Thursday, February 27, 2014

Quick Craft: Make Your Own Custom Cat Collar

Here's an easy one for you pet owners: I couldn't find a new collar I liked for Lily, so yesterday I took this old beat up one:



... cut it apart, primed & painted the plastic hardware & bell:




 ... hand-stitched on a new sparkly ribbon:




 ... and got this!


 
The whole thing took less than an hour, even with painting. All you need is an old collar (or grab a cheap one for a dollar) and some pretty ribbon - easy-peasy!

When you cut up your old collar, though, remember to take a picture so you know how to thread the buckle on again later:


Not gonna lie: figuring out how the new one went on took me longer than anything else. :)

Also, if you're making a cat collar it's very important you either have a breakaway tab - like this one has - or an elastic section for safety. Any cat collar you buy should have one of those, though.

And since my breakaway tab works like this:


... I had room in the middle to glue on a sparkly rhinestone. BONUS.

[Note: If you use any glue or spray paint on your collar hardware, make sure you wait a day or two for it to fully cure - and for the fumes to dissipate - before you put it on your pet.]

The great irony, of course, is that Lily has long hair and you can't see her collar at all. But hey, *I* know the sparkly goodness is under there. Plus now I get to find her a cute new name tag on Etsy. (Don't you love mandatory Etsy shopping??)


So... what are you guys making this week?

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UPDATE: Ha, many of you are protesting that I'm not allowed to post a cat collar without a picture of the cat! Good thing she's right here. So by popular demand, here's Lily:


You can't see her collar straight on, though, so here she is being fascinated by something out my open window:

 
And here's a blurry shot of the sparkly clasp:


Better? :D

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And for you pinners:


42 comments:

  1. I keep saying I'm going to make me and my cat matching friendship bracelets. I'd wear mine as a bracelet, and do something very similar to what you showed here to make the other one into a collar for my cat.

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  2. Great idea! I don't know if it would work for my dog. Dogs tend to need ore sturdy collars. With my husband being a big Batman fan, I'm thinking of getting this one for him next - http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f11c/?srp=14. He is a black dog though, so it might not show up all that well.

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    1. You can always stich the ribbon to an existing collar so you keep all that "sturdiness" underneath and have batman on the outside :)

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  3. But...but! Don't we get a peek at Lucy modeling her loot? Even if it doesn't technically show... :)

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  4. My cats never would leave their collars on. Maybe someday I will have one that will, heh. Until then, I will make pretty hairbows for my daughter, that she then refuses to wear, cuz she's three and good at it. I think I'll go make some strawberry jam, instead....

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  5. I love that...mandatory etsy shopping. :)

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  6. "Mandatory Etsy shopping"
    Yes, yes we do love that, Jen. Thanks for letting us know we aren't alone.

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  7. My Maine Coons don't wear collars, don't go outside. And like Lily, the hair would cover it anyway.
    What am I making this weekend? Six petticoats for "The Secret Garden" (costume designer), a few rows of Navajo teeny tiny rug and maybe some cross stitch on the Meercats for my sister.

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  8. Very cool idea--thank you! One of my cats looks super in a black collar with a red bow, but they're tough to find for cheap--this could be the way to make it happen.

    (My latest project is an upcycled cardboard cat condo--the new guy is shy and needs a good hiding spot)

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  9. Um, yeah you can't have a post about a cat without showing a picture of said cat. It's like, internet law. ;)

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    1. Yay! Now you're legal. And we get to see the pretty kitty. :)

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  10. Cool!

    I was hoping to make THIS FACE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFX-QOpOJDM

    Steampunk make up! :O

    I can only wish to ever be that good :c

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  11. My aunt sent me a pin, and when I pinned it, she commented "Will you make this for me?" So this weekend I am going to decorate and age the letter F.

    Love the kitty collar!

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  12. Cute! Maybe I'll try this when my dogs (which are the size of cats) need collars. This week I'm working on a Rainbow Dash costume! Well this week and the next three ... hah!

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  13. Very cool, and yes, let's see a pic on the model!

    Any tips on selecting pet-friendly paints/glues? I would worry about another pet possibly licking/chewing the new collar...

    As for what I'm currently making: Crocheted doilies stretched into cheap wooden embroidery hoops to hang on the wall for earring holders. AKA "Doilies Without Guilt" (because doilies are pretty and fun to make but you can use about ONE doily per household before it gets too fussy).

    Kimstu

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  14. I've been spending the past three weeks on cosplay work! This post was pretty timely for me, since just the other day I had to break a couple of belts down into their component parts to add straps and buckles to some shoes! I have you to thank for the glowing recommendation of E6000, I'd never used it before but you swear by the stuff so I figured I'd go for it, and it worked PERFECTLY (not just on my shoes, but on my broken headphones too! Excellent!)

