7 Handmade Gifts for Dog Lovers that You Can Buy or DIY

As a member of the Etsy affiliate program and an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

There is nothing so lovely as a thoughtful, as giving a heartfelt handmade gift. I’m not talking about when Great Aunt Mildred crochets you a bunch of tea doilies you’ll never use (what is a tea doily for?) or when your kind neighbour gets a hot deal on scratchy puke green yarn and wants to use it all up. Those are handmade gifts, but they aren’t the type anyone really wants. That said there are some really wonderful handmade items that you can gift the dog lover in your life for a thoughtful and heartfelt gift.

And the great news is, even if you aren’t crafty, don’t have a lot of time or just don’t feel like creating them yourself, all of these gifts can be purchased from talented makers on Etsy.

Your dog-loving friend will still love the gift and you get the warm fuzzies knowing you supported a small, home business making a direct impact on someone following their dreams!

It’s a win/win. Here are our suggestions for amazing handmade gifts for dog lovers that you can buy or DIY.

1. A Heartfelt Layered Paper Pet Portrait of their Favourite Furry Friend

Every dog owner I know is always super excited to receive custom art of their pet. I have almost a dozen portraits of Kolchak and Felix and frankly, it’s never enough. I always love receiving new ones. I love the look of these textured paper pet portraits. They’re so different than the usual digital drawings and watercolours!

Get this adorable cartoon style layered paper portrait from Purple Paper People on Etsy.

Want to try your hand at minimalist layered paper pet portraits? Try out our tutorial found here.

2. This adorable matching mask, bandana, and scrunchie set

SCRUNCHIES ARE COOL AGAIN. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. My 90s kid heart could not be happier. The temptation to have Kol and me in matching collars and scrunchies 24/7 is real. Bonus: pandemic-era fashion tip, why not get a matching mask or bandana as well? You’ll make the cutest team.

You can snag these matching masks, bandana, and scrunchies from Cuyco Calligraphy at Chucklehounds.

Or hand make them with love using this DIY Matching Mask, Collar Covers & Scrunchies Tutorial.

3. This sassy doormat that lets guests know dogs are part of the fam.

This time of year is like PEAK muddy paw/show season, so an adorable door mat is both a thoughtful and practical gift for the door lover in your life. We like options with a little sass.

This “let’s keep it real” dog hair warning mat can be purchased from Imagineered on Etsy.

Or you can DIY your own doormat using this tutorial from Burlap and Blue

4. Like many people, I’ve bought a lot of plants in 2020. Speak our Dog lady, plant mom love language with a painted planter and a dog friendly plant.

I LOVE IT. These custom plant posts can be personalized to say pretty much anything you could ever want, are packed with love and care and since they’re terracotta based are great for your plant babies. Just add a pet-friendly plant and go.

Snag one from Rally and Roots on Etsy.

Or, get crafty and hand letter one of your own using one of the ideas in this DIY Plant Gifts post from Creative Ramblings

5. FOOD IS LOVE – or so my puggle would have me believe. Give the gift of love this holiday with personalized treat jars.

One of my favourite parts of the holidays is the cookies! I love ’em. Kolchak loves ’em. There are so many fantastical cookies to enjoy. Fill a personalized dog treat jar with a delicious homemade dog treats and – for extra special bonus friend points – get one with your friend’s name too and fill it with human cookies for a cute gift.

You can order these understated custom dog treat jars from Maddy B Designs on etsy.

Or make your own DIY Dog Treat Jars using vinyl letter stickers. It’s so easy.

6. Is there anything cozier than warm knits on a chilly day? Warm up with these matching dog sweaters and scarves.

Is my dog the only dog who like…cries if you go our in the cold without putting his sweater on? Kol is a very delicate flower. I love the idea of cozy winter outer wear for humans and dogs that can match! It’s just so cute. This is my fall/winter dog mom vibe FOR SURE.

How freaking cute are these?! They aren’t even made by the same seller but they are the perfect “co-ordinating without being matchy-matchy” pairing. I adore this style of knit (which is called “bobble knit” for those of use who know woof-all about knitting and can’t make anything larger than doll size cause we wreck the heck out of it.).

You can snag the dog sweater from Designed for Dog and the human cowl from Jacqui Verbeek, both on Etsy.

If you love to knit (unlike me, who ends up in a blind rage), you can absolutely make these yourself! Patterns for handmade dog sweaters dogs size S to XXL can but purchased from Pattern Museum and the DIY human cowl pattern can be purchased from Thimbleful World.

7. Co-ordinating leather collars and cuff bracelets are so fetch for a stylish dog mom.

I’m a huge fan of dog-centric fashion that doesn’t feel cartoony. This gorgeous understated black & white geometric pattern is my jam and IMO, Kol look dashing in B&W. Leather with a fabric accent is such a lovely upscale look. You can snag this matching collar and bracelet set or one of a handful of other pattern options at Argus Collar on Etsy.

Or, if you are feeling creative and want to make something personalized, my friend Rochelle from the Broke Dog has a fantastic, surprisingly easy tutorial on matching friendship collars and bracelets using leather (or vegan leather) and embroidery floss.

We’d love to see what you’re crafting for the dog lover in your life!

I need ideas and you guys are the most creative dog lovers I know. Share your projects in the comments below or head over to the Kol’s Notes facebook page.

Pint it for later!