Cat & Dog Embroidery Designs – How to Stitch Perfect Pet Projects

Do you wish you could personalize your pet’s coats, bandanas, or collars by putting their names on them? Maybe you would like to caution people to “not pet” by having it displayed on their leash. Anything is paw-sible with embroidery! Let’s talk about machine embroidery for pets, some cautions during embroidering, and ideas you need to try!  

Pets have had personalized accessories since there have been pets! Collars, coats, and more are known to have existed since the recording of ancient peoples. Dog and cat “fashion” is known from 1450 BC in Egypt. Though it first started as a way of identifying possession, it morphed into matching clothing for costumes and everyday and also protective gear for specialty breeds. Let’s talk about some exciting ideas you may not have thought of and safety concerns for your pet family.

Before we dive into customized pet projects, if you’re just looking for cat embroidery designs, click here to view our collection of 300+.

Or if you’re just looking for dog embroidery designs, click here to view our collection of 290+.

These would be anything your pet wears for identifying, protection or fun.

• Pet collars – Of course, these are the most common items to identify the animal’s name. Collars can also have helpful information such as:
  • Owner name and number
  • Cautions like blind. deaf, or bite risk 
  • Contact me here
  • Service Animal
• Pet tags
• Herbal pet collars- can be stuffed with natural flea and tick repellant.
• Collar Covers – these can be washed and changed out for the season. Also great when you cannot embroider on a thick webbing
• Earmuffs
• “Elizabethan Collars” (yes, the dreaded collar of shame put on animals after surgery or to prevent over-grooming. These are now found in “stuffie” form and can be pretty humorous.
• Bandanas – decorative to change with the seasons or displayed with your pet’s name on it 

When it comes to creating custom pet projects like collars, bandanas, and leashes, I suggest using a tear-away stabilizer (click here for a complete guide to embroidery stabilizers) . Floating these products would be easier with the simple principle of having a baseline for your placement and tack-down. Keep reading to find out how to create this yourself!

Though first used to identify the animal with its owner in the late 1800s, it became a fashion statement. Pet fashion is a multi-billion dollar business, and well-known human fashion designers have lines of clothing and accessories for your pet. You probably did not know that New York Fashion Week has a show for pet wear. Dog sweaters, shirts, and more also reduce the effects of allergens as they prevent pollen and other irritants from clinging to fur and can be washed regularly. Here are some things you might see:

• Coats or wraps to keep warm
• Protective wear for the weather
• Show wear to keep grooming neat and clean
• Booties for tiny feet

We do not have enough time to think about all the potential items you can make, but they can be embroidered if it is made of fabric, leather, vinyl, or other fabric-like materials! Here is an idea of the wide range you might find.

• Blankets
• Cage covers
• Drool cloths (any Great Dane owners? This is for you!)
• Flags to show your pet pride
• Portable drinking bowls- can be folded up and snapped shut. These are not meant to be used every day and not meant to hold water for long periods, but they are lovely for a quick drink.
• Food bowls – great for dry food because they can be washed and reduce the chance of pet acne.
• Toys such as stuffed animals, fold up frisbees etc.
• Catnip stuffies
• Dog poop bag holders
• Pet treat bags
• Pet leashes – these can tell people information such as “caution dog at work” or “please don’t pet.” 

Have you ever thought about creating or selling personalized pet projects using your embroidery? You can use your embroidery software to show off your pet pride!

With Hatch embroidery software, personalizing your pet creations is easier than ever! ESA (or embroidery specific alphabet) is lettering specifically digitized for Wilcom embroidery software. ESA fonts are resizable, so you can personalize your pet’s name from as small as a hamster to as large as a tiger. With just a few clicks of a button, you will still get professional results. 

Click here to learn more about ESA fonts and what sets them apart from traditional digitized letters.

Not only are there many ESA fonts to choose from, but there are also ESA glyphs. The only difference between ESA fonts and ESA glyphs is you use a shape or symbol rather than a letter. There are many wonderful pet embroidery files from dogs, to ostriches, to snakes!  

You can use ESA fonts and glyphs as a great way to show off and protect your pet! Putting your pet’s name or phone number on the collar or accessories can help reunite you with your loved ones should you become separated.

Click here to check out the world’s largest database of close to 1,000 professional digitized ESA fonts & glyphs to personalize your pets attire further.

Join me in the video below as I take you step-by-step to create your own personalized pet bandana using your Hatch embroidery software.

Don’t have Hatch but interested in finding out how easy it is to use? Click here for a free 30 day trial to “use Hatch like you own it” & create your own personalized bandana.

You may have been looking high and low for an embroidery design that looks exactly like your furry family member, but the ones you’ve seen are missing that left white paw or dark spot on around the eye. You want an embroidery design that perfectly resembles your fur baby.

Let me introduce to you Carica-stitch! These embroidery designs are personalized embroidery caricature designs that capture key traits of your pet and make them into the perfect stitch out! Click here to learn how to turn your loved one into a one-of-a-kind custom embroidered cartoon!

It’s all well and good until somebody gets hurt, right? Unfortunately, there are some cautions you will want to keep in mind. Not unlike embroidery for babies, pets are curious creatures and will investigate everything around them. Think about anything that can be pulled off, picked at, or potentially choking or other hazards. Here are some considerations you will want to keep in mind.

• Dangling ribbons, strings, bells, buttons, etc.
• Choke hazards – You know your pet, but you may not be considering other outside factors. That squirrel that runs along the fence line, and the little dog shimmying under the fence, can all cause your pet to react in ways you didn’t realize. Make sure your collars, clothing, etc., all have a “breakaway” feature, so they are not hung up on a hazard and risk being choked.
• Thread- especially for cats, thread is a potential hazard. Make sure to keep your stitches shorter so you do not snag threads in your design and make tails that might be chewed on or pulled out
• Chemicals- when using sprays, treatments, paints, and more, always check the label so that there are no harmful chemicals.
• Room to breathe and move! Make sure when you create your doggie designer suit that it fits correctly and allows Fido to run and play
• Cats do not generally like clothing put on them, so don’t be disappointed if they turn their nose up to that stylin’ hat!

Interested in some amazing pet designs to decorate your pet projects? We’re pet lovers, and we love to design for them. Check out our “paw-tastic” pet embroidery designs by clicking here.

We’ve covered a lot! Hopefully, this article has helped to start getting some ideas going! Here are some things we covered which are paws-itively important to keep in mind:

• Always think safety! You love your pet and want what’s best for them.
• The sky’s the limit! If a famous fashion designer can have a runway show, so can you and your best friend (plus, with Hatch embroidery software, we make creating your ideas into reality easy!)   
• Remember that pet designs are not just for clothing; they can be used on accessories, dishes, flags, and more.

To easily create custom quality dog projects, don’t forget to download your own free 30-day trial of Hatch embroidery software by clicking here.