11 Canine Couture Ideas

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

Filed under: Crafts

Iron-On Patches

Julie Noles of Huntsville, Ala., loves to pamper her dogs. Zoe is a bit cold-natured, so Julie decided to create a few warm coats for her. She started with a store-bought pattern, but quickly discovered that once you master the basics, embellishing your project is the fun part. Julie's tip is to search through craft stores for small items you can add, like decorative iron-on patches and initials to add a personalized, high-end touch to your pet's clothing.

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Army Style

Chris Crawford of Woodbridge, Va., is a creative guy who submitted his photo of Abby in her very warm and functional jacket because in his own words, he was afraid that we would only feature, "frou-frou dog clothes for little pocket pooches." So, here is Abby in her custom-made clothing, which Chris fashioned by double-layering an old military-issue wool blanket, which he trimmed with blanket trimming. The reflective stripe across the back adds safety and is part of her old reflective collar, as are the straps under her belly. The front closes with Velcro.

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Comfortable, Yet Funky, Materials

Melanie LaVache of Key West, Fla., has been an amateur seamstress for most of her life, so she thought that it would be a fun project to create a few outfits for a friend's dogs. The trial outfits turned out so well that friends told friends and one or two outfits has turned into 10 or 20. Melanie says that when looking for fresh ideas, she considers many materials that you wouldn't normally associate with pet clothing, like blue jeans, detachable feather boas and rhinestones. She says that as long as the fabric is comfortable for your pet and washable, then let your imagination run free.