Meet Lola. She is my sister's beagle. We like to take her on walks. But when the Arizona pavement is hot enough to melt a stick of butter, an outing is out of the question. So I crocheted these booties from lightweight cotton yarn. Lola gives them five barks and two paws up.

NOTE: I'm reposting this from last year because I hate to see people walking their dogs on the hot asphalt and when the poor pooch run towards the grass, the owners tug them by the leash and say, "Come on! Behave! Stay over here!" I even saw one dog stepping in his owner's footprint shadows thinking it would be cooler. These paw protectors don't take very long to whip up.



Just because it's hot doesn't mean Fido should be stuck in the doghouse. So take him or her for a walk already, and don't worry about the heat. Here's a fashionable way to protect your pooch's paws from the searing pavement. You can buy a set for $20 at the pet store, or take up the art of crochet and make your own for less than a dollar and less than an hour's time. This project is perfect for summer; the loose crochet stitches combined with lightweight cotton yarn will keep those footsies cool from top to bottom.


Pavement Paw Protectors
Supplies:
Measuring tape
1 skein of lightweight cotton yarn
1 Size J crochet hook
Scissors
24 inches of ribbon

Directions: Measure the width of your dog's paw. Next, measure the length and add two inches to that number. This is how wide and long you need to make each bootie. For a medium-size dog: Begin by holding the end of the yarn, making a slipknot and inserting the hook through the loop. Make 6 or 7 chain stitches; at the end, join them to make a circle. Begin to create the bootie by adding stitches around the circle, using the double stitch. Continue to build up to desired height and then finish off. Cut four pieces of ribbon, each 8 inches long. Weave a strand through the top row of each bootie so you can tie it on the dog's paw.

Variations: For smaller dogs, decrease the amount of chain stitches; for larger dogs, increase. For more durable booties, sew a small piece of suede onto the bottom. Add decorative stitching at the top. If you do not want to crochet, you can make the booties out of fleece and use Velcro straps for closure.


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STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* All content/photos copyright, Kathy Cano Murillo, 2006. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: outdoors, pets, wearable art

I can sniff out a cool craft project anywhere. At the shoe store, the bank and even the hair salon. Recently, while my hairdresser was snipping my split ends, something wonderful caught my eye. Up on his supply cabinet was a little brag book themed around his new puppy. My hair guy had just adopted an adorable Australian shepherd, and its mother's owner, Kathya Hidalgo of Laveen, was kind enough to create an accordion photo album for him that doubled as a tip book. One side has photos and captions, the other has little pockets that offer feeding, grooming and discipline tips. I fell in love with the idea, not only for its design, but also for its function.
Puppy Tip/Memory Book
Supplies
2 pieces of mat board covered with decorative paper, 5 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches each
1 piece of heavy art paper, 24 by 5 1/2 inches
4 card stock pockets
4 card stock tags with ribbon
Assorted scrapbook paper
Assorted pictures
Pens, rub-on letters, embellishments, rubber stamps
Glue stick or other paper adhesive

Directions: Accordion fold the art paper five times to create even-size panels. Affix one end of the panel to the inside of each piece of mat board. If desired, cover each panel with decorative scrapbook paper. One side of the book will be filled with pet-care tips, so affix the pockets to each panel, write tips on the tags and insert them. For the other side of the book, affix pictures of the pet and use the pen and rub-on letters to write phrases or notes. Decorate the covers with rub-on letters, rubber stamps and embellishments.


***
STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* All content/photos copyright, Kathy Cano Murillo, 2006. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: collage/paper, pets

Don't leave your pooches or kitties out of the decorating scene! Just take a paper mache ornament and use their paw as a stamp (water-based non-toxic paints of course!). If you don't want to do that, just paint on what looks like a paw print!

* By Kathy Cano Murillo, copyright 2005. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: holiday, pets

by Kathy Cano Murillo - Jul. 30, 2005 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
Just because it's hot doesn't mean Fido should be stuck in the doghouse. So take him or her for a walk already, and don't worry about the heat. Here's a fashionable way to protect your pooch's paws from the searing pavement. You can buy a set for $20 at the pet store, or take up the art of crochet and make your own for less than a dollar and less than an hour's time. This project is perfect for summer; the loose crochet stitches combined with lightweight cotton yarn will keep those footsies cool from top to bottom.


Pavement Paw Protectors

Supplies:
Measuring tape
1 skein of lightweight cotton yarn
1 Size J crochet hook
Scissors
24 inches of ribbon
Directions: Measure the width of your dog's paw. Next, measure the length and add two inches to that number. This is how wide and long you need to make each bootie. For a medium-size dog: Begin by holding the end of the yarn, making a slipknot and inserting the hook through the loop. Make 6 or 7 chain stitches; at the end, join them to make a circle. Begin to create the bootie by adding stitches around the circle, using the double stitch. Continue to build up to desired height and then finish off. Cut four pieces of ribbon, each 8 inches long. Weave a strand through the top row of each bootie so you can tie it on the dog's paw.

Variations: For smaller dogs, decrease the amount of chain stitches; for larger dogs, increase. For more durable booties, sew a small piece of suede onto the bottom. Add decorative stitching at the top. If you do not want to crochet, you can make the booties out of fleece and use Velcro straps for closure.

* By Kathy Cano Murillo, copyright 2005. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: pets, wearable art