Giving a gift to your dog is a great way to show appreciation and love for your four-legged friend. Gifts can range from toys for dogs that love to charge around and join in the fun and games, to new leashes and collars for those that prefer to spend their time outside getting their daily dose of exercise.
And, while your dog might not recognize the extra effort you put into making the gifts yourself, doing so can give you an extra sense of achievement while saving you some money. DIY gifts also enable you to customize the gifts and make something you will both be proud of.
Below, we look at DIY gifts you can make for your pup, which can be customized to your tastes and your dog’s needs.
The 10 DIY Dog Gifts
1. Homemade Dog Collar
| Materials: | Fabric, Buckle, Slide, D Ring, Nylon Webbing |
| Tools: | Needle, Thread, Scissors |
| Difficulty: | Medium |
The homemade dog collar is made from nylon webbing and has a soft cotton outside that is suitable for dogs with sensitive skin. Because it is homemade, you can choose any pattern of fabric you like, and the DIY pattern includes details of how to make four different sizes of collars, so you can ensure yours is the perfect fit for your pup.
The plan also includes a hack that uses an existing pre-bought collar, which makes the whole process a little simpler, still allows for customization, and gives you confidence while using the collar.
2. Dog Bowtie
| Materials: | Fabric, Fusible Fleece, Velcro Ties |
| Tools: | Needle, Threat, Scissors |
| Difficulty: | Easy/Medium |
We’re not saying you have to have a handmade bow tie to accompany your dog’s homemade collar, but this fleece neckwear looks super stylish and really cool. It does require some sewing, but this can be done by hand or using a sewing machine, and the stitching is fairly basic stuff.
The Velcro creates a loop around the back of the bow tie so it can be looped onto a collar—most dogs struggle doing up bowties.
3. Dip-Dyed Rope Dog Leash
| Materials: | Rope, Dye, Rope Clamps, Snap Hook |
| Tools: | Rubber Mallet, Large Cooking Pot |
| Difficulty: | Medium |
If you really want to give your dog a serious splash of color for their next walk, this dip-dyed rope dog leash is the ideal homemade gift. It is easy to make, and pretty much whatever pattern you get on the leash will look great, but if you’re looking for a particular gradient or color wash, it might take a couple of goes to get it just right.
You can use the length and measurements of an existing dog leash to make sure you get the new leash the right length for you.
4. No Sew Dog Collar Sleeves
| Materials: | Fabric, Ribbon, Dog Collar |
| Tools: | Glue Gun, Glue, Scissors |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
Dog collars can be pretty expensive, especially if you’re buying several to give your dog the best possible wardrobe. But, there is a less expensive solution: one that lets you get a little bit artsy while also creating as many looks for your dog’s outdoor wear as you want.
These no-sew dog collar sleeves are easy to make and once you’ve got the hang of them, you will be able to create a new sleeve for every occasion, or even to match your dog walking outfits.
5. DIY Dog Bowl Chairs
| Materials: | School Chairs, Bowls |
| Tools: | Sander, Drill, Saw |
| Difficulty: | Medium |
Some dogs can really benefit from using elevated feeders. They can be beneficial to brachycephalic dogs, as well as those with mobility issues, painful joints, or other health problems.
These DIY dog bowl chairs not only offer an elevated feeding position but they look great in the kitchen, dining room, or wherever else you feed your dogs. The plan does require some drilling and sawing, but it isn’t too difficult.
6. Upcycled Denim Dog Bone Toy
| Materials: | Old Jeans, Dog Toy Squeaker (Optional), Fiber Fill |
| Tools: | Needle, Thread |
| Difficulty: | Medium |
When jeans reach the end of their wearable life, the denim still has a lot of life left in it, but we typically just throw them away or send them to charity stores. But, the ruggedness of the denim means that it can be used to make a virtually indestructible dog toy.
In the case of this upcycled denim dog bone toy, it is shaped like a giant soft dog bone and it comes complete with a dog bone squeaker, although we fully understand if you choose to leave that out.
7. Pet Pillow
| Materials: | Canvas Fabric, Fabric, Poly-Fill |
| Tools: | Needle, Thread |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
This pet pillow is so called not only because your dog or cat will likely enjoy curling up on it, but because it is personalized with your choice of photo of your pet. You will need to find a printing shop to help out creating the transfer, and you do need to be able to do some fairly basic sewing.
Otherwise, though, the design is relatively simple and the end result is very effective. Nobody will dare take your pup’s favorite sleeping spot again.
8. Dog Painted Canvas
| Materials: | Canvas, Paint, Ziplock Bag, Peanut Butter |
| Tools: | Brush |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
Why should you do all the artistic work involved in creating a personalized DIY gift for your dog? You might as well put your dog’s powerful tongue and its love of peanut butter to work for you.
The dog-painted canvas was something of a viral TikTok trend. Put a few different colored paints on canvas, secure the canvas inside a ziplock bag, smear the outside of the bag with peanut butter, and let your dog go to town on the peanut butter. The licking motion will smudge the paint and create a modern work of canine art.
9. Doggy Ice Lolly
| Materials: | Apple, Carrot |
| Tools: | Treat Stick, Paper Cups |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
If your dog steadfastly refuses to wear bow ties and isn’t too fussed about having a wardrobe filled with different colored collars, one surefire way to impress them is with homemade treats.
The doggy ice lolly is made using apple and carrot, which are blended with water and then frozen around a treat stick in a paper cup, which makes the whole thing edible so you won’t have to try and coax a wooden lollipop stick from your salivating dog.
10. Minty Fresh Breath Dog Treats
| Materials: | Mint, Parsley, Green Apple |
| Tools: | Blender, Dog Bone Ice Cube Trays |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
You can consider these minty fresh breath dog treats a gift for the whole family, not necessarily because you’ll be passing them around the dinner table to share, but because they help freshen your dog’s breath so they will smell of mint and apple, rather than dog meat and whatever else they might have consumed.
The treats are easy to make and the only equipment you really need, other than a freezer, is a blender and some dog bone-shaped ice cube trays. If you don’t happen to have them lying around, you can easily buy them online.
Conclusion
Treating your dog occasionally is good for both of you, especially if it means you get to walk your pup in a fresh new collar or get rid of their dog breath with a minty breath-freshening treat. Above are our favorite dog gift ideas you can make yourself, many of which can be personalized to your own and your dog’s tastes.
Featured Image Credit: ChocoPie, Shutterstock
