This post for a DIY Braided Rope Dog Leash is sponsored by © Nature’s Recipe, LLC., all opinions are my own.
I may or may not be obsessed with my furry family members. Really, they are always happy to see me. They rarely complain and they love to cuddle. What more could you ask for in a buddy? Check out our easy DIY on how to make your own Braided Rope Dog Leash just like this one for your bestie. Soft and colorful, he will stand out from the crowd with your custom creation.
Plus we'll tell you about Benny's new favorite lunch.
ALL the dogs!
Our family has such a mix of dogs. All shapes, sizes and breeds. I am guilty of treating the small dogs like the big dogs. They play with the same toys, have the same leashes, and even eat the same dog food.
Over the past few months, I've noticed that Benny doesn't seem as interested in eating. It started to worry me, so I did a little reading. Major DUH moment for me. I've been feeding him food that was too big and too hard to digest. So I made the switch to Nature's Recipe® Grain Free dog food from Walmart.
Nature's Recipe is premium dog food made with real meat as the #1 ingredient. For over 35 years, Nature's Recipe has been making dog food where every ingredient counts. It is full of nutrient-packed ingredients like sweet potato and pumpkin. And my pumpkin loves it!
Benny loves his Nature's Recipe and that makes me happy. Before he would just walk to the bowl, get a piece, and walk across the room to eat one bite at a time. Now, he eats like a big dog. Face in bowl! Seriously, if you know our dog, this never happens. Check him out, he's so funny.
Needless to say, the big dogs loved it, too. I'll be picking up a big bag for them. Nature's Recipe offers grain free and natural dog food for dogs of all shapes and sizes.
I need to hurry, because Benny is SO not happy about the other dogs in his food. His face says "Excuse me?!"
Braided Rope Dog Leash DIY
I am so in love with this easy dog leash project. Seriously, I am going to make more, one for all of our family dogs. Originally, I wanted to make a soft rope dog leash that is perfect for a small breed dog like our Benny. (He's a Shitzhu - Bichon mix.)
This rope leash is the perfect weight and length for our little Ben. With four strands of 3/16" inch cotton rope, it is also strong enough for a larger dog.
Supply List for this Rope Dog Leash:
- 3/16" rope (clothesline)
- Yard stick
- Scissors
- Swivel eye bolt snap
- Waterproof glue
- Tape
- Leather cord
- Fabric dye (optional)
Cotton clothesline was the perfect material. It is durable, soft, washable, and easy to work with. If you can't find the 3/16" size, the 7/32" is ok, too. It is bigger and would be great for a larger dog.
For this small breed dog leash, we picked a small swivel eye bolt. (Everything we used in this project is available at Walmart.)
How to Make a Braided Rope Dog Leash:
Even if you have never made anything like this before, once you get started it is very easy. If you are intimidated by the braiding, no worries. Just be patient, take your time, and if you mess up just loosen the strands and start again. Crafts should be fun, especially those you are making for your pets.
For a 6 foot dog leash with a hand loop, cut two lengths of cotton rope. Each should be 200 inches long.
Now let's talk about the braid. Below are pictures, instructions and a quick video showing how to do it.
- Loop one of the ropes through the swivel eye. Adjust it so there is an even length of rope on both sides. Place the second rope evenly with the left side UNDER the 2nd strand and the right side OVER the 3rd strand as shown in Image 1. We will call these strands 1, 2, 3, 4 from left to right.
- Take Strand 1 (far left) and weave it OVER strand 2, UNDER strand 3.
- Bring the Strand OVER strand 4 and tuck it down.
Check out the video below to better show how to get started.
Tips on working with the rope braid:
- Secure the bolt to an immovable object (nail, drawer pull, etc) to keep the dog leash steady while braiding.
- Tighten the braid slightly after each pass.
- Every few passes, straighten out your rope.
- Once every foot or so, gently stretch out the leash to straighten it. It will have a tendency to twist, but that's ok, our later steps will fix that.
- If you get mixed up, don't panic. Just loosen your work and back up to the last spot in the leash where it was right and start again.
Once you get going this DIY rope dog leash project moves very quickly. This is also a great project for older kids and teens.
Isn't it gorgeous? Everyone will be asking you where you got it.
Now let's talk about the end of the rope and creating a hand loop for your dog leash. To keep the end of the rope from coming undone, place the braid on a flat surface and give it a good amount of waterproof glue. You can use hot glue if you'd like, but I wanted something more permanent. (I recommend Gorilla Glue for this project.)
Love your pets like I love mine? Here are more fun ideas:
DIY Dog Food Container (Easy + Cute!)
Homemade Sweet Potato Dog Treats
Camping with Dogs
To secure the glue while it dries, wrap the end with tape. Follow the instructions on your glue for the proper drying time to create a strong bond. Snip off the frayed ends evenly.
Once the glue has bonded, time to give this Braided Rope Dog Leash a little color. Certainly it is gorgeous in the natural cotton color. I almost hated to color it, it is so pretty. However, I will be making more leashes for our other dogs, and I wanted to be able to tell them apart.
Pick any fabric dye color for cotton or cotton blends. We went with this gorgeous shade of aquamarine blue. (Benny's favorite color, he said.) We used hot water, salt and followed the dye manufacturer's instructions and it turned out perfectly.
Note: The hardware on the leash can go straight into the dye and your washing machine. If you have an agitator style washing machine you may want to opt for hand washing instead.
After the dog leash has been dyed, we rinsed it well in cold water. Then we placed it in our washing machine on the delicate setting and washed it in warm water. This ensures that any excess dye comes off in the wash and not on your hands.
While it is wet, this is when you want to gently stretch the rope and work out some of the twists. It will always have a little twist to it, but if you let it air dry naturally at this stage most of them will work out.
Once the dog leash has dried completely, time to finish this project with a hand loop. Decide how big you want your hand loop then bring the taped / glued end of the leash over to the main part of the leash. You can remove the tape if you want, but it isn't necessary. Using more glue, secure the end to the leash.
While the glue is still wet, tightly wrap a length of leather cord around the joint. You will need about two feet of cord. Be sure to pull it tight to secure that bond. Let dry completely before using for the strongest bond.
Now you have a one of a kind Braided Rope Dog Leash. These make great gifts for animal lovers, too. Or how about making a few for your local vet or animal shelter? All you need is a few basic supplies and a couple of hours to make this awesome dog leash.
You can also pre-dye the rope in different colors to create multi-colored patterns. Paracord is also a great material to use for this dog leash project.
Here's a quick recap on making this DIY Braided Rope Dog Leash:
- Measure and cut rope to length.
- Secure to swivel eye bolt and braid according to instructions.
- Fix end with glue and dry.
- Dye, rinse, wash and dry.
- Create a hand loop, glue, secure, and dry.
- Hook up your dog and go for a walk!
What do you think? I hope you love this project and try it soon for your fur babies. My Benny loves his new leash and his new Nature's Recipe Grain Free dog food. I'm the front runner for Dog Mom of the Year with this little guy right now.
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Emily | dog nail grinder
Love this blog post. Thanks for sharing this informative article for the pet lover.
Teri
Thank you!
Puppy Foodie
Love this braided leash. Simple and the color is amazing.
Teri
Thank you so much! It was a lot of fun to make. I've been thinking about making some for gifts, too.