DIY Pet Collar: Homemade Leather Pet Collar From Old Belts.

There's always that moment a belt leaves the keepers on our trousers around our waists to never return.

A retirement for the old belt, a journey to be continued by a new belt.

Well, if you've still got an old belt lying around and at the same time a furry friend lying around? Then an interesting matchmaking could occur!: A DIY homemade leather collar for your furry friends.

Supplies

Outgrown leather belt

A pair of scissors

Pencil

10 rivet pins (you wouldn't use them all)

A rivet setter (you can borrow the service of those who work with leather around you)

A ruler

Metal hole punch ( be creative, nails, drills, anything, just make nice holes).

Two small circular metal rings (got mine from key holders).

A shoe buckle metal ring.

Step 1: Choosing a Suitable Belt.

Get your leather belt to be used, dust it if need be. You see, nothing special, but make sure the belt isn't the type sewn at the edges, the layers might begin to rip off when being cut. Unless you are ready to always sew the edges after each cut, use the "only/all leather" types, you can cut those to the thinnest without worrying about peeling off.

Step 2: Measure the Length Round Your Pet's Neck.

Get your pet: dog, cats or even goats ( I have a kiddo pet goat, very lively and fun). With a tape measure, measure the length round the neck of your pet, make sure it isn't too tight, actually, it should be able to accommodate two of your fingers alongside the pet's neck with ease. Mark this measurement and transfer it to the belt.

Step 3: Cutting the Collar Out of the Belt.

Mark the measured length on the belt's surface and add an extra 20cm to the length, mark the new position and cut it there. You might want to give it a round end, though not necessary. The portion cut away will be used in the next steps.

Step 4: Punch Some Holes

At the previously marked point which denotes the width of your pet's neck (not the new extra 20cm length just added), with the help of a metal punch, punch a hole through it. Take the collar once again round your pet's neck and buckle up the belt ( with the prong plugged in the hole) to make sure you did it right ( it should fit in the neck with enough space for comfort). Take it off and punch two other equally spaced (about 8-10 mm) holes in front and behind the earlier made hole ( in case the pet gets bigger or probably emaciates).

Step 5: Amending Damaged Parts.

So, I've got a missing rivet on the buckle head which led to the loss of its keeper loop.
I did cut a thin (thin enough to fit in between the two rivets on the buckle head,for mine, about 9mm ) strip of leather from the cut away part of the belt (in case you also have this to solve, cut the strip near the ends of the cut away belt, not just anywhere).

Size the strip into the space available for it, make sure it fits in perfectly, then cut it to the right length leaving an overlapping ( for a rivet, you could also sew it if you'd want to)

Rivet the overlapping into position and also fit a rivet in the empty hole side of the buckle head already lost.

Buckle up the belt to see how far, if the protruding portion (end tip) is too long than desired, then cut it off to your desired length (make sure there's still enough holes spared, though)

Step 6: Making the Leash Ring.

Find anything circular which could fit well in the inner circumference of the collar, e.g a cut out circular cardboard. I used a packing shirt plastic I had already and it was easy to work with.

Make sure the collar is well shaped (circular, having taken shape from the inner skeleton), place it vertically on its buckle, and mark a point which is opposite the buckle on the upper arch.

Make two aligned holes as in the pics above for two rivets.

Back to the cut away belt remnant, cut a length enough to fold around the width of the collar strap. Size the strip to look something like picture above, punch two holes that align to the holes made on the collar strap, fasten it on the underside of the punched holes on the collar strap width with two rivets, slide in the metal ring which will hold the leash. Take the other arm of the strip and fasten it to the two rivets.

Take two rivet caps, place them on the rivets and pin them tightly into position.

Step 7: Making the Pet Tag Ring.

It's also going to secure the belt end tip properly to give a cleaner look.

Cut a length of about 4.5-5cm from the usual cut away portion, cut it a little thinner than the actual width of the belt ( mine was 7 mm thinner). Round the edges as shown above.

Punch two holes at the edges, however, do not punch at the extreme edges.

Place this piece near the keeper loop, the idea is to make sure the excess end tip gets into the new ring keeper we will be attaching to it which will also bear the pet's tag (the picture is quite illustrative). Mark the rivet point for the attachment to the collar strap through the holes in this piece layered on top, punch holes into the collar strap at the marked points. Layer the top piece back on the collar, take the metal keeper ring and slide it in-between the two layers and secure the two layers with two rivets.

The rounded edge of the excess of the collar was a little wider than the tag keeper ring, so I had to narrow things down by shaping it into a triangle ( surprisingly, it added more aesthetics to its look ), you might also want to add that.

Step 8: Rounding Off.

Clean off the cut edges, cut clean jagged edges, make everything look clean and good.

Check the pins to make everything tightly riveted (most especially, the ones holding the leash holder) and no sharp edges.

Take a duster and sit with your new homemade collar ( for your good pet) in your other hand, carefully clean up every nook and cranny, grooves, ridges, crease, whatever it may be! Just "Let it shine".

Key in your pet tag (I used a dummy one) into the keeper ring, wear the new collar on your eagerly awaiting dog, cat (or goat).

For dog owners, attach a leash and go for a walk.

From your waist to a waste, from a waste to being recycled to your taste!

A belt for your pet!