If you want to add some charm and colour to your dog’s collar, this DIY flannel dog bandanna is a fun, budget-friendly sewing project that’s perfect for beginners. With our kids all grown up and out of the house, our cheeky little Jack Russells have quickly become the new stars of my craft room. They love the attention (well, most of the time), and I couldn’t resist making them some personalised dog bandannas using an old flannel shirt destined for the donation pile. It’s a great way to upcycle fabric while creating something both adorable and practical—and with a little added vinyl, these bandannas are as unique as the pups who wear them!

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How to Make a Novelty Dog Bandanna from an Old Flannel Shirt

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Materials Needed

• Old flannel shirt or flannel fabric
• Reuleaux triangle template
• Paper and printer
• Fabric scissors
• Sewing pins
• Sewing machine
• Ruler or point turner
• Iron
• Cricut or other vinyl cutter (optional)
• Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV)
• Parchment paper or a thin cloth
• Dog collar

1. Choose Your Shape

I used a Reuleaux triangle—a curved triangle that creates the perfect bandanna shape. Print the shape onto paper and use it to measure your dog’s neck (if they’ll stay still long enough!). Once you have the right size, fold your fabric in half, place the template along the fold, and cut out the shape.

This should be the shape you end up with.

2. Sew the Bandanna

Fold the fabric right sides together. Pin the edges to stop them shifting as you sew.

Sew a seam around the edge, about 1 cm in from the border. Leave a small gap to turn it the right way out.

Before turning the bandanna right side out, trim the excess fabric around the seams. This will make the bandana less bulky. As an alternative, you could leave a gap on both sides and simply slide the collar through. I chose a sturdier method by sewing a collar pocket instead. My dogs tend to drag each other around by the bandannas, so a stronger design was definitely needed!

Turn the fabric right side out. Use a ruler or point turner to gently push out the corners and smooth the seams. Press flat with an iron, then topstitch close to the edge to give it a neat, finished look.

3. Create the Collar Pocket

Fold the top of the bandanna over your dog’s collar. Pin in place, making sure there’s room for any buckles or tags. Sew along the pinned edge. Backstitch at the beginning and end for strength.

The bandannas looked a little plain, so I added fun quotes using my Cricut and HTV vinyl.

Personalise It With a Quote

Design your quote in Cricut Design Space by simply adding a text box and typing your chosen phrase. You can experiment with different fonts until you find one you like—this one, funnily enough, is called Bad Dog!

You can also add images, but make sure they’re in SVG format. Once you’re happy with your layout, click Select All, then Group. This keeps everything in place exactly as it appears on the screen when you cut.

Cut the design using HTV vinyl with the glossy side facing down. Don’t forget to mirror the text before cutting. Once it’s cut, carefully weed away the excess vinyl, leaving only your design on the backing sheet.

Place the quote on the bandanna, cover with a cloth or parchment paper, and press with a hot iron (no steam) for 30 seconds. Check a corner—if it doesn’t peel easily, press for another 15 seconds. Avoid rubbing like ironing clothes—just press down firmly. The backing should peel away easily when transferred.

More Cricut Project Ideas.

I made this cushion for my son and daughter-in-law to celebrate their wedding day, featuring one of their wedding photos transformed into a spiral Betty design on the cushion.

Custom novelty baby onesies are a fun project to make—and they also tend to sell really well.

If you’d like to find any of the items used in this project, we’d greatly appreciate it if you used our affiliate links. These links provide us with a small commission at no extra cost to you, allowing us to continue creating and sharing more inspiring projects. We’d also love to hear your thoughts—feel free to leave a comment or share this post!