Dog Clothing Instructions

How to Make Dog Clothing From a Pattern

• 1

  Place the tape measure around the widest part of your dog's rib cage to calculate its girth and measure your dog's length from its neck to the base of its tail, then record these numbers.

• 2

  Choose a sewing pattern that matches the size measurements and breed of your dog. Some websites offer free dog clothing patterns that you can download and print. You can also use a baby or small child's clothing pattern and modify it for your dog. After printing the patterns, trace them onto tissue paper so you can easily pin them to fabrics and tear them away. Keep the original printed patterns aside to use again.

• 3

  Choose the fabric for the dog clothing you will make. Durable fabrics like cotton twill or fleece will last longer than delicate ones. You can also choose eco-friendly, organic fabrics like cotton or bamboo as an alternative to traditional ones. Pick fabrics you can machine wash and dry for easy cleaning. Wash fabrics before using them to create your dog garments to prevent shrinkage of the finished pieces. You can also reuse fabric from clothing you no longer wear or can pick up at a yard sale inexpensively.

• 4

  Cut and sew your fabric into dog clothing according to the pattern you have. You can sew the clothing by hand or, preferably, with a sewing machine. Ensure tight seams by double stitching items for durability. When making clothing for your dog, use velcro or snaps as fasteners for dog clothing so your pet does not accidentally ingest buttons or get its hair caught in zippers.

• 5

  Dress your dog up in its new clothing. Some dogs will not tolerate clothing and may attempt to bite you or become agitated when you dress them. If the clothing is necessary to keep the dog warm or protect it from cold weather, dress it for short periods of time, giving it a treat for good behavior with the clothing on. This way, the dog will associate wearing the clothing with a positive experience and you can eventually increase the amount of time the dog wears the clothing.

How to Make Dog Booties

• 6

  For making small booties, measure the width and length of your dog's paws and record this number to determine the size of its feet.

• 7

  Purchase or download a dog bootie sewing pattern to make each shoe for your dog. Follow the steps and choose durable fabrics since your dog will be walking on these booties. You can use polar fleece to keep your dog's feet warm in winter and add a circle of vinyl for the bottom pads of the shoes to make them more durable. You can also substitute children's socks with added Velcro closures on top to reduce the amount of sewing you need to do.

• 8

  Make very simple booties by taking two U-shaped pieces of fabric slightly larger than the width and length of your dog's feet. Sew them together to make a simple sock and sew a small piece of rough-sided Velcro to the top of the "U." Sew one end of a strip of soft-sided Velcro that is two to three times as wide as your dog's ankle on the other side of the "U." Leave it loose so you can use it to fasten each bootie closed by wrapping it around your dog's ankle and securing it closed on the rough-sided piece.

How to Modify Human Clothes to Make Dog Clothing

• 9

  Use old baby or small children's clothing to make clothes for your dog, depending on its size. This will reduce the amount of sewing you need to do. Measure your dog's girth around its ribcage and length from neck to tail. Once you determine the measurements, you can compare those of children's clothing sizes to determine the best size of clothing to start with.

• 10

  Modify the existing clothing by taking in the sides if necessary and cutting off the bottom feet of things like one piece baby pajamas to make a dog T-shirt. If any clothing does not fit over your dog's head, cut down the center of the shirt and add Velcro fasteners along each side. This way, you simply wrap the clothing around your dog's middle and fasten it on top.

• 11

  Make a simple no-sew body warmer for your dog from old sleeves or pant legs from adult clothing, depending on the size of the dog. Simply cut the sleeve or leg, cut holes for your dog's legs and place it as a makeshift shirt on your dog.