not sure if this is the right section for this project i just made 🙂 ...

our bunso, Angel, (black labrador) has out grown her collar and leash after 1 year and 5 months. while searching the internet on the best way to lash bamboos together for a trellis, i stumbled on a website about decorative knots and the things that you can create by using some simple materials like a rope - e.g. a paracord dog collar and leash.

the collar (pattern = 4 strand cobra stitch) and the dog leash (pattern = 4 strand round braid) i made is one of the projects in the pdf download file Easy Paracord Projects.pdf from instructables.com - just google 'dog collar and leash made from paracord pdf files'. this pdf has a lot of projects in it, from the small simple ones to the more complicated patterns and style.

i don't have a paracord (parachute cord) but i do have a lot of nylon cord at home and i also have an assortment of metal hooks and rings which i have taken from old laptop and school bags before i dispose of them in the past.

so all that is needed is cut some nylon cord to the required lenght and start braiding it 🙂 ... below is a photo of the first dog collar and leash i made for our bunso Angel 🙂

some things i have learned while making the collar and the leash ...

[1] whatever is the recommended cord lenght mentioned in the project, always make sure to add some additional lenght, like, at least 1 foot per strand to be braided.
for the collar i made, there was not enough cord to complete the braiding, i was short by about 1/2 inch. maybe it was due to the different material i use or the way i braided the nylon cord, but the rope i cut was short to complete the braiding.
so when i measured the cord for the leash, i made to sure to add an extra foot per strand just to be sure 🙂 he he he.

[2] make sure that the amount of tension you apply to the cord while braiding is consistent to ensure that the pattern you are making is also consistent.

[3] while braiding, always check from time to time (e.g. every 2 inches) the result of your braiding, to ensure that your doing it correctly. if you lose focus on your braiding, you end-up with the wrong pattern. this happened to me a number of times when i was making the leash. i thought everything was correct but when i check, the 4 strands was not interconnected throughout the leash, at times, only 2 strands are connected to each other, so i have to redo the part where i went wrong :-).

next in my to do wish list is to make a dog collar and leash made from leather lace - the leather lace is woven and wrap around a nylon/cotton cord. it's really not that hard to do. the hard part is finding the right material (leather lace). in last year's tinalak festival in marbel, i saw one booth (handicraft) selling this leather lace. i hope to see that same supplier in this year's tinalak festival.

hope this info helps ... cheers ...

Boo!