We here at FinnStyle love discovering wacky holidays, but my favorite so far had to be “Dress Your Pet Day” this Tuesday. Even though my bio self-proclaims me as a crazy cat lady (I promise I still am), I recently got not one, but two Goldendoodle puppies. You better believe I took this opportunity to dress them up in the cheerful prints of Marimekko!
As I’ve said before, I can’t sew, so I had help from some of my more crafty co-workers. I did end up taking a stab on the sewing machine on one of the bandanas, and it was easier than I thought it would be. Point being, someone of any sewing skill level can try this at home. I used this tutorial from Gleeful Things as a guide, but if you’re really not up for sewing or don’t have a machine, this is a great no-sew option from Pretty Fluff.
These are great for rambunctious puppies like mine, because they slide right onto the collar so they stay on through playing! They are also reversible if you have two different patterns you can use! I chose Marimekko Kompotti and Marimekko Unikko.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Fabric scraps (I needed 2 pieces 15 x 15″ for each bandana, but this will vary depending on the size of your pet)
- Sewing machine (or hemming tape if doing no-sew option)
- Scissors
- Paper
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Iron
- Pins or scotch tape
- Thread
- Dog Collar
Step one: Measure the length (not including the buckle) and width (including the buckle) of your dog’s collar.
Step two: Take the piece of paper (glue together two pieces if it isn’t big enough) and use this to make your template. Draw a rectangle that’s as long as the length of the collar and as tall as the width. Find the center point of the rectangle, and draw a line down as far as you want the bandana to hang. Connect the end of this line to the bottoms of each side of the rectangle to finish. It should look like the shape of a bandana, with a long skinny rectangle on top of a triangle.
Step three: Use this to trace/cut out your bandana pieces.
Step four: Line up the pieces with the right sides facing in, and sew across the top using a 1/2″ seam allowance and iron flat.
Step five: Fold over the sides 1/2″ where the collar will slip in and pin or tape down. Press with iron, and sew across each end. This will give a more seamless appearance.
Step six: With right sides together, sew along the bottom edges using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Do not sew the ends where the collar will slip through!
Step seven: Turn right side out by carefully pulling through collar hole and iron. You can also top stitch the top and bottom edges if you really want a strong hold. Lay flat and slip the collar through the hole.
Repeat all these steps if you’re making two like me, and voila! Your Marimekko designer dog bandanas are complete!
Okay, now time to show off the final products on our beautiful blonde models, Winnie and Waffles!
They love their new looks! They are sisters but look and act very different, so it’s fun to use two patterns to show the various sides of their personalities. What a fun, easy project to play dress up with your pets without going overboard.
If you give this a try, we’d love to see the results (on your furry friend, of course!) Just use the comment box below!
