Level: Easy
Your dog is a special part of your household, so why not show them how much you love them. It is easy to transform your dog's collar into a bow tie with a small amount of fabric and a few stitches by hand or by machine. This collar can be removed or changed for any occasion or holiday because it easily slips over the existing collar.

Supplies:
1/4 yd. cotton fabric
thread to match fabric
collar

Step-by-Step:
1. Remove the collar and measure the length, but don't include the buckle. Then measure the width x 2 and add a 5/8-inch seam allowance. Cut a strip of fabric to make a tube that is just big enough to slip over the collar. If you make the tube twice as long as the collar it gathers up and looks especially nice.

2. Finish the narrow ends of this strip with a hem.

3. Sew the long edges together to make a tube that is open at both ends using a 5/8-inch seam.

4. Slip the tube over the collar from the tab end of the collar, adjusting the gathers to fit the dog's neck.

5. From the same fabric, cut a rectangle to make a bow to attach to the fabric collar. The size of this will depend on the size of the dog. If the bow is too heavy or too big it will bother the dog and turn down on the fabric collar.

6. Fold this fabric in half with the right sides together to form a rectangle. Sew around the three sides leaving an opening on the long edge to turn it right side out. Trim the corners and turn right sides out. A small amount of fiber fill can be inserted to puff this rectangle.

7. Cut another piece to wrap around the rectangle in step 6 to make the bow tie. This piece can be made into a small tube as you did in step 3 by folding right sides together and sewing the long edges together. Turn the tube right side out. This piece should be tight enough when wrapped to slightly gather the bow rectangle as in a man's bow tie. Hand sew this piece around the middle of the rectangle in step 6.

8. Attach the bow to the collar on the side opposite the tags and buckle, so that it sits up on the back of the dog. This bow will need to be securely attached to the fabric collar by hand stitching.

NOTE: The above artical was taken from the HouseNet site at http://www.housenet.com/
This is a GREAT site for folks interested in improving their home.

The article above was authored by Sandy Bemis, sewing expert
HouseNet, Inc.