Simple Dog-Inspired Crafts to Make

By Tamara L. Waters

Are you a dog lover, or know someone who is “doggone crazy” about their canine friend? Whether you are looking to decorate your own home with man's best friend or you want a cute gift for someone else, homemade dog crafts are a great way to show your personality and creativity. If you have kids in the house, they will enjoy making some doggy crafts just for fun. Check out a few of these dog-inspired crafts, and get busy!

Toilet Paper Tube Doggy

Recycle an empty toilet paper tube into a simple craft little ones can make. The website dltk-kids.com has great printable templates for toilet paper tube dogs. These are simple to make and always a hit with the kids.

Clothespin Dog

Use a tongue depressor craft stick and two spring-loaded clothespins to create your own little doggy. Clip the clothespins to the tongue depressor, one on each end to start. One clothespin should be more toward the middle instead of directly at the end of the tongue depressor. This end part of the tongue depressor will become the dog's head.  The clothespins will be your dog's legs and the tongue depressor will be the body.

Once you have assembled the body you can create the rest of the dog. It is really your own choice. You can paint the whole dog or just the head, tail and clothespin legs, then add felt to create a "fluffy" body. Cut a felt piece to wrap over the body and the tops of the clothespins and glue into place. Add any other decorative features (collar, etc.) and this little guy can sit on a desk or a dresser.

Juice Lid Doggy Magnet
This fun craft combines recycling (hang on to those metal juice lids!) and dogs for an easy craft. First, collect what you will need: a juice lid, wiggly eyes, pom poms, black or brown felt, craft glue, adhesive magnet, scissors, and creativity.

Start by cutting two ears from the felt. Make the ears however long or short you prefer.  I chose to make my doggy ears long and floppy. Next, glue the components of the face onto the lid. You will need two black or brown pom poms (about 3 mm), one red pom pom (about 1 mm) and one black, brown or pink pom pom for a nose (about 1 mm). Position the wiggly eyes (these can be any size) toward the top of the lid and glue into place. The black or brown 3 mm pom poms will become the dog's muzzle, the 1 mm red pom pom will be the dog's tongue (positioned under the muzzle) and the 1 mm pink, black or brown pom pom will go at the top of the muzzle.

After you glue the face, glue the ears into place and add a magnet to the back. There are some variations you can do with this doggy craft. Cut a circle from white felt to glue inside the lid, then glue the face on to create a more interesting look. You can also tie a piece of ribbon into a bow (add a small jingle bell to the ribbon) then glue into place underneath the dog's tongue. To create a girly dog, tie a small bow and glue into place over one ear. These are cute and easy for all ages to make.

Check Your Local Library or Bookstore

Make a stop by your local library or favorite bookstore for a book on dog-inspired crafts. I found this particular book on Amazon that would be worth a look, "The Dog Lover's Book of Crafts: 50 Home Decorations that Celebrate Man's Best Friend" by Jennifer Quasha. I also found "Dog Crafts (Kids Can Do It)" by Linda Hendry. Check them out for more great dog-inspired craft ideas.

Top Photo: Toilet Paper Tube Doggy, dltk-kids.com
Bottom Photo: Juice Lid Doggy, Tamara L. Waters

Read more articles by Tamara L. Waters