by Janabeth Greer

Created on: March 26, 2009   Last Updated: March 28, 2009

Spike shreds bandanas. From a distance, Princess can be mistaken for a small pony. Maybe you just cannot fathom the current trend of dressing Bruno like a toy. You have a macho companion, not a Webkinz. On the other hand, at the dog park, Spot is treated like a dog from the wrong side of the tracks. A collar cover may be the compromise you are looking for. It is also a great solution for therapy dogs, when you want to protect clients from a metal buckle.

A fabric tube that slips over your dog's collar, you can easily create a collar cover from a scrap of material. Even if you have no sewing experience, with access to a sewing machine, you can make one in less than an hour.

The important part of creating the cover is measurement. While your dog is wearing a collar, measure around the outside of it. For example, if Rover wears a 24-inch collar, the actual measurement may be 21 inches. This is the minimum length for the finished tube. Covers work best if they easily slide over the buckle. Measure the distance around the buckle, while it is buckled. Using Rover's collar as an example again, the buckle is 1.25 inches across, but to allow for the double material when buckled, it measures 4 inches around. Now add at least 1 inch to your measurements. Rover is going to need a fabric rectangle at least 22 inches long by 5 inches wide. Bigger is better. More length will just scrunch up a bit when finished and a looser width makes it easier to slide over the collar. 24 inches by 6 inches would be ideal.

Now for the fun part - choosing your fabric! Ask anyone who sews if she has scraps of leftover fabric. If you have an old shirt, you could use the back of it.

Things to consider when choosing your fabric:

* Stay away from T-shirts, as most are too stretchy for your first attempt.

* Denim is a bit heavy to work with.

* Make sure what you pick is washable it will get dirty.

* Consider what will contrast with your dog: a primarily black fabric will not stand out on a black dog.

* A thin, light color fabric may allow some of the underlying collar color to show through.

If you want more choice, check out the remnant bins in a fabric store, or even Wal-Mart. Fabric remnants are usually wider than 3 feet, so for our example, you would only need a 6-inch remnant. My pup has collars for Valentine's Day, St. Patty's, opening day of baseball, patriotic holidays, and just about anything else that I liked.

Cut a rectangle the size of your measurements, remembering bigger is better and it does

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