How to Make Beaded Dog Collars

One of the popular collar designs for dogs is the beaded collar look. Many of these collars are quite expensive, and they can also be hard to find. It is fairly easy to make your own beaded dog collar. All it takes is a few supplies and about 1 week to complete the bead work. This project saves money for the owner and also makes a great gift for the any kind of dog lover. Just make sure what size the dog is before starting the project.

Difficulty:

 

Moderate

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Cloth or leather dog collar Paper Pencil or pen Sturdy thread Small plastic beads Embroidery needle Scissors

1. • 1
     Decide what beading design you want to use for your dog's collar. There are thousands of options to choose from. If you are new to beading, then a simple design, such as a repeating pattern, will be the easiest to work with. Take a pencil and paper, and draw a scaled outline of your dog's collar. Create a template on that paper to use as a guide for the actual bead work later.
   • 2
     Count how many of each kind and color of bead that you will need. Go to any craft or hobby store to purchase the beads. Make sure that none of the beads that you buy are glass. Glass can easily shatter, which could cause injury to your dog.
   • 3
     Thread the embroidery needle with the thread. Tie a knot at one end. Poke the needle through the collar where the first bead is to be placed. Place a bead in that spot and then thread the needle through it and out the back side of the collar. Sew 2 to 3 loops on each bead so that they do not come off easily. Bead every bead in this manner. Start with the outline of the collar first.
   • 4
     Fill in the rest of the bead work with the other bead colors and middle portions of the design. Make sure to keep count of the beads so that the lines and colors are even. In many cases, it will be necessary to keep count of how many beads should be on each row.
   • 5
     Finish the collar by placing the needle through the back side of the collar once more. Tie a sturdy knot against the collar to hold the beads into place. Cut the rest of the thread with scissors. Place the collar around your dog and admire your handiwork.