11 Canine Couture Ideas

Eleven HGTV viewers share their tips for creating your own outfits for your dog.

Filed under: Crafts

Get inspired with 11 different dog outfits as modeled by HGTV viewers' pets.

Knit Sweaters and Pet Jewelry

Cocoa Butter's mom, Dania De Bortoli, of Fairfield, Iowa, is a jewelry and textiles designer (www.designsbydania.com), who after several years of creating unique jewelry and knits for humans is afraid that her career may now be going to the dogs. Before starting on your own canine couture, Dania has these tips:

When creating your own pet knits:
- Pick yarn that is very soft and comfortable for your pet, and make sure that it is washable.
- Pick yarns that are weather appropriate, wool for winter and cotton, silk or bamboo for spring and fall.
- Always make sure that the outfit fits your pet comfortably never too tight or too loose.
- If you are a beginning knitter, stick with simple patterns for your pet.

When creating your own pet jewelry:
- Make sure that the necklace is not too tight or loose; make sure that you can fit one to two fingers between the necklace and your pet's neck.
- Never use your jewelry as a collar. It is for adornment purposes do not use it as a restraint unless you are specifically designing a pet collar.

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Double-Sewn Sweaters

Dixie and Pluto model their double-knit reversible sweaters in midnight blue and olive. Janette Martin of San Francisco often recycles old sweaters to create her canine creations. She says double-sewing thin knits like cashmere is a great way to create a very warm but lightweight sweater jacket for your pampered pet. Finish the look by adding felt flowers, braids, buttons and other high-end trims.

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Leather Jackets

To create Jack's one-of-a-kind clothing, Patsy Kuppenbender of Canby, Ore., cuts old denim or leather jackets and embellishes them with original labels and hardware. She also personalizes clothing by embroidering Jack's name.