Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Sweater sleeve - adult or child, cut from the sweater at the shoulder
- Scissors
- Straight pins
- 1/2-inch elastic
- Sewing machine
- Thread
Instructions
Measure, with the tape measure, from the side of your dog's head about 2 inches below the left ear, over the top of the head, and down to below the right ear. Add 2 inches to this measurement.
Spread a sweater sleeve, cut at the shoulder from a sweater, flat on a table. Do not cut the sleeve open. Dogs' ears are thin. According to Family Education, a dog's feet, ears and--depending on his size and coat--other body parts are susceptible to frostbite. Frostbite occurs when a part of the body freezes. Recycling a sweater sleeve provides a double-layer of warm material from which to construct a dog hat.
Measure and cut the sleeve according to the previous measurement.
Fold the ends of the sweater sleeve under 1 inch and tuck inside of the sleeve "tube." Pin.
Measure from 2 inches below the dog's left ear, under the chin/throat, and to 2 inches below the right ear. Divide this number by two and add 1 inch to the measurement. You are constructing the hat's chinstrap that will hold the hat onto the dog.
Cut a piece of elastic according to the previous measurement. Center one end of the elastic on one pinned end of the sweater tube, inserting it 1/2 inch into the tube. Pin the elastic inside of the sleeve/hat. Repeat for the other end of the elastic and the other end of the hat/sleeve tube.
Sew, using a straight stitch and a 1/4-inch seam allowance, horizontally, across the pinned end of the hat/sweater sleeve, securing the elastic chinstrap inside of the hat. Remove pins as you sew. Repeat sewing for the other side of the hat/elastic.