How to Make a Soft Flannel Neck Collar to Put Under a Dog's E-collar

Although Elizabethan collars, also known as e-collars, have been used for decades to help pets overcome injuries, they are not the most comfortable device for dogs to wear. Dogs must wear their e-collars 24 hours of every day until their wound is healed or the condition has been cured, which may cause the collar to rub away some of the hair around the dog̵7;s neck--or even cause sores. However, some simple padding can ease your dog̵7;s discomfort.

Things You'll Need

  • 1/4-yard flannel fabric
  • Marking pen
  • Straight edge
  • Scissors or pinking shears
  • Straight pins
  • Thread
  • Needle
  • 1/4-yard quilting batting
  • 2 small snaps or Velcro buttons
  • White glue (optional)
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Measure your fabric. Fold the flannel lengthwise so that the wrong side (rougher side with lighter print) is exposed. Place the fabric around your dog̵7;s neck. Fasten your dog̵7;s collar over the fabric. Leave a little extra space under the collar to account for folding the fabric under and for the fasteners. The ends of your fabric should overlap about one inch. There should be about 1/2-inch of fabric extending from under either side of your dog̵7;s collar. Mark your dimensions and remove.

    • 2

      Use your straight edge and pen to mark the wrong side of the fabric with the desired dimensions with a broken line. This line is what you will follow when you sew your collar. Measure an additional 1/2-inch beyond the broken line and draw a solid line parallel to it. This line will mark where you will cut your fabric.

    • 3

      Pin the batting behind your flannel. Cut both layers of fabric along the solid line.

    • 4

      Move the batting to the wrong side of your flannel. Pin the two layers of fabric together using the broken line as a guide.

    • 5

      Stitch the two layers of fabric together to form a tube. Remove each corner with a diagonal cut, taking care to avoid cutting the stitching.

    • 6

      Turn the tube inside out. The right side should now be on the outside, while the batting should be on the inside of the tube.

    • 7

      Fold the raw edges at both ends of the tube under, toward the inside of the tube. Stitch it closed.

    • 8

      Sew the fasteners to both ends of the fabric. There should be at least 1/2-inch of overlap.