How to Dress Up a Nylon Dog Collar

Nylon dog collars are a standard accessory for nearly every dog owner. Sturdy, washable and inexpensive, they fulfill the essential functions of giving you a place to hang tags on your dog, and a place to attach a leash when one is needed. While utilitarian, they are not always pretty. However, that does not mean that you have to leave your collar looking dull and uninspired. Nylon collars are easy to dress up, either permanently or temporarily, using a few supplies and a little ingenuity.

  1. Temporary Additions

    • If you are looking for an easy way to dress up a nylon collar, you need nothing more than a few decorative supplies and some glue. Use glue to attach rhinestones or sequins on the collar, placing them all over, in stripes or polka dots, or in shapes such as flowers and hearts. If the collar is medium to large in width, spell your dog̵7;s name out in sequins or rhinestones. You can even glue sequins or rhinestones onto the buckle. Avoid hot glue because nylon is a synthetic fiber, which means it will melt under high heat.

    Beads

    • Beadwork does not have to be complicated. Using an industrial needle and a sturdy thread, sew beads onto the collar in simple designs. Tiny, round beads can be used to cover the entire collar or to crate a chevron pattern. Larger beads in a variety of sizes can be used in small groupings to create flowers or other simple shapes. Take care not to add beading to the section of the collar that feeds through the buckle, because it will likely get damaged.

    Color

    • Dye your collar using fabric dyes. You do not have to be limited to one overall color when using fabric dye. Tape off sections of the collar and dip the collar in the dye. Some dye will still bleed under the tape, but it will create an interesting effect. Or, dip the top half of the collar in one color and the bottom half in another. Dye just the ends of the collar. If you do not want to dye the collar, you can write or draw onto it using fabric markers.

    Permanent Additions

    • Using a sewing machine with a heavy-duty needle, sew ribbon down the center of the collar. Or, tie a bow using ribbon and stitch it onto the collar. Jeweling kits can be purchased that allow you to more permanently attach rhinestones than just using glue, or you can purchase rhinestone strands and hand stitch them onto the collar. Purchase sequins with a hole in the center and permanently sew them onto the collar. Sew charms onto the collar to create a charm necklace-type collar for your dog.