Easy DIY scarves for matching family Christmas photos (or just because) with sewn and no-sew options for people or pets. I made matching plaid fleece scarves for the dogs and I, and a matching mini cat scarf for Tiger. Trust me. It’s a heck of a lot easier to make a scarf than it is to get the furkids (or human kids) to pose together for a family Christmas picture. Oh my!
Christmas Photo Challenges and Fails
I set myself the challenge this year of trying to get a furfamily Christmas photo. Our dogs love posing solo, but are far less interested in posing together as you would have seen in a few funny shares here and our social media over the years. We’ve nicknamed our holiday photo attempts the milestone mugshots. The boys behave like typical human kids being forced to pose for pictures by Mom. And even more grumpy faces if they are (gasp!) posing in matching outfits. The horror! Add the cat to the mix and it becomes total chaos.
Was I successful with our Christmas photo attempts? Not quite. Hubby is not in the photos as two dogs and a cat plus tripod is a recipe for camera disaster. Also, trying to hold the cat while getting the dogs to cooperate and not harass each other or poor Tiger was too much of an undertaking for my grudgingly cooperative cameraman. All things considered, we did pretty well on separate shots though!
Before you start thinking I’m a total crazy lady, check out these stats from Minted on the rising popularity of pets in holiday greetings. Dogs dogs dogs! Take that, Tiger. Dogs for the win! Just kidding, of course. My mane man is an important part of the family too!
Keeping it Cool and Simple with Matching Scarves
Summer Sizzle vs. Festive Attire
Christmas is in sizzling summertime here. Ugly sweaters are definitely out, although ugly Christmas sweater bandanas are pawfect no matter what the weather. Most matching Christmas outfits are not very practical for matching up people and pets of different shapes and sizes. I kept things easy and inexpensive by whipping up a few very simple scarves with plaid polar fleece. They can be kept for future wear, or used for photos and returned as materials to the craft stash.
Simple Sewn or No-Sew Scarves
DIY fleece scarves are very quick to make, and can be no-sew or sewn depending on your preference for thickness and wrap/tie method. I made two different styles. A no-sew double wrap scarf for me, and simple sewn single wrap scarves for the furkids. Total cost of materials was around $3 (extra cheap since I bought the fleece on sale) and making the scarves took around 10 minutes total. That’s way less time and effort than we spent trying to take the holiday photos together. Hahaha…
Easy DIY Fleece Scarves
Supplies and Materials
To make your own easy DIY scarves, you will need plaid polar fleece (thick/heavy weight is best to hold shape) or similar no-ravel material and scissors. A rotary cutter and cutting mat are handy for getting things straight, but plaid like mine has the advantage of built-in lines to follow for cutting if using scissors. If you are making the single wrap scarf with loop, you will need sewing supplies. It can be hand sewn if you wish, but will be much quicker/easier if you have a sewing machine. Only very basic sewing skills are needed.
Basic Materials:
- Polar fleece fabric
- Straight edge (either as a cutting guide or to mark a guide line)
- General cutting supplies
Optional for Sewn Versions:
- Complimentary coloured thread
- General sewing supplies and/or sewing machine
Feel free to have fun with colour or pattern. I picked a plaid fleece. It looks festive in the photos, but not overly Christmassy, so it’s more versatile for general use or wear. Which is particularly helpful when your wintertime is not at Christmas time, like ours.
Double vs. Single Layer Scarves
Basic scarves can be made as a single long piece that are doubled to form a loop (or tied), or as a single layer with a pre-sewn loop for the free end to pass through. I made my scarf double, as I will likely keep mine for when our chilly winter weather rolls. The boys scarves are all single layer to economise fabric and lighten the weight as they’re likely to be for special dress-up only. I actually had to trim little rascal Humphrey’s a little shorter for the photos so he couldn’t bite and pull it. Naughty list, indeed. Careful supervision and safety first, furfriends!
DIY Fleece Double Wrap Scarf
This is the style of scarf that I’m wearing in the photos. For this style of scarf, the scarf length needs to be sufficient to fold in half, wrap the doubled fabric around your neck, and pass the ends through the loop with enough excess to hold in place when tightened. Tail length is discretionary to your preferences.
- Cut a long strip of fleece to desired width and length (see above). I used the full edge-to-edge length of my fleece to minimise waste.
- Ensure all cuts are straight and even.
- Trim to remove any selvage edges if/as needed. Done!
DIY Fleece Single Wrap Scarf with Loop
This is the style of scarf that all three pets are wearing in the photos. For this style of scarf, the scarf length needs to be sufficient to create a sewn loop at one end, wrap around your neck, and pass the free end through the loop with enough excess to hold in place when tightened. Tail length is discretionary to your preferences. Longer tails have more hold, but may be tempting nibbling for pets, as noted above.
- Cut a long strip of fleece to desired width and length (see above).
- Ensure all cuts are straight and even.
- Fold one end to create a small loop, suitable to pass the free end through.
- Sew to secure the folded end. Tip: I used the selvage end when making the loop, and double folded the edge before sewing. Less waste and a little more stylish and secure as a hem.
- Trim to remove any selvage edges from the free end of the scarf if/as needed. Done!
Festive Wishes from Our Furfamily to Yours
From our crazy furfamily to you and yours, we wish you a very Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and a wonderful New Year! 2018 will be the Year of the Dog, but we have to wait until February for that to come around. Although, what year isn’t the year of the dog in reality though? Hehehe… We’ll be online periodically through the holiday break, including background blog maintenance (apologies if anything looks a little wonky while under construction) and popping in on our social media. Posting will resume from mid-January. See you again in 2018! Woofs!
