DIY Dog Hair Bows - The Southern Thing

If your dog loves wearing bows, you’ll love this step-by-step DIY tutorial that shows you how to make your own dog hair bows at home!

To say my dog is spoiled is an understatement. Hailey loves to play, enjoys getting treats, has more clothes than I do, and enjoys getting pampered at the groomers!

She loves coming home with a fresh hair cut and bows in her hair! Luckily for me, her bows stay in for days, sometimes weeks! If they happen to fall out, she always excited for me to put them back in asap.

Sometimes the bows don’t always hold up though, so I end up having to put new ones in.

Instead of buying extra dog bows from the groomer, I began making my own dog hair bows that way I could have an assortment of colors and patterns whenever I wanted.

Dog bows are actually really easy to DIY at home, so if you’ve been wondering how you can make these yourself, check out my tutorial below!

This is just a typical day in the spoiled life of Hailey, being queen of the couch with her sassy bows!

DIY DOG HAIR BOWS TUTORIAL

Supplies Needed to Make Your Own Dog Hair Bows at Home:

To make your own DIY dog bows, you’ll need your choice of ribbon, mini clear elastic hair ties, a pencil, and some fabric shears.

When cutting fabric, it’s important that you use these special fabric shears which are specifically designed to help prevent fraying on the ends. You’ll want the bows to last long, so cutting the fabric correctly with the proper tools is necessary!

How to Make Your Own Dog Hair Bows:

First you’ll want to cut a piece of ribbon about 7.5″ long, angling the edges.

Fold it into a ribbon shape by laying one piece over the other.

Hold the ribbon in the center when the two ends meet with your thumb to keep it in place and with your other hand, tuck the top part of the ribbon shape under the two pieces that criss cross – these are the pieces you are currently holding in place.

Place the elastic rubber band onto the pencil, then place the bow above it.

Stretch the elastic band over the ribbon and over the tip of the pencil to secure the bow onto the pencil with the band.

Once the elastic band is wrapped around the bow and pencil, flip the pencil over to view the back side of the bow.

You will see two rows of the elastic band- one on top and one on bottom. Bring the bottom row over the top row for a final secure to hold the bow in place and voila!

Once your elastic is secured around the bow, get your pup ready to put them on!

I find the easiest way to get dogs on board is to prep them with a treat first! My dog gets so excited and immediately comes to me for more, so this is a foolproof method!

My dog will basically let you do whatever you want to her at this point since the only thing on her mind is more treats, so it’s the perfect time to tie in those bows!

You know your dog best, so just use your judgement and do what works best for them! Some dogs don’t like their ears touched at all, so just be sure to keep that in mind and don’t force them to wear something they don’t like!

Making your own dog hair bows at home can be so fun, especially around the holidays! It’s a great and inexpensive way to make your pet look festive!

I enjoy making my own dog bows, but I know these types of hands on crafts are not for everyone!

If you prefer to buy some already made, check out this awesome deal for an already made 60ct dog bows for super cheap!!

Materials

• Ribbon
• Mini clear elastic hair ties

Tools

• Fabric shears
• Pencil

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of ribbon 7.5″ long and angle the edges.
2. Fold it into a ribbon shape by laying one piece over the other.
3. Hold the ribbon in the center when the two ends meet with your thumb to keep it in place and with your other hand, tuck the top part of the ribbon shape under the two pieces that criss cross – these are the pieces you are currently holding in place.
4. Place the elastic rubber band onto the pencil, then place the bow above it.
5. Stretch the elastic band over the ribbon and over the tip of the pencil to secure the bow onto the pencil with the band.
6. Once the elastic band is wrapped around the bow and pencil, flip the pencil over to view the back side of the bow.
7. You will see two rows of the elastic band- one on top and one on bottom. Bring the bottom row over the top row for a final secure to hold the bow in place and voila!

Notes

When cutting fabric, it’s important that you specifically use special fabric scissors which are specifically designed to help prevent fraying on the ends. You’ll want the bows to last long, so cutting the fabric correctly with the proper tools is necessary!

Recommended Products

• Crafting Fabric Shears 
• Clear Elastic Hair Bands

Want to save this post to try later? Pin this tutorial so you can make your dog some hair bows!