Dear community,
in this blog post you can find easy instructions for turning fabric scraps into a bandana to gift your pet.

Turn fabric scraps into a bandana to gift your pet

I love to gift my family members handmade presents.
I’m sure that like me, many of you feel our pets are just as much a part of our families as our human relatives. They too deserve a handmade gift!
What is great about the gift in this tutorial is that you can use up some of your left over fabric pieces!

I often make things for my dog Kutja (pronounced: Kutcher) such as jackets for winter, a dog bed and now a personalized bandana. I’ll share with you the pattern I made up and you can adapt it to fit your pet’s collar.
The bandana doesn’t have to be exclusive to dogs, it can be for any pet that wears a collar.

What will be needed:

• Sewing machine
• Embroidery Module
• Overlocker
• Minimum 25cm x 20cm fabric offcut
• Embroidery Stabilizer
• Bandana Pattern (refer below to download)
• 3-4 matching threads
• Contrasting embroidery thread

Pattern

Measure the width of the slider on your pet’s collar.
If it is up to 2cm then you can use this pattern: Medium Pet Bandana

If it is bigger or a lot smaller, use this pattern: Diy Pet Bandana Pattern
Add on to the pattern the width of the slider x 2 + 1cm
Eg. If the slider width is 4cm: 4cm x 2 + 1cm = 9cm to be added to the pattern.
Extend the seam allowance on the sides and draw in the Fold line.

Steps

Embroider

1. Place your piece of fabric in the Embroidery hoop.
   I used a tear-away stabilizer under my cotton fabric.
   Use the pattern to help with the placement of the embroidery.

2. On your screen, work out the correct placement for the embroidery design.
   I went with my dog’s name and a paw print design.
   (Bear footprints Digitized by Igor Denisov)

3. Enjoy a cup of coffee while your machine creates the embroidery.
   Always stay nearby your machine to supervise.

4. Once your machine has completed the embroidery, remove the fabric from the hoop.
   Remove the stabilizer from the fabric.

5. Use your pattern to cut out the bandana.

Overlock

6. Overlock around the bandana.
   I used the 3-thread overlock stitch.

Sew

7. Fold the two sides of the bandana in 1.3cm and sew in place.

8. Fold the top of the bandana over along the fold line and stitch in place.
   Refer to the pattern for the fold line and stitch line.

9. Fold the angled edges of the bandana in by 1cm and stitch in place.

Finishing off

10. Give the bandana a press.

11. Feed your pet’s collar through the bandana.

Tips

• If you do not have enough fabric you can sew the bandana together in 2 pieces.
  On the pattern, cut along the stitch line. You will have a rectangle and a triangle.
  Add a seam allowance to the top edge of the triangle as well as the top and bottom edges of the rectangle.
  Then at step 8 join the rectangle to the triangle.
• I have found that a soft/light-weight woven fabric works best but feel free to experiment with a knit fabric.
• When using a lead, the bandana will likely sit on your pets chest. When not using a lead, the bandana will likely sit on your pets back.

I would love to see your pet wearing the bandana you make, please feel free to share with me!
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Merry Christmas
-Hannah-Rose