I saw the sweetest paw print holiday tree ornament we can create ourselves. I was so inspired, I decided to make the final post in our DIY Holiday Gifts for Your Dog about accessories. I can’t wait to share this with you and it’s pretty simple to make.
Paw Print Tree Ornament
This DIY tutorial from sewdoggystyle.com is a great one. It’s very clear and not difficult to do, and if I say that, you can do it too. It requires very few items – basically some Sculpey, that clay-like or playdoh like substance you can buy in craft stores; your dog’s paw and any decorations you might want to include. Not bad, right? So take a look and, if you have any questions, please reach out for answers.
Jingle-Bell Collar
This is a Martha Stewart special on her very own Frenchie, Francesca. An unusual, decorative and festive collar for the holidays with little jingle bells attached. Reminds me a little of those bells that are hanging from the doorknob as Christmas decorations. Martha lays out exactly what materials you’ll need and a step-by-step instruction of how to make it. She recommends using a wide silk taffeta or a flat weave ribbon for this project, as you’ll need to iron in box pleats and you’ll want the ribbon to hold the pleats. You’ll need to be at least a beginning sewer to do this, but her instructions are very clear, even without the diagrams. And the finished collar, maybe in a holiday red, green or blue, is beautiful!
Wood Dog Bowl Project
These dog bowls from abeautifulmess.com are really cool. You will need one of those wood burning tools, which may be a stretch for the less crafty of us. Other than that tool, all you’ll need are two wooden bowls, some letter stickers and that’s it. If you like wood burning projects, abeautifulmess will have more of them.
Winter Dog Boots
This is both a cozy and very practical gift for your dog if you live in a climate that gets any cold. I know Sophie’s little feet get very cold in the winter pounding those freezing pavements of New York City, especially if there’s some snow on the
ground. And what I like about these boots, is you can tailor the pattern not only for size, but for the height of the bootie, depending on whether you have a few inches of snow or just a dusting. The tutorial is from DomestikGoddess. I love that name, don’t you? She even includes a link to a page which teaches your dog to wear boots, in case they won’t tolerate them at first. DomestikGoddess gives us a home drawn pattern which may not be to-the-letter perfect, but the design and instructions are simple and clear enough and the style is such that this will work just fine. If you’re a sewer, you can use some fleece and velcro you have around the house from other projects. I would choose a vinyl or other soft plastic for the sole of the bootie to protect your dog from the salt, wet and dirt of winter.
Pet ID Tags
I love these from MakingItLovely. Easy to make, looks beautiful and is practical. And if you’re not very crafty re designing your own dog tag, she’s made a template that is really nice with a link to it. This is a great DIY project. Who can’t use a charming, funky or classic new dog tag? Make it to taste. BTW, that’s Murray sleeping it off. It’s tough being an artist’s dog model!
Summary
Hope you’ve gotten some good ideas from our DIY dog gifts series. I’ve gotten some good ones myself! I think I’m going to make some adorable booties for Sophie and some new ID tags. She doesn’t like wearing the rubber material booties like little balloons and she likes the heavier dog boots even less. She’s a sensitive little flower! 🙂 I’ll let you know how it goes.
Please let me know how your DIY projects go, if you have any questions and please send pictures of your dog(s) in their finished pieces. Would love to put them up on the site. Look forward to hearing from you!
Until next time…