DIY Doggie Bandanas

DIY Doggie Bandanas

published in:  www.FreshLifestyleMag.com

For my latest project, I decided to get a little crafty and make some custom dog bandanas featuring paw prints.

My first step was ordering some colorful heat transfer vinyl sheets.  I ordered an 18 pack so that I could have lots of colors to choose from.  My favorite color is red.  What’s yours?  I am saving the most of the orange sheet to create something with a fox for my sister as a gift.  I also choose a HTV pack that includes glitter vinyl sheets to create sparkly shapes.  This reminds me of a customer who always orders glossy photos because her personality is shiny and sparkly.  It always makes me smile when she mentions glossy.

Next I used Photoshop to print the shapes and text by using the custom shape tool.  To make the paw print the correct size to fit on the fabric, I measured the available space on the item.  In Photoshop I used the ruler and guides to help me create the paw print and dog names the correct size.  I teach lessons if you need help using Photoshop just let me know.  I printed the shapes and text on a piece of card stock paper and then cut out the shapes to use as a guide.  I then used shapes as a guide in reverse on the dull side of the heat transfer vinyl sheets. I did this project very DYI and cheap by just using scissors and an xacto knife to cut out the paw prints and text.  For more precise and complicated designs, I would recommend purchasing a cutting machine. 

After I cut out my shapes, I used a regular iron to adhere the vinyl to the fabric.  It only needed 10-15 seconds and it’s best to just apply constant firm pressure rather than moving the iron around.  It’s also a good idea to iron the fabric a little before you apply the vinyl so that you are not applying the shape on top of wrinkles.  Another tip is to use a piece of parchment paper in between the HTV and your iron.  I forgot on the first try and the heat vinyl transfer stuck to the iron.  Oops.  Let the fabric cool after you have ironed the HTV shapes onto it before peeling off the clear protective plastic. 

Here’s a photo of some custom dog bandanas that I created for one of my nearby neighbor’s dogs.

  Aren’t they cute!

For the doggie bandanas, I just hot glued ribbon to cover up the frying edges of the fabric and make them look prettier.  Another idea is to use pinking shears to cut the edges.  Or if you have a sewing machine you could sew the edges or even make the bandana double sided with two different color or patterned fabrics.  You could even make custom doggie bandanas for all the holidays so your pet can dress up and celebrate too.

This project was really fun and I look forward to creating a bunch of fun gifts for my family and friends with the heat transfer vinyl sheets.  Here’s the link if you would like to order some HTV for your own creative project.  http://amzn.to/2tpemxL