Crafting A Wedding Collar For Your Dog

Including your dog in your wedding? You can make a floral collar for your pup to ensure they are the best-dressed member of your bridal party. You can make it as elaborate or as delicate as you like. You will need a dog collar, flowers (real or faux), floral wire, wire cutters, floral tape, glue, and a ribbon. First, measure your dog's neck and cut the floral wire to size. Twist the wire into a braided-like collar base and create small loops at both ends for threading the ribbon. Add your flowers, securing them with floral tape and/or glue. Finally, thread the ribbon through the loops and tie the collar around your dog's neck.

Choosing flowers and colours

If you're using artificial flowers, try to time your purchase right. Craft stores will often have sales when they switch out seasonal flowers, so you can get a good deal. You can also find budget-friendly silk blooms on Amazon.

When choosing your flowers, consider the colour palette of your wedding and the dog's fur. You want the colours to complement each other and create a cohesive look. If you're using real flowers, try to choose flowers that are in season, as they will be more affordable and easier to find.

If you want to add a pop of colour, consider using ribbon to tie the collar together. Choose a pretty ribbon that matches your palette, and make sure it's visible, even if your dog has thick fur.

Play around with different combinations of flowers and colours until you find the perfect arrangement for your furry ring bearer!

Creating the base

Step 1: Measure and Cut the Wire

Measure the wire around your dog's neck to ensure a comfortable fit. The wire should be long enough to comfortably fit around your dog's neck twice, as we will be doubling it up for stability. It's important to ensure it's not too tight or too loose. If you're unsure, it's better to leave a little extra room, as adding flowers will reduce the overall length.

Step 2: Fold and Twist the Wire

Take the wire and fold it in half, creating a midpoint bend. At this bend, twist the wire to form a small loop, which will hold the ribbons for one side of the circular base. Repeat this process on the other end of the wire, creating two loops on opposite sides. These loops will be essential for attaching the ribbons that tie the collar together.

Step 3: Adjust for Size and Comfort

Before proceeding, it's crucial to test the wire base on your dog's neck. Place the wire around their neck and ensure it's not too tight by checking if you can fit two to three fingers underneath comfortably. Additionally, make sure it's not too loose, as you don't want your dog to be able to slip out of it easily. Adjust the wire as needed until you achieve the perfect fit.

Step 4: Prepare the Ribbons

Cut a piece of thin ribbon, choosing a colour that complements your palette. The ribbon will be used to tie the two ends of the flower collar together, so cut a length that allows for a comfortable knot and some decorative bow. You may also want to cut an additional piece of ribbon to create a test bow, ensuring it complements the overall look.

Step 5: Finalize the Base

With the wire base complete and adjusted for size, it's now time to add the finishing touches. Check that the loops at each end are secure and large enough to accommodate the ribbons. You may want to twist and adjust the wire ends to reinforce the loops. Ensure the wire base is sturdy and comfortable for your dog to wear.

Now you have a completed base for your dog's wedding collar! The next steps will involve adding flowers and greenery to create a beautiful and festive accessory for your pup's big day.

Adding flowers to the base

To start, measure your dog's neck and cut a piece of floral wire that is 3-4 times the size. For reference, if you have a golden retriever, you'll need about three feet of wire. If your dog is smaller, you'll need less. Next, fold the wire in half and then in half again so that you have two ends on both sides. Twist the ends around each other to create a braided-like collar base. Once you've twisted everything into a single piece of wire, create small loops at both ends. You can do this by taking about an inch and a half at the end of both sides, folding it over, and twisting again to create a secure knot. Remember that you'll be threading ribbon through these loops later to tie the collar around your dog's neck.

Now it's time to add the flowers! Trim each flower pick so that it's only an inch or so long, and then position it on your collar. Tightly wrap green floral tape around the stem so that only the flower(s) are showing. Be sure to hold the tape taut, stretching it slightly as you wrap it around the stems. Wrapping the tape over itself is what makes it stick. Continue adding flowers and greenery throughout the collar, working from the outside in to best utilise the stickiness of the tape.

