Do you have a posh pup or a dapper dog? Then she or he certainly deserves a spiffy new wardrobe, including one of our fun dog bandanas. We’ve come up with a super fast and easy option that has an adjustable casing so you can slip this fashion accessory right onto your dog’s collar. Our free downloadable pattern has Small, Medium, and Large sizes.

This project qualifies as beginner friendly, super fun and as a great ScrapBusters option. As mentioned below, the best way to confirm the fabric needed is to first print, assemble, and trim the pattern to size. Then dive into your favorite stash cuts to find two coordinating cottons that can accommodate the cut-on-the-fold design of the pattern piece.

You get to choose two favorites because this design is reversible! Of course, you can certainly use the same fabric on the front and back, but where’s the fun in that?!

We recommend a standard quilting cotton for ease of laundering. But… you can spread out that laundering since the bandana is reversible.

You’ll make the main shape of the bandana first, finishing what will be either open end of the casing. Then, using your own collar, you’ll determine the final width of the casing. We show you all the steps below, and it’s very easy to insure the casing will be big enough for the collar’s buckle but not so big as to cause the bandana to slip too much.

There will be some “play” within the casing, which is appropriate. It also allows the bandana to be gathered up sightly on the collar for the best look. It can be positioned over the back or under the chin across the ruff.

On Golden Doodle, Dollar – a flatter finish positioned on her back suited her beautiful curly fur.

On Corgi, Ginger – she preferred the scarf under her chin, where it called attention to her royal fluffiness. Lots of options and two sides to suit the fashion sense of the day.

As mentioned above, printing and cutting the pattern is the best way to visualize and confirm the size needed for your dog. Our sizing was based on standard dog collar neck measurements: 11” – 15” for Small, 15” – 20” for Medium, and 20” – 26” for Large. Our samples were both Medium and finished at approximately 12½” wide (across the widest point along the top) x 8” high (from the point of the triangle to the top of the casing).

Sewing Tools You Need

• Sewing Machine and standard presser foot
• Quarter Inch Seam foot; optional for precise seaming and topstitching

Fabric and Other Supplies

NOTE: Amounts shown are for ONE bandana.

• TWO different scraps or up to ⅓ yard cuts of 44″+ wide quilting cotton or similar: we recommend printing and assembling the pattern, cutting it to the size to match the measurement of your pup’s neck, and then using this pattern to determine if you have enough of your desired two fabrics – as mentioned, the pattern is designed to be cut on the fold
• All purpose thread to coordinate with fabrics
• See-through ruler
• Iron and ironing board
• Scissors
• Rotary cutter and mat
• Fabric pen or pencil
• Seam gauge
• Seam ripper
• Straight pins

Getting Started and Pattern Download

1. DOWNLOAD AND PRINT our TWO pattern sheets: these two 8½” x 11” sheets contain the two sections of the full pattern. The two sheets have been bundled into one PDF to make the download easier.
   NOTE: You must print the PDF file at 100%. DO NOT SCALE to fit the page. There is a handy guide rule on each page so you can make sure your print out is the correct size.
   
2. Cut out the pattern pieces along the solid line.
3. Butt together, do not overlap, matching the diamond markings, and tape to secure.
   
4. Cut the pattern to size needed. Large needs no cutting, but Medium and Small do. As shown, we used the Medium size for our samples.
   
5. From EACH of the TWO fabrics, use the assembled and cut to size pattern to fussy cut ONE piece.
   
   NOTE: Fussy cutting isn’t mandatory, especially if you have a random motif. However, if you have a bolder motif, such as the medallion print in our black/white/red sample, a fussy cut to center the motif is a nice touch… your pup will be impressed.
   

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

Main seams and casing seams

1. Unfold the two cut panels and place them right sides together, aligning and pinning along the long straight edge. This seam becomes of the center seam of the bandana’s starting “diamond” shape.
   
2. Using a ¼” seam allowance, stitch this center seam.
   
3. Press the seam allowance open and flat.
   
4. Find the original paper pattern. Along the right edge of the paper pattern you will find a “Fold In” marking for each of the three sizes. Fold the paper pattern along this line.
   
5. Place the starting diamond wrong side up and flat on your work surface.
6. Align the folded paper pattern along the center seam and fold in each side point so it is an exact match to the folded paper pattern point. Press well.
   
7. Remove the paper pattern and edgestitch along the all sides of the folded-in triangle (on each side of the bandana).We started at the seam and stitched all around with a ¼” seam allowance.
   
   NOTE: If you feel your fabric is one that would be especially prone to fraying or raveling after laundering, you can opt to use a line of seam sealant along the raw edges or re-set your stitch to a tiny zig zag. We opted for a standard straight stitch.
8. Fold the panel along its center seam, bringing the two halves of the diamond right sides together, forming a triangle shape with the center seam along the top edge. Making sure the diagonal sides of the triangle are flush, pin along both these sides from just below the folded-in casing to the point of the triangle.
   
9. Using a ¼” seam allowance stitch from just below the casing on one side down to the point of the triangle and pivot at the point.
   
10. Stitch back up and stop just below the casing on the opposite side. As shown in the photo, the casing should be completely open on each side.
    
11. Clip the point.
    
12. Press open the seam allowance.
    
13. Turn through one end of the open casing and press flat.
    

Measuring for your collar and final stitching

1. Locate your collar.
2. Slip the widest part of the collar, which is usually the female end of the buckle, into the opening of the casing. You don’t need to insert it very far, just enough to insure your casing will be wide enough for the buckle to pass through, but still snug enough so the scarf doesn’t spin on the center section of the collar. In general, this width is likely to be the width of your collar plus about ¼” – ½”.
3. Place a pin at this measurement.
   
4. Using your see-through ruler, confirm your measurement.
   
5. Draw a horizontal line across the scarf at this measurement as a stitching guide line for the casing.
   NOTE: As with any time you are working on the right side of your fabric, make sure your marking tool is one that will wipe away easily or will vanish with exposure to the air or the heat of an iron.
   
6. Topstitch through both layers along the drawn guide line.
   
7. Edgestitch along each diagonal side of the finished triangle. This helps stabilize the edge and keep the two layers from shifting.
   

Project Design: Anne Adams
Sample Creation: Debbie Guild