How to Do Braided Cloth Dog Leashes

High-fashion dog leashes are made from a variety of materials and are braided, twisted and designed in a thousand ways. Why spend big bucks on a designer dog leash when you can braid one yourself from cloth you probably already have around the house? The best fabrics for braided cloth dog leashes are synthetic, specifically polyester. Synthetic fibers hold up well to wear and tear and have little give to them, which means that Fido can pull on the leash all he wants without stretching the cloth braid.

Things You'll Need

  • 4 pieces of synthetic fiber cloth
  • Scissors
  • Bulldog clamp
  • Steady surface
  • Snaphook
  • Tapestry needle
  • Standard needle
  • Thread
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lay out your fabric. The amount of fabric you need depends upon the desired length of your finished leash. Most standard leashes are about 6 feet long. Add an extra foot to the desired finished length for attaching hardware and making a loop, and then double this figure to account for braiding. You will be making a four-strand braid, so you will need four strips. Thus, for a 6-foot leash you will be cutting the fabric into four 14-foot strips.

    • 2

      Make 14-foot strips from fabric of any length by cutting each piece of fabric in one long, continuous 1-inch-wide strip. Starting on one end, cut down the fabric 1 inch from the side until you are approximately 1 inch from the other end of the fabric.

    • 3

      Measure 1 inch toward the center of the piece of fabric from the strip you just cut. Begin your next cut at this point, cutting from the end of the fabric opposite the starting point of your previous cut.

    • 4

      Continue cutting up and down the fabric in this manner until you have a long 1-inch strand of fabric "yarn." Repeat this process for the other three pieces of fabric.

    • 5

      Knot all four strands of fiber together at one end. Leave a "tail" of approximately 2 inches at the beginning.

    • 6

      Use the bulldog clamp to clamp the knot to a sturdy surface, such as the arm of a chair or the edge of a table.

    • 7

      Lay the strands flat so that they are separated. The strand that is farthest to the left is Stand 1, the next are Strands 2 and 3, and the strand on the right is Strand 4 for ease of explanation.

    • 8

      Draw Strand 4 over Strand 3. They have now changed places and what was Strand 4 is now Strand 3, and vice versa.

    • 9

      Pass Strand 1 over Strands 2 and 3. Remember, Strand 3 was formerly Strand 4.

    • 10

      Continue repeating Steps 8 and 9 until your braided strand is approximately 6 inches longer than you would like your leash to be. Tie the four-strand braid with another knot, similar to the first one.

    • 11

      Thread the wide end of the snaphook through the unbraided strands of fabric just below the finishing knot.

    • 12

      Thread one strand of fabric through a tapestry needle. Weave the fabric through the four-strand braid to hide the ends. Approximately 1 inch of fabric should be woven in. Repeat this for the other three strips of fabric.

    • 13

      Sew down the ends of the fabric strands that were woven in using a needle and thread. Do this several times to ensure as much security as possible, particularly if the dog the leash is intended for a strong puller.

    • 14

      Remove the bulldog clamp from the top of the braid near the knot. Thread one strand of fabric through a tapestry needle. Weave the fabric strip into the braid beneath the knot. Do this for the remaining three fabric strips, and secure using a needle and thread as previously done for the bottom of the leash. You should now have one long braided strand.

    • 15

      Create a loop from the section of the four strand braid that is without a snaphook. Tie a bowline knot, securing the braid in a loop formation to serve as a handle. You can choose to sew this knot in place with a needle and thread or leave it unsewn so that it can be adjusted as needed.