Things You'll Need
- Full-grain leather strap, 3/4-inch to 1 1/2-inches wide
- Craft knife
- Rotary leather punch
- Mallet
- Straight upholstery needle
- Heavy-duty thread for sewing leather
- Scissors
- Buckle
- Rapid rivets
- Cloth measuring tape
- Leather sealant
Instructions
Place a cloth measuring tape around your dog's neck. Slide two fingers between the tape and the neck. The tape should be snug. Transfer that measurement to a full-grain leather strap. Add 6 inches (7 inches if your dog is still growing), and cut with a craft knife.
Measure and mark 1 1/2 inches from one end, in the transverse center of the strap. Punch a hole on each side of the mark using a 1/4-inch hole punch so the holes touch and are in a longitudinal line. Use a craft knife to cut out leather between the holes to make one long oval hole. The tongue of the buckle will pass through this hole. Put the buckle on the strap, making sure the outside of the buckle is on the same side as the smooth side of the leather.
Fold the leather strap over so the hole is in the fold. Holding the folded strap securely in place, make a hole with the leather punch tool, 1/4 inch from the buckle. The holes should be large enough to snugly fit the shanks of the rapid rivets.
Push the shank of the rapid rivet through both layers of leather, from the front. Position the back cap of the rivet on the shank and place on a hard, flat surface. Tap the top of the rivet gently with a mallet until it is securely seated and affixed to the bottom cap.
Cut a piece of leather strap, 1/2 inch wide, and long enough to go around the doubled-over collar strap to make a belt keeper. Using a small punch, make a hole on on each end of the strap, 1/8 inch from the end, in the center. Thread the needle with 2 feet of upholstery thread. Hold the strap so the ends are touching, making a loop. The smooth surface should be on the outside. Thread the needle and thread through one hole, leaving 4 inches of thread sticking out. Sew the strap together, with 7 or 8 passes through each hole. Tie the tag ends of the threads securely and clip the threads. Slide the belt keeper onto the collar so it meets the rivet. Turn the belt keeper so the sewn surface will be hidden between the layers of leather.
Punch a hole through both thicknesses of leather, next to the belt keeper. Secure the layers together with another rivet.
Put the collar on your dog. Mark the collar where the buckle hole should be placed. Draw a line down the center of the collar, toward the end. Make marks 3/4 inch apart in the center line, two on each side of the first mark. Punch holes.
Protect with leather sealant, per manufacturer's instructions.