Floral tape can only cover so much, so once your collar base is looking full, heat up a hot glue gun and glue smaller filler flowers and greenery into place. You can also use the glue to secure the leaves and petals of the larger flowers. Keep in mind that anything glued is more vulnerable to scratching or erratic dog movements than anything secured with floral tape. Finally, grab a pretty piece of ribbon and use it to connect the two ends of the flower collar around your dog's neck. Make sure the collar isn't too tight – you should be able to fit two or three fingers underneath.

Securing flowers with glue

Once you've gathered your supplies, you can start creating your dog's wedding collar. This will involve measuring and cutting your wire, creating a circular base, adding flowers with floral tape, and tying ribbons to the loops.

When securing flowers with glue, it is important to use the right type of adhesive. Hot glue can burn and wilt fresh flowers, so a cold glue or floral adhesive is recommended. This type of glue is also more flexible and forgiving, which is ideal for a collar that needs to bend.

To start, lay your dog collar flat on your work surface with the correct side facing up. Apply a thick line of glue along about 2 inches of the collar. This approach will help to keep things neat and organised. The glue can be a bit runny, so take your time and go slowly. While the glue is setting, you can prepare your flowers and greenery by trimming the stems to the appropriate size.

Next, apply a light line of glue to the stems of your greenery and place them onto the collar as a foundation. After the greenery, you'll add your larger blooms. For bigger flowers like roses, it is recommended to wire them first. Cut the rose as close to the base as possible and thread the wire through the base twice to make an X. Then, secure the wired rose to the collar, making sure it is in the desired location.

Once your focal flower is in place, start filling in around it with medium and small blooms. Think in layers as you work, starting with big blooms, then medium, and finally, small/filler flowers. Play with the design to achieve your desired aesthetic. You can add more depth and composition by using filler flowers or smaller leaves.

Finally, allow the glue to dry completely before putting the collar on your dog. This will take at least an hour. If you make the collar in advance, you can store it in the fridge to prevent the flowers from wilting.

Adding a ribbon

Firstly, you will need to gather your supplies. For this project, you will need a dog collar that fits your dog comfortably, ribbon, fusible seam tape, scissors, pins, an iron, a sewing machine, and thread. It is recommended to use a ribbon that is 1/8-inch narrower than the width of your dog's collar, and fusible seam tape of the same width as the ribbon. You can choose a ribbon colour and design that matches your wedding theme or your dog's personality.

Once you have your supplies, open up your dog's collar and adjust it to its longest length. Measure the collar from the base of the male half of the buckle to the female half of the buckle on the opposite end. This will give you the length you need for your ribbon and seam tape.

Cut a length of ribbon and fusible seam tape to the measured length, plus an extra inch. Place the ribbon right-side up over the fusible tape, and turn each end back on itself about a half-inch. Secure the ends with pins to prevent fraying.

Next, lay the dog collar flat on an ironing board with the outside facing up. Centre the ribbon and tape width-wise on the collar, and place them on top of the collar, starting from the base of one buckle half to the other. Pin the ribbon and tape to the collar at each end, keeping the ends tucked under. You can also add a few more pins along the length to hold it in place. Remember to slide the tape and ribbon beneath the D-ring on the collar.

Now, it's time to iron! Set your iron to the correct heat setting for your fabric type. Carefully iron along the ribbon to fuse it to the collar, removing the pins as you go. Make sure to press hard, especially on the ends and around the D-ring, to ensure good adhesion by the tape.

Finally, it's time to sew. Using a sewing machine equipped with a No. 14 to 16 denim needle, stitch the ribbon to the collar using invisible nylon thread or thread that matches your ribbon. Set your machine to a straight stitch with close stitch spacing. Sew along one side of the ribbon just to the D-ring, then turn and stitch across to the other side, and back down to the beginning. Repeat this process from the other end of the collar to secure the ribbon in place without having to remove any hardware.

Clip any loose threads, and your dog's wedding collar is now ready to be snapped on and admired!

Frequently asked questions