I want to make my pups new collars for Christmas, cause the ones in stores are no fun. Is this possible? Anyone know where to get the buckles etc?

Thanks!

i SO know how to do this! it's so easy peasy! all i do for mine (i have made several) is :
(1.)buy a cheap collar from a cheap dollar store for the hardware. i like to use ones that are plastic and snap together since they seem more secure than a buckle. i have seen the plastic snapping kind at wal-mart, but they were flat. the ones on dog collars are curved slightly and i've never seen them anywhere (but i live in a small town). the cheap collars i buy are only two/three dollars. they actually have surprisingly good hardware!
(2.) buy webbing for the collar. i buy mine by the yard at wal-mart (pathetic, but true). my dogs are 50-60 lbs. each and wear a large collar, 18". i buy 1 inch wide webbing, black. i also like to make the collars pretty to match my pretty doggies, so i go to the ribbon section and find some bright colorful embroidered ribbon, 1" wide. i've never used grosgrain or satin ribbon, only embroidered. you could also make a plain collar, of course.
(3.) sew ribbon to the webbing. i sew it along each side.
(4.) this part is the tricky part and took me HOURS for my first collar: remove cheap webbing from cheap collar, but not before taking note of how the webbing is threaded through the hardware!!! you could even buy two collars and use one as a model after you remove the webbing from the other. (5.) thread through hardware and sew. the hardware is held by loops in the webbing. it's easy to sew. you just thread it through and sew the end of the loop to the collar. i usually make MULTIPLE passes when sewing the hardware to the webbing/ribbon to make sure the hardware is securely attached.
hint: DON'T forget the "d" ring! i forgot it on my first one and the sewing room air was a little blue for a while!
(6.) once you have it sewn, use a match or a lighter to seal the cut ends. this step is mucho important!
(7.) place on dog--the best part!

i have pictures of one of my dogs in her special collar that i can post if you want. i even made matching leashes the exact same way, except the hardware is much more readily available. i just bought a clip for the end and viola! leash!
be prepared though: all your doggie friends will want one and you'll become an expert dog collar maker as a result. e-mail me if you have questions! (sorry this is so long but i've been WAITING for someone to ask about dog collars!)

This is so great!

1- Please post pictures!
2- Do you use a heavy duty needle on the machine? I worry about sewing through webbing.

This is such a great idea, thanks for the instructions!

i'll post pics later (i'm cyberslacking at the office now!). i do use a heavy duty needle, made for heavy fabrics like denim. i found the most difficult thing for me was the tension! oh. my. dog. it was so hard to find the right tension. but my machine is literally ancient (late 40's/early 50's) so such problems were expected. i had no problem, though, sewing through the webbing once the tension was worked out. it's about equivalent to sewing through denim.

If you are planning on making more than just one or two, here's a good site for pet collar findings...
>http://www.cdwplus.com/index.html

holy crap! waaaay too cool! i've been wanting to do this *forever* and never really thought to look anywhere for the findings! thanks for the links and inspiration everyone! we definitely need to get crafting on this stuff and post pics. oh, i so know what i'm making for some family christmas presents now... :D

okay. i've uploaded pictures of one of the collars i made:>http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=165795511103&page=1&sort_order=0

you might have to copy and paste the link into your browser. let me know if it doesn't work.

Beautiful collar and Dog! :D I always admired those ribbon collars, never thought of making them up for myself. Thanks for the inspiration!

-Leah

you're welcome--only too happy to spread the dog collar love!!!

Stinkycretingrl,

You rock - thanks for the instructions! It's simple enough, but I never thought to buy a cheapy collar and use the findings. Perfect!

I can't get the link to your photo working, but I'm sure your dog is a happy one.

Here's a cute albeit a bit over-the-top beaded collar:
>http://www.posh-pet.com/copa%20cabana.htm