How to Sew Dog Collars

No matter how big or small your dog, making your best friend a unique, colorful and long-lasting collar is a great way to tap into your own creativity. Sewing your own dog collar is fun, inexpensive and can be a mark of individuality for your dog.

Things You'll Need

• Polypropylene or nylon webbing (1/2 inch wide for small dogs, up to 2 1/2 inches wide for large dogs)
• Printed or grosgrain ribbons
• Clip-style or "parachute" buckle (the same width as the webbing)
• Brass or nickel D-ring (the same width across the flat side as the webbing)
• Accent buttons or trim
• Matching thread

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of webbing that is equal to the diameter of your dog's neck plus 6 inches. Cut a piece of ribbon that is equal to the diameter of your dog's neck plus 7 inches. Using a lit candle, heat seal the ends of the webbing by simply holding the candle close to the end of the webbing until you see it melt a little.

2. Lay the ribbon over the webbing with both materials facing up. Each end of the ribbon should have approximately 1/2 inch to wrap around the ends of the webbing. Pin the ends of the ribbon folded over the ends of the webbing, then sew each edge of the ribbon to the webbing using a sewing machine. Sew the pinned ends to the webbing as well.

3. Take the male end of the buckle and thread the right end of the collar through the buckle opening. Pull the collar through the opening and loop it back through, leaving 3 inches to be sewn down. Use your sewing machine to sew across the width of the collar and seal the buckle. Flip the collar over and sew across the width again to seal the edge of the collar.

4. Next, thread the D-ring onto the collar, then repeat Step 3 with the female end of the buckle and the left side of the collar. However, before you sew the female end of the buckle, fit the collar to your dog's neck, ensuring that you can fit two fingers between the collar and your dog's neck so that it is not too tight.

5. Stitch a line parallel to the line you used to sew on the female end of the collar to keep the D-ring separate from the buckle. Slide the D-ring to the line you just stitched, and stitch just to the other side of the ring, creating a pocket to keep it in place.

6. Add jewels, buttons or any other accents you wish to use. Ensure that you sew them on tightly so that your dog cannot chew them off and/or choke on them.

Tips & Warnings

• If your dog swims a lot, consider using polypropylene webbing for the collar.

• If your dog has a sensitive neck, use nylon webbing for the collar but be sure to remove it before your dog swims or takes a bath.

• D-rings can be found in your local home improvement or hardware store.

• If your dog has a head that is smaller than its neck, this type of collar will not work for it. Instead, you will need to make a martingale collar.

• If you are adding buttons or jewels to the collar, be sure that your dog will not be able to scratch or chew them off and choke on them.

References

• Dog-Paw-Print; How to Make a Dog Collar