How to Make Fiber Braided Dog Collars
Using natural fibers to make a dog collar is a way to recycle outdoor items such as pine needles, daffodil leaves, shredded yuccas and dried grass instead of bagging them up for the dump. Your choice of natural fiber will determine the color and texture of your finished piece. For example, yuccas will make a green item, while daffodil leaves will make a tan dog collar. All of these fiber types are handled in much the same way and can create a sturdy and visually pleasing collar.
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Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Natural fibers (the amount will depend on how big your dog's neck is)
- Quilting thread
- Sewing machine
- Rubber band
- Scissors
- Small buckle
Instructions
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1
Measure the circumference of your dog's neck. Write this number down for later use.
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Soak your craft fibers in warm water for a few minutes to make them soft and pliable. According to the book Weaving With Reeds and Fibers, quickly dip the fibers into hot water to kill any bugs that may be clinging to them.
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3
Gather a bundle of craft fibers together and loop a rubber band around one end to hold the bundle together. The bundle should be around 1/4 inch in diameter.
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4
Trim the end of the bundle so that it is even in length. Divide the bundle into thirds for braiding.
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5
Braid the fibers by placing the left section over the center section. This will put the left section in the center. Place the right section over the center. This will make the right section the center. This is how to braid with fibers. Keep repeating this process until you get 1/2 inch away from the end of the fibers.
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Lay a new, small bundle of fibers on top of the remaining 1/2 inch of center section. Add a small bundle to the left and right 1/2-inch sections, as well. Because the old sections are only 1/2 inch, laying new bundles (which are, of course, longer than 1/2 inches) will make the old sections longer. You can continue the braid by folding the left section and the new bundle over the center section and its new bundle. You are essentially braiding the new sections into the old sections. Keep braiding until you get a braid that is 2 inches longer than the circumference of your dog's neck.
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Trim the ends of the fibers so that they are uniform in length.
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Set your sewing machine to a wide zigzag stitch that is slightly smaller than the width of your fiber dog collar.
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Sew a zigzag down the length of the collar to add durability and visual interest.
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Loop one end of the collar around the middle of the buckle. Poke the center spike of the buckle through the fiber.
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Sew the end of the collar onto itself with a running stitch so that the buckle is firmly attached to the fiber dog collar. There is no need to create buckle holes since the buckle will easily slip through the fibers anywhere on the fiber dog collar.
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Fold 1/4 inch of the other end of the collar down and zigzag stitch it into itself for a finished look.
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Tips & Warnings
Reverse your machine at the beginning of the running stitch and at the end of the running stitch to lock the stitch into place and to keep it from unraveling.
Make sure your measurements are right. A collar that is too tight may harm your dog.
