Pom Pom Pet Collar

One of my very favorite things to do is to dress up my pet. Something about seeing my adorable furbaby all dolled up in something equally adorable is enough to make me squee with delight. The problem is that I have cats, and they usually are not a fan of dressing up. It usually results in faces like this. However, these pom pom collars are so cute, even cats can't help but love them! They're easy to make and fun to wear, so grab your pom-pom maker and your yarn. We're about to get crafty!

You will need:

Cat or Dog Collar (here and here)

Yarn in rainbow colors (here)

Pom Pom makers (here)

Scissors

A cutie-pie pet

Directions:

Using your Pom Pom maker, create 3 Pom poms in your choice of colors. I used the two smallest ones, because my cats are pretty small. Depending on the size of your pet and the width of the collar, you may need larger Pom poms or more of them. Make sure you leave a string long enough to tie them onto the collar.  

Pom Pom Instructions:  

1. Take your Pom Pom maker and open one of the sides. It doesn't matter which one.

2. Starting in the center, wrap your yarn around the curve, making sure to keep it even. Keep going until it's nice and full. The more yarn you put, the fluffier the Pom Pom.  If you cheap out, you'll know! 

While you're wrapping around, make sure it only goes on the loop, not the bottom "feet". You don't want it to have weird loose ends. See the photo below for what NOT to do :p

3. Once it's nice and full, cut your yarn when at the top of the loop and fold the side in. Repeat for the other side.  

4. When both sides of your pom pom maker are filled, you want to cut each side in half. Don't fret- it's got a special groove for this to make sure you do it evenly! Cut through all the layers right at the center.

5. After you've cut your pom pom in half, you'll notice a groove down the center of the pom pom maker. Take a small piece of yarn and guide it through the middle of the pom pom maker.  I used purple so you can see it better, but for my other pom poms I wanted the yarn to match the pom pom. Pull it tight so that it goes through the center- this is what holds your pom pom together! Tie a knot, then wrap it back through to the other side and tie another knot or two.

Open the two loop arms (the blue part), then pull the two sides apart at the center (the white part) to release your pom pom.

6. Trim the ends so that everything is even and your Pom Pom is nice and round and fluffy.  

7. Tie the Pom poms onto the collar. You can also glue them, but if your pet is rambunctious they might be able to pry it off more easily.

Put it on your pet and enjoy! Take loads of photos. Be sure to only put this on your pet when you're there to supervise, since they may be able to take it apart like they're diffusing a bomb. You know how pets can be sometimes!

Annie (the black cat) surprisingly didn't mind wearing this collar. She's usually the feisty one!I think this photo is my favorite, because LOOK AT THAT SNAGGLETOOTH!

Roger, on the other hand, who is the most chill cat ever, somehow wasn't a fan of being dressed up that day. He doesn't hesitate to let you know that too. Here's his best "I'll pose for you human, but only because you feed me" face.

How cute do these little kittens look in their fancy new collars?! Ok, I know they're not kittens... but they're so darn adorable! What do you think about these collars? Will you be trying them on your cat, dog, guinea pig? Let me know in the comments below!

Gift Guide for the Barbie Girl

Are you a Barbie girl, in the normal world? It's a pretty dull place to be, when your head is full of dreams for pink homes, great fashion, and trendy accessories. Alas, there is a way to bring your Barbie World love back into the normal world. And that's by grabbing as many pink items as you can!

1. Sneakers 2. Makeup Brushes 3. Barbie Necklace 4. Barbie Backpack 5. Pink Sunglasses 6. Barbie Purse 7. Pink VW Beatle 8. Lip Stickers 9. Dog Bone Bowls 10. Pink Glitter 11. Dog House 12. Fling Tumbler 13. Bow Heels 14. Pink Planner 15. Heart Hangers

Sneakers- We all know Barbie loved her shoes. Unfortunately, she usually did it Cinderella-style, because we somehow managed to lose one them. With these sneakers, it's almost as if you found those missing doll shoes. Plus, this counts as wearing heels, right?

Makeup Brushes- Barbie wore a lot of makeup over the years. With these brushes, you can have that flawless look too! They’re perfecting for trying out the newest trends. I don't know how well they work, but they sure are pretty! 

Barbie Necklace- Since nameplates and Barbie were all the rage when I was younger, this seems like the best of both worlds. Wear it when you need a pop of color, to show your affiliation with the Barbie brand, or to convince creepy bar guys that your name really is Barbie.

Barbie Backpack- A teeny pink Barbie backpack to hold all your cool essentials. I remember the days when tiny backpacks were the “in” thing. They need to make a comeback! We don't need half the things we carry in our oversized purses. Who do I talk to about this?!

Pink Sunglasses- These sunglasses are so ridiculous to me because they really remind me of the cheap plastic sunglasses that came with Barbies in the 2000’s, and I love it. I had several pairs of sunglasses with funky colored lenses, and I wore them until they weren’t cool anymore. Ah, the good old days.

Barbie Purse- for those of you that aren't willing to embrace the tiny backpack trend, try this purse! It’ll hold all your essentials, and then some. It’s got a girly shape and sporty stripes, so it’ll match with any outfit, plus it adds a pop of color!

VW Beatle- I think Barbie cemented our tweenage desire to own a VW beetle. This car was THE car to own back in the days. Now you can commemorate it and enjoy the beetle without, you know, having to drive it everywhere. 

Lip Stickers- Barbie is known for her iconic pink lips, and now you can be, too! Just place these stickers on everything and everyone you interact with and they'll be sure to remember you. 

Dog Bone Bowls- What else would your purse pooch eat from? This has one bowl for food, one for water, and one very cute bone-shaped tray to keep your floors clean. Because although Princess is adorable, she’s pretty sloppy sometimes.

Pink Glitter- Everything is better when it's covered in pink glitter. That is a fact! Use this pink glitter to add a little sparkle to note cards, tea light holders, and just about anything, really.

Dog House- Barbie has had lots of pets in her lifetime, but I imagine her favorite must have been some sort of small puppy. With this, your pampered pooch can have her own Barbie Dream House. Dream car not included.

Fling Tumbler- since Barbie is getting married to Ken every few years, I bet she would love this tumbler. She puts the Kardashians to shame with the sheer quantity of weddings she’s had. Oh Barbie… never a bridesmaid, always a bride.

Bow Heels- Barbie loves her heels, and so do we! They’re pink and have a bow, which is all you need in my book. Plus they’re Kate Spade! I mean, if Barbie could walk in heels with her disproportionate body, you can too, right?

Pink Planner- This planner is perfect for jotting down all your hopes and dreams, like Barbie and her very many career paths. I feel like if Barbie taught us anything it’s that you can have any job you set your mind to, and look damn good doing it!

Heart Hangers- These hangers are amazing because they remind me of some doll ones that I had way back in the day. Barbie would clearly hang her clothes on these! It might be a little much to get a whole closet full of these (or not) but I think hanging your party clothes on it would be a perfect use for them.

So which one of these items do you like the best? Do you have any items you own that stem from your Barbie collection? Let me know in the comments below!