How to Sew a Simple Dog Collar: A Practical Guide

Looking for a simple, durable collar for your dog that you can make yourself? In this step-by-step guide, we’ll show you how to sew a practical and simple dog collar using webbing and hardware you can get right in our shop. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced sewer, this quick and easy project will create a collar that you can customize and use during walks and playtime. Let’s get started!

First, I made this collar for our very rambunctious and sweet Golden Retriever/Pyrennes  young dog.  He is the size of a Golden Retriever but very fluffy -- so a medium to large-sized dog.  His collar was wearing out so I decided I had everything at The Green Pepper to sew a new one!  And this was a very quick and easy project!

Materials Needed

Webbing:  Polypropylene webbing (medium or heavy weight) is durable and tough and a little stiffer than nylon webbing, but nylon webbing is also durable and a little softer.  Either will work for this collar.  You will need 26 to 30 inches (66-76.2cm) of 3/4" or 1" (1.9-2.5cm) wide webbing for a medium-sized dog.  For a small dog, you can go with 2 to 4 inches (5-10cm) less and you can even go down to 1/2" (1.3cm) wide webbing.  For a very large dog, you may need a few more inches of webbing and you could go up to 1.5" (3.8cm) wide webbing. This collar is adjustable, so having it a little larger is fine.  But if you make it too short, it will be hard to fix without making a new one.  So err on the side of longer webbing.

Side Release Buckle:  A side release buckle that is the same width as your webbing. So if you are using 1" wide webbing, you need a 1" side release buckle; if you are using 3/4" wide webbing, you need a 3/4" side release buckle, etc..  I think the sturdier, regular-sized buckle is better than the slim line for this project, but if you have a small dog, the slim-line might be preferable.

Slider:  Again, you need one slider that is the same width as the webbing you are using. I like a derlin plastic slider due to its durability and weather resistance.

D-ring:  I used a nickel plated D-ring but a derlin plastic one could be an option, especially for smaller dogs.  Again, you will need one that is the same size as the width of the webbing you are using.  The D-ring is used to hook a leash or lead to when walking a dog.

Thread:  Polyester thread is best because it is the sturdiest. If you have a heavy-duty thread, that is great to use.  Otherwise, an all-purpose polyester sewing thread is fine.

Needles:  You can use a Universal sewing machine needle for this project, but if you have a denim needle, that could be helpful.  I used a regular Universal needle when I made this collar. 

Sewing the Collar

1.  Sear the ends of the webbing by passing each end quickly through the flame on a candle or lighter.  This seals (melts) the ends so they don't unravel.

2.  Thread one end of webbing through the slider, and fold about 1.5-2" of the webbing down.  Sew in place with a square and then sew an X in the middle of the square.  Reinforce stitching on each end of the square.

3.  Feed the other end of the webbing through one side of the side release buckle.  And move the buckle toward the end where you have the slider.  You may want to thread it differently than I did -- take a good look at your buckle to see which way you like it to be threaded.

4.  Feed the end back through the the slider.  

5. Now feed the end through the D-ring and then through he end of the other side of the side release buckle.

6.  Fold about 2.5" of the strap over to the inside, covering the D-ring.  Stitch between the D-ring and the side release buckle (a square and an X inside the square), and again just after the D-ring (a square and an X inside the square).  Stitch as close to each as you can, and reinforce the ends with another line of stitching.

Finished collar on my fluffy dog!