Sew a dog collar

Welcome to the 22nd door of the BERNINA Blog Advent Calendar 2024. I’ll show you how to sew a stylish boho-style dog collar. So if you’re still looking for a gift for your (or a friends) faithful companion, I’ve got just the thing for you! This project can be completed in one evening – perfect for putting the finished collar under the Christmas tree just in time.

Before you get started, you first need to measure your furry friend. By the way, you can also sew the collar for your house cat! Just make sure you use a light buckle so that the collar is not too heavy – this is especially true for smaller dogs and cats.

Sewing a boho-style dog collar – instructions

What you need for this:

• Neck circumference of the dog (or cat)
• Decorative woven ribbon (2-5 cm wide, depending on the size of the dog, length: neck circumference + 20 cm at each end).
• Webbing or (artificial) leather strap (the same length as the woven ribbon, slightly wider than the woven ribbon).
• 1 buckle in the width of the webbing.
• 1 bar buckle (adjuster) matching the width of the webbing, extra wide!
• 1 x D-ring to match the width of the webbing.
• Optional: padding: softshell or airmesh: approx. 5-10 cm wide (depending on the size of the dog), length = neck circumference – 10 cm adjustment range + 1 cm seam allowance at each end.
• 1 cool label to sew on.
• Additional accessories: clips, Wondertape (double-sided adhesive tape), strong sewing needles (jeans/leather, thickness 90).

Preparation:

Adjust the size: Choose the width of the straps and buckles according to the size of the dog.

Buckles with a width of 2-3 cm are suitable for smaller dogs, while the XL version with a width of 5 cm is ideal for larger dogs like my 40 kg goldendoodle.

Tool: I have the bernette 08 Straight Stitch a powerful machine that can sew through thick layers of fabric at lightning speed with 1600 stitches/minute. 

Sewing instructions

Cut ribbons to size

The woven and webbing strap is cut to the desired length: neck circumference + 20 cm at each end.

Example: For a neck circumference of 40 cm, cut the woven ribbon to 80 cm.

Use clips to pin the woven ribbon to the center of the webbing and sew it tightly around the edges. A guide tool helps to sew straight strips.

Attach the D-ring and buckle

Now it’s getting a bit tricky. Pull the D-ring through one end of the strap and then through the male part of the buckle (you could also sew on the female part first). Pass the strap through the buckle and back through the D-ring. 

To secure, sew in front of the D-ring with a straight stitch and just before the buckle. Be careful not to sew into the metal! A stylish label or name tag can also be sewn on here. With the b08, I can raise the foot a little higher with a flick of the wrist, so I can also sew extra thick layers here!

Fastening the bar buckle (adjuster)

The bar buckle is pulled through the other end of the strap. Make sure that this bar buckle is wide enough, because you have to pass the strap through it twice. Pass the end of the strap through the female part of the buckle and back through the bar buckle from the inside. It’s a bit tricky at this point, but if you pull the strap really far out of the adjuster, it should actually work well.

Now you can pull the strap through the adjuster until the length of the neck circumference is reached. Sew the remaining piece to the lower part of the ribbon using a straight stitch. Before sewing it on, I recommend testing the length again on the dog to see if it could be a little tighter! The dog collar has an adjustment range of around 10 cm and can be flexibly adjusted at any time.

Attach upholstery (optional)

The collar would actually be finished by now. Padding can be sewn on as desired. I use softshell here, airmesh would also be very suitable.

First cut the padding to the correct length: 5-10 cm wide (depending on the size of the dog), length = neck circumference – 10 cm adjustment range + 1 cm seam allowance at each end.

Sew 1 cm around the seam allowance on the short edges, then attach Wondertape along the long edges and fold inwards in the middle. Close the two ends with a straight stitch.

The padding is tucked under the center of the ribbon and sewn tightly from the woven ribbon side. Again, take care not to sew into the metal.

Tada, already done! That’s how quickly you can sew a dog collar.

The dog collar is now ready for use! Whether padded or plain – your four-legged friend is sure to receive compliments on the next dog walk. Have fun sewing! 😊

If you are looking for more sewing ideas and cool patterns for young and old, you are welcome to browse my site. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook and online at nipnaps.ch.

Thank you very much,
Love,
Tanja