Christmas Crafts 2017 - Painted Treat Ornaments

Purchase plastic Christmas ornaments in whichever shape you prefer.  Plastic is always safer than glass when you have pets around the Christmas tree!  And, purchase or make tiny sized dog treats to fit inside the top opening of the ornaments.

Wash the ornaments inside and out with warm soapy water and leave them open (the top pops out) to dry completely before filling them.  

Fill the ornaments with tiny dog treats!  Hint - if you leave a little empty space at the top of the ornament, it will be easier to pour out the treats to feed to your dog!  If you fill it completely to the top, it may be harder to get the treats back out!  

After filling the ornaments, replace the top part back onto the ornament and tie a colored ribbon on to hang it with.  

I used paint pens to draw and write on the outside of the ornaments to make them more festive!  The paint will need time to dry - mine took several hours of sitting out to be completely dry.  

These are quick and easy to make and are absolutely adorable!  Easy to make for all the doggie friends!

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Christmas Crafts 2017 - Advent Doggie Wreath

We made some new items for the Humane Society Christmas Bazaar this year.  They were fun and easy to make, and came out as adorable gifts!  We'd like to share them with you in case you know of special doggies that would enjoy them!

Advent Doggie Wreath:

Cut a wreath shape out of sturdy cardboard.  I used two different sized dog bowls to trace the wreath shape to help keep the circles even all the way around.

Wrap wide ribbon evenly around the wreath shape.  I anchored the ribbon with masking tape on one end.  As you wrap, keep tension on the ribbon to keep it smooth against the wreath form.

Tie or tape the end of the ribbon at the back of the wreath once it is entirely wrapped.

With a narrow ribbon (I used a different color to make it more festive), add the dog bones.  Anchor the ribbon on the back with tape or tie it in a knot so it holds better.  Wrap it around the wreath as you did with the wider ribbon, but with each pass around, add a dog bone.  Hold tension all the way around so the bones don't fall out.  Tie it in the back of the wreath when you're done to hold them all in place.

Add a pretty bow!  Then hang it up ... out of your dog's reach!  You can help your dog to eat the treats while he/she waits for Christmas Day to come!  Ribbon is not safe for dogs, so keep the ribbons out of your dog's reach.  

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Holiday Photos? Make These Adorable Collars!

Now begins the season of taking holiday photos.  Some will take dogs (and cats!) to see Santa for pictures. Some will pose the family animals with the family humans of all ages and capture memories forever more.

Tulle collar.

These adorable collars are not hard to make, and you can be creative in your use of materials and colors to match your dog's personality and the occasion.  

Cut elastic into strips that will easily fit around your dog's neck without stretching.  Without stretching the elastic, the collar should fit close to your dog's neck but not tight.  Add an inch to that length and cut the strip that length.  The extra inch is to allow for you to tie the ends together easily to create a circle.  Cut off any loose ends after you tie it.  

Tulle cut into strips can make a fluffy, tutu-type collar.  How long you cut the strips will determine how fluffy the collar will be.  You can fold the tulle strip in half and hold it on the elastic collar to see how far it will stick out.  Adjust your tulle strips accordingly.

There are a couple ways to attach the tulle.  One is to simply tie the tulle to the elastic with knots.  I prefer to use slip knots.  To make a slip knot, fold each strip in half.  You will then have a folded end and two loose pieces at the other end.  The two loose ends go underneath the elastic collar strip and curl around the elastic, so you now have the elastic in the middle.  Then slip the two loose ends into the hole created by the folded end and pull the loose ends through until it tightens on the elastic.  (See photo below)  Don't pull too hard.  Just hard enough to have it tied around the elastic. Continue in this way until the entire collar has been filled.

Shown with ribbon because it's easier to see.

Ribbon collars are also pretty.  Choose several colors/styles of ribbon that you feel complement each other. Attach them in the same way as attaching the tulle above.  It's nice when you cut the ribbon strips to cut the ends of each strip at an angle.  It looks fancier and prevents a lot of unraveling.

Voila!  Super cute and easy collars!

Ribbon collar.

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