Fancy Bowtie Pet Bandana

As a dog owner, and crazed fashion enthusiast, I love dressing my pup in cute and colorful outfits. I have found that of all the attire options out there, bandanas are the perfect way to add some flair without being bulky or uncomfortable. Today, I want to share how I make light-weight over-the-collar bandanas for every season, event, and holiday. The best part about this method is that it is completely customizable and can be done in under an hour.

Keep reading for in-depth instructions!

For this project you will need:

• Card stock paper
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Needle and Thread
• Two types of fabric
• Iron
• Sewing Machine
• Small rubber band
• Rotary Cutter (optional)
• Sewing Pins (optional)

To create the stencils for this project, you will need to use scissors and a ruler to cut pieces of card stock for the bandana body and the bowtie. The dimensions for the bandana stencil are as follows:

• Small dogs - 6.5'' X 6.5''
• Medium Dogs - 8'' X 8''
• Large Dogs - 12'' X 12''

For the bowtie, cut a 9'' X 5'' and a 1" X 3" rectangle out of card stock.

Use these stencils to cut the appropriate pieces of fabric. For my bandana, I decided to use a patterned fabric for the base and a solid color for the bowtie. However, you can choose whatever fabric combination you like.

For the bandana part of the project, place the right-side of the fabric face down and measure 1.5'' corner sections for two opposing corners. Fold these two corners down, as shown in the image above, and iron to help them stay in position. For the larger piece of bowtie fabric, fold hot dog style, then iron. For the smaller piece, fold both sides into the center, then iron.

Use a topstitch with a 1/4'' seam allowance to secure the corners you folded down in the previous step. Repeat this process for both corners, making sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of each run to ensure the stitch holds.

Once complete, flip the fabric around, with the right-side facing down, and fold it over hamburger style so the two unfolded corners touch. Refer to the second image above for reference. Iron down the fabric once again, before proceeding to the next step.

Once the fabric is ironed, topstitch or zigzag stitch around the perimeter with a 1/4'' seam allowance. When doing this, make sure to start and stop and the ends of each of the folded corners - refer to the images above for reference. This will create an opening for a pet collar to pass through.

Once you have completed sewing, flip the fabric inside out and iron.

Use a topstitch to sew the open edge of the folded piece of fabric. Once completed, inside out the tube and iron.

Fold the right-side out tube into the center, making sure to allow a little overlap between the pieces. Use a topstitch to sew down the overlap, as shown in the fourth image.

Fold the bowtie piece accordion style, and secure with the small rubber band - refer to image 1 for guidance. Once complete, take the smaller piece of fabric with the right-side down and fold over where the rubber band is located. Use the sewing machine to sew down this piece of fabric, and cut off excess fabric with scissors. The final product should look similar to image 3.

After this is complete, inside out the smaller piece of fabric, so it forms an even loop. Refer to image 4 for guidance.

Use a needle and thread to attach the bowtie to the bandana.

Congratulations! Your bandana is ready to take the pet fashion industry by storm.

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If you tried this project or have a suggestion, leave me a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts.