11 Free DIY Cat Bandanas You Can Make at Home (With Pictures)

DIY cat bandanas are a great way to add fun and personality to your furry friend’s wardrobe. Whether you plan on creating a unique “outfit” for your birthday cat’s special celebration or some new everyday apparel, making their bandanas allow you to get creative. You can also learn new skills, use extra fabric or yarn in the craft closet, and earn bragging rights when your kitty is the talk of the neighborhood.

The DIY cat bandanas below include step-by-step instructions, walking you through the project from start to finish. So, get scrolling and find the perfect project to start today.

The 11 DIY Cat Bandanas

1. Easy Over-the-Collar Pet Bandana by Spoonflower

One of the easiest pet bandanas to make and use is one that slips over their collar. Since they already wear a perfectly sized collar, you can use it as a guide when measuring your fabric. Plus, wearing the bandana over their collar may be the most comfortable for them if they are not used to wearing one. You know it won’t be too tight on them or so loose that it comes off.

The Easy Over-the-Collar Pet Bandana from Spoonflower walks through every step. Large, high-quality photos and written instructions are provided on the web page with links to the free PDF pattern and template. A YouTube video tutorial is also linked at the top that offers tips along the way. Even beginner sewers can feel comfortable with this small project!

2. DIY Dog/Pet Bandana by Be Brave and Bloom

Cindy, the designer of the Be Brave and Bloom DIY Pet Bandana, offers a ready-made template available if you subscribe to their free newsletter but also provides step-by-step instructions for creating your own. It takes some creativity and time, but this could be a great skill to learn, especially for kids who have had some experience already working with patterns. This also allows you to create a size just perfect for your kitty.

With guidance on fabric selection, seam allowances, and other essential details, you will have your first pet bandana made in no time. Each bandana is made with two coordinating fabrics, and the design choices are limitless. Cindy even invites you to share your finished creations with her and her tribe by tagging her on social media!

3. Scrunchie Dog/Pet Bandana by Creating Purple Joy

If your pet doesn’t sit still to put on bandanas or you find managing the closures a bit difficult, you might make some that slide on and off. The Scrunchie Pet Bandana has elastic built into it so that they are easy to use. The pattern may take a bit more time to make, especially if you aren’t experienced in sewing with elastic, but the ease of using them makes up for the extra effort.

Basic written steps are provided along with a link to the template pattern. You’ll need to pay for the pattern, but it includes all the visual steps you’ll need in addition to the cut-outs. Creating Purple Joy has a YouTube tutorial demo, so you can see if it’s something you’d be comfortable making. Note: The YouTube video has step-by-step visual instructions that allow you to make the scrunchie without buying the pattern.

4. Double-Sided Pet Bandanas by Wear Wag Repeat

If you don’t have a bandana pattern or don’t like the design or shape of the ones above, you can always make your own! That is exactly what Wear Wag Repeat did for her dog Lucy, and she walks you through how to do it yourself in the Double-Sided Pet Bandana tutorial. A little bit of math is involved, and you’ll need to create a cutting template. Having a bandana you already use is a great start too.

While there are quite a few steps in the process, each is very detailed, and there are tips and answers to the most frequently asked questions at the bottom of the page. Before you get started, you might want to check those out.

5. Multicolor Chevron Cat Bandana by Catventurous Crochet

For a cat bandana pattern with more pizzazz, the Multicolor Chevron Cat Bandana allows you to choose anywhere from two to six colors arranged in any way you’d like. If you have some lying around, you can get creative with this pattern and use small amounts of yarn left over from previous projects.

Catventurous, the pattern designer, has included some helpful information in the YouTube tutorial description, including standard neck sizes for common cat breeds. However, it’s crucial to accurately measure your cat’s neck so the bandana fits correctly. You can adjust the pattern by using a different size yarn or hook and by adding or subtracting rows of colors.

6. Delicate-As-A-Daisy Cat Bandana by Catventurous Crochet

The Delicate-As-A-Daisy Cat Bandana is another adorable pattern from Catventurous. This one, however, is a little more involved. It is designed with three full squares and a half-square crocheted to look like daisies. Then, a border is crocheted, making it into the classic bandana shape. While the nearly hour-long YouTube tutorial walks you through the entire process of creating this cute bandana, you should already feel comfortable working in the round as a crocheter.

You’ll also need thinner yarn for this bandana. Worsted weight yarn is one of the most commonly used for basic patterns, and it would make this project much too large for most average-sized cats. While you can use the typical yellow center and white yarn for the petals to create daisies, feel free to change them to make flowers of any color.

7. TimmelCrochet Flower Bandana by Timmel Crochet

The TimmelCrochet Flower Bandana is another beautiful pet bandana with an adorable flower. This one is created a little differently. Instead of making individual squares of flowers and sewing them all together, this bandana is created first, and then a crocheted flower applique is attached. If you aren’t sure your crochet skills are up to completing the Delicate-As-A-Daisy Bandana, we encourage you to try this one!

The written pattern includes the basic shape of the bandana as well as three options for the border around it. Feel free to choose matching, coordinating, or contrasting colors for the bandana and border. Then, there’s the pattern for the flower applique. Again, you can choose any color you wish for a unique bandana of your own design.

8. Repeat Crafter Me Dog Bandana by Repeat Crafter Me

A self-striping yarn gives this bandana a unique, changing color as you crochet it. Every Dog Bandana you make with this yarn will look different because of the color variations. While you have no control over how the yarn changes (and that’s the point!), you can adjust the pattern's sizing to fit your pet exactly. The button closure means there are no string ends for your kitty to play with when they are wearing it, plus you can choose a color or style of button you like.

Repeat Crafter Me is another pattern designer that invites you to share your finished creations and cute pics of your pets wearing their new crocheted bandana with her on social media.

9. Crafty Mom Bandana by Scattered Though of A Crafty Mom

This cat bandana does require some basic sewing so it’s much easier if you already know how to sew. You will need a sewing machine and other basic sewing supplies. You can fit the bandana as you go since you’ll add Velcro later to keep the bandana in place.

These bandanas are very easy to make quickly once you know how to make them, especially if you already have experience with a sewing machine. In fact, it should take you less than an hour.

10. Sparkles of Sunshine Bandana by Sparkles of Sunshine

This reversible bandana is another one that requires some sewing knowledge upfront. However, if you do know how to use a sewing machine, then this bandana should only take a few minutes to make. The plan was originally made for dogs, but you can make it for a cat just as easily.

Unlike other plans on this list, this pattern doesn’t include a downloadable pattern. Instead, you’ll need to measure your cat’s collar for sizing purposes.

11. Mom in the City Bandana by Hot Mama In The City

If you know how to sew, you may also want to consider this plan. All you need is a sewing machine and some fabric, as well as buckle clips and hem tape. Start by measuring your cat’s neckline and then add 2 inches.

This bandana is made to be worn over your cat’s collar. However, you can also make a homemade collar to be worn underneath if you want something extra fancy.

Final Thoughts

If your cat likes to show off their fashion sense for a particular holiday, the changing seasons, their birthday, to support their favorite sports team, or just while lazing around the house, a DIY cat bandana is perfect. From fabric patterns to ones made of yarn, plenty of unique designs exist. Whichever of our featured projects you decide to try next, we hope you enjoy your time crafting something new, and your cat enjoys showing it off to all their friends… and yours too!

Remember that cats may be adorable in bandanas, but make sure they are never left unsupervised while wearing something other than a breakaway collar around their neck.

Featured Image Credit: Sabrini, Pexels