The Dainty Domestress: Personalized Do-It-Yourself Pet Collars

Include Your Best Friend in Your Big Day:

Before I begin today’s project I would like to talk a bit about this crazy week we have had here in Oklahoma. First, my heart goes out to all those in our state (and surrounding states) that have faced such devastation and loss. We are so fortunate to have been safe and spared. I am very afraid of severe weather! Therefore, I insisted we have a storm shelter installed in our home. Ironically, I was filming a commercial in a neighboring city when the weather took a nasty turn. I called my husband to make sure he could go home to get himself and our dog (and our neighbors) in our storm shelter. After hours of sirens and tornados criss crossing our state we emerged to find our areas safe but so many in total ruin. I urge each of you to involve yourself in just one small act of kindness, however you feel moved, whether it is donating goods, time, or money.

As you all know I am all about the animals! I have learned that The Guthrie Animal Shelter and Evergreen Place Rescue of Yukon have faced demolition from the May 24th tornado out-break. This is where I plan to put my efforts. I so hope you will also feel compelled to help those warm hearts and cold noses that while able to love us unconditionally are unable to open cellar doors and take shelter in our absence.

Okay, on a lighter note, but still talking about our pets, why not include them in wedding festivities or just change their collar occasionally for special events? Though I was unable to directly involve my little guy in my wedding he celebrated at the reception in a miniature bow tie. Regardless if your pet is a part of your wedding or you are not getting married and just want to make a special present for them this collar is adorable, easy, personalized and made from things you already have.

You will need:

Ribbons - multiple widths
Watchband - old, broken
Brads
X-acto knife
Scissors
Fabric glue
Your pet's collar to measure from (optional)
Metal slides (optional)

A few considerations before beginning:

If you are making this collar for your pet to coordinate with an event such as a wedding this would be a great place to tie in your colors. You will find most weddings have the same ribbon on multiple bouquets or tied to the programs; this would be a perfect choice for one of your ribbon selections.

Look at the size of your watchband. Is the ribbon the same size as the part of the watchband you will attach it to? It should be. If it is too small place a coordinating ribbon below it and if it is too large, choose a different ribbon.

You want to create a focal point for the collar. In the wedding spirit, I chose a ribbon with the word “love” printed on it for my focal point. As you can see below I have shown a couple alternate looks. The focal point on one is a metal slide. Let your other ribbon choices support, but not compete with your focal point. For instance, if you would like to use two printed ribbons: first make sure they do not challenge one another and second layer in solid colored ribbons.

Here are two options if you do not have a forth ribbon or would prefer a slide to a ribbon with a word

or logo on it.

Before you begin make sure all your ribbons are wrinkle free. If you have a flat iron keep your setting appropriately low and run your ribbons through the paddles. It really saves me the hassle of hauling out the iron and ironing board.

Turn under your unfinished edges on the two center pieces. Turn under the edges however you would like: glue, sew, finger-press, iron. You may want to glue these two pieces together. It is helpful. You may only have one center piece depending on the style you chose.

Find the middle point of the ribbon on the third layer (the solid brown ribbon) and center your two pieces atop. Using your X-acto cut a small slit through all three ribbons.

Insert brads through holes.

Use your pet’s collar to adjust the placement of the watchband. With a pencil, lightly mark a line where you will attach the band to the ribbon. I glued the brown and silver ribbons together from the center to the pencil line.

Fold the smaller brown ribbon to the front where it aligns with the pencil mark and glue. Fold the silver ribbon also to the front and glue only to the folded front side of the brown ribbon leaving the back side of the brown ribbon and the front side of the silver ribbon unattached.

Cut just enough back from the watchband edge so that the brad will not rip loose. Poke the X-acto knife through to the top ribbon. Mark the spot the ribbon has been cut.

This gets a little tricky...notice I am wearing a band-aid in the pictures following this one. Remember I asked you not to glue the back of the brown to the front of the silver. You want to cut through the piece of silver ribbon where it is folded over, but not the back piece. You also want to cut through both layers of the brown ribbon.

Prepare the watch band by driving the brad through the hole you made with the X-acto knife.

Now push the brad (still attached to the watchband) through the three layers of ribbon and fold back the metal ends securing the ribbon to the band. By leaving a layer unattached in the back you are creating a barrier between your dog’s skin and the metal.