DIY Holiday Gifts for Your Dog: Collars & Leashes

DIY dog collar, homemade dog collar, leather dog collar, DIY holiday dog gift

Leather Collar w/Conchos & Studs

Welcome back for the second in our DIY Holiday Gifts for Your Dog series; this one on homemade collars and leashes. I thought I’d possibly find some very plain examples of what you might make at home, but I was really pleasantly surprised to see some beautiful and very stylish pieces. And because we”re doing this ourselves, it’s costing a fraction of the price we’d spend in a store. You will need a sewing machine at home to do some of these projects. Let’s take a look at some examples I really like.

The collar on the left is made by Makezine. It’s gorgeous, however, I thought it was a bit complicated, which is why I didn’t include it below in our collar section. However, if you want to attempt it, just follow the link.

Leashes

Dye-Dipped Leash

DIY dog leashes, DIY dog accessories

Dye-Dipped Leashes

Here’s one of my favorites from Capree at Curbly Original. Remember how the thick, soft rope lead was all the rage a couple of years ago? Well, this version makes it fresh, once again. It is incredibly cool and your own vision and creativity will define the color(s) you choose and how subtle or bright you want your leash to look. If you want to inject a holiday flair, choose colors accordingly. And it’s very easy to make. You could probably apply the same process to making a matching collar, or make a collar to match the leather clamp covers from an old belt. Capree takes us through a clear step-by-step approach with corresponding photos. I love love the ombre colored example and how dipping the rope in the dye for varying lengths of time gives the lead that look of color gradation. Very nice! The leather finish to hide the metal clamps with a complimenting colored thread makes for a terrific looking end product. This is a great one! Here’s a picture of the completed leash.

Leather Braided Leash

DIY dog leash, homemade dog leash

Leather Braided Leash

Here’s a very classic leather braided leash from Sketch42 that looks like you might have purchased it from a designer store. And very easy to make and doesn’t take a lot of time, which,  if you’re like me, you don’t have a lot of anyway! 🙂 So this is a good thing! She even links to sources for the materials you’ll need. Here’s a picture of the finished piece.

Nylon Webbing/Ribbon Leash

This project from TotallyStitchin requires a little more experienced sewer. Stacey Roseberry gives us instructions on how to do, with pictures at various stages of the process. I like these leashes. You can create a one of a kind piece, depending on which

DIY dog leash, homemade dog leash

Ribbon/Webbing Leash

ribbon you choose to compliment the nylon webbing. Choose a ribbon with a holiday pattern and you have a great gift idea. And she gives a link to create a matching collar too! Here’s a picture of the ribbon/webbing leash.

Collars

Yarn Appliqued Nylon Collar

DIY dog collar, homemade dog collar, diy holiday dog gifts

Yarn Appliqued Collar

I love this collar idea from Madknits at Instructables. It is beautiful and special looking. And, it’s easy to make! All that’s required is some nylon webbing in your choice of color, the hardware for the collar and some special yarn you may have around the house or you may choose to buy. The yarn is what makes this look, so maybe splurge a little bit on something you really love that looks great. Some placements of the yarn on the webbing and the hardware on the collar, some stitching on the machine and, voila!, you have yourself a unique piece that your dog, big or small, will look great in and can play in, so it’s practical, too! I really love this idea. Here’s a picture.

Paracord Collar

This is a fun and not too difficult project and the result is a durable, practical and great-looking collar! I like this tutorial from

DIY dog collar, homemade dog collar, DIY holiday dog gift

Paracord Collar

Handsoccupied. The instructions are clear and the pictures chosen to illustrate each step of the process are great, very helpful. They chose a rainbow paracord, but you can choose any color you’d like to make this collar. Here’s a picture of the finished project.

 

Vintage Canvas Belt Collar

These are a great DIY collar idea with a hipster vibe. If you have any old canvas belts lying around where the canvas colors and pattern look cool, you could use that. Otherwise, you may want to take a look in a thrift store for this kind of

DIY dog collar, homemade dog collar, DIY holiday dog gift

Canvas Belt Collar

item. HueandHum have a good tutorial but the pictures really tell the story. This project involves ripping out the stitching from one side of the belt where the leather straps are secured to the canvas, but just enough to slip the canvas out, cut it to fit your dog’s neck, leaving a 1/2″ seam allowance, then inserting it back in between the leather pieces and re-stitching it up. She also cut  a small, maybe 2″ piece of the canvas to sew onto the collar to hold the dog’s tag ring so you can attach the dog tags to it. Remember to slip the keyring on the canvas before you stitch it to the collar. Not a very time-consuming project. Re-sewing the leather might be a bit challenging and you will need the proper needle to do it. But makes a lovely looking collar that is different than what you’ll see around.

Recycled Belt Leather Collar

Another quick, easy project from Instructables. A lot of us have these great looking, worn in, soft leather belts that we just

DIY dog collar, homemade dog collar, leather dog collar, DIY holiday dog gift

Recycled Leather Belt Collar

don’t wear anymore for whatever reason. What a great way to recycle it and put it to good use. And it can look great. I think the more worn the better and the longer your dog wears it the better it will look, if the leather is of good quality and you take care of it.

Well, there you have it! Some ideas for holiday gifts or projects for your dog that you can do with the family or in some spare time yourself. Any of these that you choose will result in a beautiful gift for your dog that you can feel really good about.

Enjoy!

Until next time…

Written by Jody Miller-Young
What does stylish mean to you? I’m passionate about animals, fashion, travel, home decor and rescue, and that's what you'll find here. After a recent move to Fort Lauderdale from NYC, we're loving our new life in the sunshine. Welcome to my world! Grab your favorite beverage, curl up and stay awhile.