Dog Clothes: Quick Outfits You Can Sew and Make Yourself

Dog clothes are fairly simple to make if you stick with easy patterns. Many fabrics are suitable for dogs but you'll want to choose material that is easy for you to handle. Denim, corduroy, and other thick cloths are much more difficult to work with than cottons and knits. You can sometimes find patterns to use but even they have to be adjusted to fit your particular dog so it's easier to make the patterns yourself.

Make easy capes by measuring your dog's collar after it's been adjusted to fit him. Remove the collar and lay it on the fabric. Draw and cut the outline of the collar, allowing a couple inches on each end to overlap. Two dollar pieces will be needed. Cut a piece of fabric, on the fold, which is half as wide as the collar fabric piece and as long as your dog is from neck to just above the tail.

Sew the collar together on both short ends and one long end. Hem the two sides of the cape and across the bottom. Pin the collar to the cape piece then top stitch them together. Sew a piece of velcro onto one underside of the collar and one topside, at the edge. This will hold the cape around the pup's neck. Use images cut from other fabrics to enhance the cape. For instance, purchase a yard of "Scooby-Doo" material and cut Scooby out of the fabric. Sew the Scooby onto your dog's cape for a cute look. You can also cut letter shapes out of fabric and sew them onto the cape to spell the dog's name.

Make easy shirts by doing some simple measuring and cutting. Your first try should be with fabric that stretches somewhat. Fold a piece of fabric in half, lengthways, and lay it on the table. Measure the dog from shoulder area, beside neck, to opposite shoulder area. Measure half of that number onto the top edge of the fabric and draw an outline. Be sure it "dips", rather than gets cut straight across, because this part of the shirt will go around the neck. Measure from the side neck area to the top front leg area and draw the measurement onto the fabric.