How to Make a Dog Bandana?

Get your dog looking trendy while saying hi to his friends at the park! From April to July and while the weather is getting warmer, we are sure walks to the park are getting more frequent. So why not sew a stylish bandana for your dog or cat? It's easy and the perfect way to show off your pet's personality.

We created this easy to follow step-by-step DIY pet bandana sewing tutorial to show you how simple it is. We’ve also included an A4 dog bandana pattern free template for you to download and use to get the perfect bandana shape for your furry family member. The template is made in 4 sizes so it can be used for sewing a pattern for any size pooch - and there isn't even one seam to sew!

 

How to make a DIY dog bandana

 

1. Download and print the free dog bandana pattern pdf template (see below)
2. Prepare your fabric pattern and tools
3. Pick a pattern for sewing your pup's seam-free bandana
4. Iron and prepare the material for cutting
5. Cut around the paper template before you sew
6. Iron the hem after sewing
7. Topstitch the hem
8. Prepare and topstitch the collar channel
9. Accessorise your pup!

Are you ready to make your first bandana? Let’s get sewing - it won't take you long as there are only hems to sew, not a seam in sight!

1.Download the pattern!

 

Download dog bandana template

 

 

The free template has 4 sizes so it can be used for all size dogs.

How to work out the right size for your pooch? Simply measure the dog's collar and divide the measurement by 2.

If your measurement is not an exact match to our template, simply save time and choose the closest measurement. You can also size up if your measurement is between 2 sizes.

XS = 9cm / 18cm

S = 11.5cm / 23cm

M = 15cm / 30cm

L = 19cm / 38cm

 

2. Prepare your fabric pattern & tools for making the project

 

We recommend using a woven fabric to sew your bandana, as these materials are easier to work with. But you can really use any fabric you like! We used Calico Plain Cotton and for dogs we’d also recommend Organic Drill Natural, Optic white Organic Panama and Organic Calico. 

Whatever you decide, all 4 bandana sizes will fit into our fat quarter sized fabric. If you’ve got a miniature pup, the XS size will fit into a sample print! The largest bandana uses 38x26cm of material.

Did you know that you can make a bandana for your pup even if you don't have a sewing machine? The equipment you need for this craft project is a basic sewing repair kit, a perfect start for a beginner who is learning to sew.

 

Make a bandana for dogs guide – equipment:

 

1 x fabric scissors / rotary cutter + cutting mat (or a cricut if you have one)

1 x hand sewing needle or sewing machine to sew with

1 x iron + ironing board

Pins + sewing thread

Pet Bandana Pattern Template - download for free and use this handy template to sew 4 different sized seam-free bandanas.

 

3. Pick a bandana pattern for your pet

 

Choosing a print pattern is the most exciting part of any sewing project. We picked this gorgeous creation by Selmacardoso.

We used Pastel Café Sweet Love Dream – Dachshund Dog Puppies. It was printed at 150dpi on our Calico Cotton Plain fabric base. 

Get design or browse her other patterns with different themes.

Looking for another style? Search more that 10,000+ patterns and find the prefect fit.

Life’s too short to not look fabulous – and accessories make everything better! Show off your pup's personality with a custom printed bandana. He/she can be the envy of all the other pooches in the park. If you like, you can even share the secret of how you made it!

 

We make printing the pattern easy. Find the creation you love or upload your own composition.

For those who love being sustainable, use pieces of cloth you have around the house or scraps from a previous project. We offer free upcycling kilo bags on our mission to give fabric a second life. Not only will your fur baby look gorgeous, you will also reduce textile waste.

 

4. Iron and prepare the fabric for easy cutting

 

Now you’ve got everything at your fingertips, we can start the "How to make a dog bandana over the collar” project. 

First, iron the fabric on the non-printed side and make sure to remove any creases.

You can use and pin the paper template in 2 ways:

·      Using 1x printed template

-Fold the material in half widthways

-Line up the solid black lined edge of the template with the folded edge of the fabric.

-Pin through both layers of material.

·      Using 2x printed templates

Joined together at the solid black line, pin the template onto the single layer of cloth. One of the templates needs to be reversed for this. For 1 bandana, you only need to cut the template out once.

Helpful tip: To cut multiple bandanas at once, layer up your materials and use the 2x printed template method.

 

5. Cut around the paper template

 

You can use fabric scissors or a rotary cutter for this. If you are nervous about keeping to the edge of the paper template with a rotary cutter, use a metal ruler to stabilise the cutter. Don’t worry if you cut into the paper template; you can just print another one!

 

6. Iron the hem

 

To finish the edges of the bandana you first need to fold and press the hem.

Fold over all edges of the cloth at 7mm and press. Now repeat this again to make your double hem. Trapping the raw edge of the fabric will prevent fraying and keep the bandana strong and stylish.

 

7. Make a topstitch on the hem

 

Topstitch around all edges of the bandana to hold the hem in place.

 

8. Prepare and topstitch the collar channel

 

Take the 2 top corners and fold them over to reach the corners of the triangle section of the bandana.

Once you've done this, pin in place, press and topstitch to make the channel.

Please note: you still need an entry and exit point for the collar. Only sew along the long edge (red line as pictured above) and leave the shorter edges open.

Helpful tip: Pin the channel in place and test to make sure your dog's collar fits through. It's important to review before stitching.

 

9. Accessorise your pup

 

Feed your pet's collar through the channel and accessorise your pup!

Upload your own composition or choose one of ours at fashion-formula.com

DIY dog bandanas, made and ready for a stylish walk in the park.

Leave us a comment below if you would like us to make a step-by-step sewing tutorial video.