Denim dog bow – a recycled craft

You can make this cute little Denim dog bow in minutes with the Mini Bowdabra with hair bow tool and ruler attachment and some scraps you already have on hand.

Do you have some lightweight denim laying around that you are saving because you just know that you will find a use for it? Or maybe you have an old pair of jeans that you just can’t bring yourself to get rid of no matter how many holes and worn areas. Additionally, if you’re like me you have some mini covered hair elastics that you use for smaller bits of hair. If so, you have all the supplies you need to make this adorable denim dog bow for your pup.

The mini hair elastic works great to attach to a collar. You can fold it in half like I did for my little 12-pound Maddy or if you have a larger dog with a wider collar use it just like it is.

Supplies:

• Recycled lightweight denim
• Mini Bowdabra with hair bow tool and ruler
• Bowdabra bow wire
• Small ponytail elastic (for small pony tails about half the size of a regular pony tail elastic)
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Lighter
• Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

Instructions:

1. For each denim dog bow cut a piece of denim 2 inches wide x 12 inches long, and another piece ½” wide x 3” long. (When I cut denim strips to use for crafts I wrap it around a 3-inch piece of recycled cardboard tube from the inside of an aluminum foil roll.) Burn he ends of the ribbon with the lighter to keep it from fraying.

2. Cut a piece of bow wire 18 inches long, fold in half and insert into the Bowdabra. You will have a loop on one side and two loose wires on the other side.

3. Using the 12 –inch piece of denim insert one end wrong side up into the Bowdabra.

4. Bring the other side (right side facing up) to the opposite end and insert the other end in the Bowdabra.

5. Center the loops on each side and push down into the Bowdabra.

6. Scrunch down with the Bowdabra wand.

7. Insert the two loose wires through the loop and pull tight while the bow is still in the Bowdabra. Remove from the Bowdabra, separate the wires, turn to the back and tie a knot. Repeat with a second knot.

8. Using the small ½” wide piece of denim start from the front and glue the strip around to the back making sure the wires you tied the bow with are on each side of the strip to make it easier to tie on the elastic.

9. If you are making this dog bow for small dog collar fold the elastic in half, if you are making it for a larger collar use as is. Turn to the back and using the wires you tied the bow with tie the elastic band onto it and knot it a few times. Cut off any excess wire.

10. Optional: If you want to remove any fraying from the completed bow you can now run the lighter all along the edges to seal the bow.  Feed on to the collar with the elastic.

Maddy and her new denim bow

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