DIY: How to make a dog bandana

Design a trendy bandana for your dog so he can stand out from the crowd when he greets his friends at the park! From April to July and while the weather is getting warmer, we are sure dog walks to the park are getting more frequent. So why not sew a stylish bandana for your dog, puppy or cat? It's easy and the bandana is the perfect way to show off your pet's personality.

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

How to make a DIY dog bandana

1. Download and print the free DIY dog bandana template (see below)
2. Prepare your bandana fabric and tools
3. Pick a pattern to sew your pup's seam-free DIY dog bandana from our Design Library
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 dog collar channel
9. Accessorise your dog with a new bandana!

Are you ready to make your first DIY dog 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 DIY pattern!

Download dog bandana template

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

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

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

XS = 9cm / 18cm

S = 11.5cm / 23cm

M = 15cm / 30cm

L = 19cm / 38cm

2. Prepare your dog bandana fabric & tools

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

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

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

2. How to make a dog bandana – equipment:

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

1 x hand-sewing needle or sewing machine

1 x iron + ironing board

Pins + thread to sew with

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

3. Pick patterns for sewing your dog bandana

Choosing a print design for your dog bandana is the most exciting part of the sewing project. We picked this gorgeous bandana design by Selmacardoso.

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

Browse for a bandana design or browse her pattern selection with different themes in our Design Library.

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

We make printing the bandanas design easy. Find the creation you love or upload your own design.

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

4. Prepare the bandana fabric before you sew

Now you’ve got everything at your fingertips, we can start the project on ‘How to make a dog bandana out of fabric’. 

How to make? First, iron the fabric on the non-printed side and 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 DIY dog bandana, you only need to cut the template out once.

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

5. Making the paper template

You can use fabric scissors or a rotary cutter for your dog project. 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 while making the pattern. Don’t worry if you cut into the paper template; you can always print another one!

6. Iron the hem after you sew

To finish the edges of the dog 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 before making your double hem. Trapping the raw edge of the fabric will prevent fraying and keep the dog bandana strong and stylish.

7. Make a topstitch on the hem

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

8. Make the collar channel

Take the 2 top corners and fold them over to reach the corners of the triangle section of the dog 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 dog collar. Only sew along the long edge (red line as pictured above) and leave the shorter edges open when making.

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. After DIY: the perfect dog bandana

Feed your dog's collar through the channel and accessorise your dog with a brand new dog bandana!

Upload your own design or choose one of ours for your dog bandana – browse our the Design Library.

A DIY dog bandana, ready for a stylish walk in the park.

Note: Leave us a comment below if you would like us to make a step-by-step sew a dog bandana tutorial video.