8. What width do I need to make the strip of fabric if I want my final desired width of the collar to be 3/8inch?

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  9. Where did you buy your fabric at? I have been having a hard time finding cute fabric with a small enough print that can be seen on the collar once it is finished.

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  10. Where did you buy your fabric at? I have been having a hard time finding cute fabric with a small enough print that can be seen on the collar once it is finished.

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  11. Where did you buy your fabric at? I have been having a hard time finding cute fabric with a small enough print that can be seen on the collar once it is finished.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Where did you buy your fabric at? I have been having a hard time finding cute fabric with a small enough print that can be seen on the collar once it is finished.

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  13. Great detail and pictures
    Made one in less than 30 min
    Sooo cute

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  15. Love these. My dog is ‘making’ them for his friends.

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