Eco-Saturday: Recycled dog sweater

Here’s an easy way to recycle an old sweatshirt into a cute little sweater that will earn you the undying contempt of your favorite small dog. I swiped this idea from my mom, who made this little sweater for Cleremont, my sister’s Maltese.

Excuse the fuzzy picture. Cleremont wouldn’t stand still long enough for me to get a decent shot.

Maltese are single-coated dogs, meaning they don’t have that extra layer of dense fur you find on working breeds such as collies and Labradors. In the winter, Cleremont’s fur isn’t quite thick enough to keep him warm when he goes out, so Mom repurposed the arm of an old sweatshirt to solve that problem.

You don’t need any sewing skills for this project. If you can operate a pair of scissors, you’re set.

Cut the arm out of an old sweatshirt. The cuff will become the neckhole. Just below the cuff, cut a couple of small holes for your dog’s front legs. (You’ll want to measure the distance from the dog’s neck to its front legs to get the holes in the right place.)

Measure your dog from its neck to its tail. Cut the sleeve to that length, then trim it at an angle to allow clearance on the underside so the dog doesn’t pee on it.

Cleremont gets a little attention from my dad while modeling his sweater. Notice how the side of the sweater is cut at an angle to cover as much of his back as possible.

Put the sweater on the dog. (Try to avoid being bitten in the process.) You may need to take it back off and make adjustments once the dog tries it on and you see how it fits. Try not to make too many adjustments. Your dog already hates you for making it wear clothes. Don’t push your luck. A cat would be plotting to kill you in your sleep by this point.

Emily