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  15. Nice colors for the kitty! I am currently making some silicone molds for my resin jewelry and playing around with resin clay....

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  16. LOVES Lily and her new collar!

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  17. Cute! I got some terra cotta clay from my sister and am going to try my hand at making some personal diffuser necklaces for essential oils! But first I have to clean the kitchen (boo).

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  18. Lily is the prettiest cat ever. Awh.

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  19. Wow. Those eyes. Gorgeous.

    I wonder if this would work for a cat harness as well if I could find something sturdier. We've been searching and searching for a white cat harness/leash for our cat to wear at our wedding, but no luck. Thanks, as always, for the inspiration!

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  20. Can you do a how-to for the baby onesie that you made for Lily a while back for her over-grooming problem? Need to make one for one of our kitties.

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    1. I'd feel kinda silly doing a how-to, since really all I did was cut off the arms, legs, & crotch, making the crotch a big rectangle cut that extends from just above the tail to the belly underneath. (It helps to put the onesie on your cat & trim the excess off above the tail, so you get the length right.) If I end up making her another one, though, I'll take some process shots & post them; I've actually had several people request the same thing! :)

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  21. Love it! And holy blue eyes, Batman!
    We picked up a stray puppy after almost running her over a couple of months ago. I had some nylon webbing and a clasp kicking around in my stash, so I sat down and made her a collar. Unfortunately, we decided she probably belonged to someone in our neighborhood, so I even added a D ring for leash attachment. We took her for a walk and found her owner hanging out in his driveway. No reaction when I mentioned almost running her over, and made it sound like she'd been gone for a while after being attacked by another dog, but I had never seen any posters or anything up. I've seen her a couple of times since, running around collarless. Very tempting to rescue her and just keep her. (I won't! But seriously, black dog, usually running around at dusk/evening with no collar. Grrrr...)

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  22. Sparkly goodness! Now her collar matches your sparkly new bedroom.

    Beautiful Lily! Did you find something that cured her over-grooming?

    KW

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    1. No cures, sadly, but we gave up on the inflatable collar since she figured out how to twist around it and still lick her back leg. She still has a bald patch on her hip that she goes after, but it's just the one spot, so we're hoping she'll let it heal eventually. :/

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  23. Current projects (because I always have a few on the go - they take longer that way, but oh well): Cleaning, patching up, and painting an old victorian style hat-stand I got at an op shop; Sewing a plush squid for a friend; Pulling apart an op shop dress to make into steampunk attire. Planning stages: taxidermy dragon head and unicorn head, hidden jewellery box and fancy hair sticks. Ahh, if only I didn't have to work!

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  24. Lily is absolutely gorgeous!

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  25. Lily's eyes look crazily blue in that first picture! Like a warp core!

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  26. Awe, I love seeing your cat. It makes me happy. I adore cats and mine went missing a week ago... I am being hopeful though!!!

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  27. I am learning how to knit, i have someone who is going with me to help pick out that right needles and such for the project I am starting (i am making a blanket for my niece and nephew). I am so excited. I tried learning to cochet and oh my word, i can't even see the stitches i got fed up with it, but after watching a few knitting vids on youtube i think i can tackle knitting :D

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  28. What am I making this weekend?
    Yarn, making lots of yarn. Wool yarn, alpaca yarn, silk yarn- lots of pretty colors, lots of lovely textures and lots of sparkles!

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  29. That's awesome! I can't wait to make one for Quinn kitty.

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  30. This is a great idea Jen! I'm always trying to find a collar I like for my baby girl, never thought to make my own. I would have left the harware orange though. Orange and teal + sparklies. ;-)

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  31. I'm making a chocolate cake and if I'm really good starting my first steampunk project -- a picture frame for my new Karen Hallion Kaylee Firefly print. Now, I also think my cat needs a homemade collar because I haven't been able to find her one I really like.

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  32. Love the new collar. And may I just say how adorable and absolutely gorgeous your cat is?

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  33. I wish my cat would wear a collar. She refuses to wear anything. I would love to have a jingle cat, but I'll just have settle for a mostly silent cat.

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  34. Every time I see your cat I smile. She's the long-haired version of the ill-tempered critter sitting on my lap right now.

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  35. Love the collar! Our cats have http://www.boomerangtags.com/store/list.php?A=G&ID=2 and they are well worth the $10. They last forever. I've only had to replace them if the cat lost the entire collar.

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  36. I'm mildly allergic and not particularly fond of cats, but this collar makes me want a cat. BTW - Your cat is adorable (& hypo-allergenic from where I'm sitting)

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  37. What a great idea! And such a beauty to wear it.

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