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Dog hair isn’t just for the vacuum – turn it into yarn, felt keepsakes, garden hacks, and even fire starters. Discover how!
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If you’ve ever owned a double-coated breed, or really, any dog that sheds, you’ve probably found tufts of hair hiding in every corner of your home. But before you sweep it all up and toss it in the bin, consider this: dog hair can actually be used for all kinds of creative and even practical purposes. From felting and spinning yarn to garden hacks and keepsake crafts, your pup’s fluff can have a second life beyond the vacuum bag.
It might sound surprising, but spinning dog hair into yarn is a legitimate craft known as chiengora (French for “dog wool”). It’s similar to spinning sheep’s wool or alpaca fiber and has been used for centuries, especially by indigenous communities and creative fiber artists today.
Dog hair that works best for spinning typically comes from long-haired, soft-coated breeds like the Newfoundland, Samoyed, Collie, and Golden Retriever. The undercoat—that soft, dense fluff—is ideal because it’s downy and easier to work with than coarse guard hairs.
Once collected, the hair is washed (thoroughly!), carded to align the fibers, and then spun into yarn using a drop spindle or spinning wheel. Chiengora is warmer than wool and has a slight halo similar to angora rabbit fiber. People use it to knit hats, scarves, mittens, and even sweaters.
In my own extended dog community, I have friends (and friends of friends) who have woven yarn from Old English Sheepdogs, spun yarn from Samoyeds, and spun and knitted hats from Poodles. Friend Sandra Spiegel shared that a Samoyed National Specialty even held a felting class (such a great idea!).
If spinning sounds like too much of a commitment, felting is a more accessible and beginner-friendly way to reuse dog hair. Felting involves matting and compressing fibers using moisture and agitation (wet felting) or with a barbed needle (needle felting). Dog hair can be used on its own or mixed with sheep’s wool to create felted items such as:
Needle felting a custom keepsake, such as a tiny replica of your dog’s face, using their own hair adds a deeply personal touch to the project.
I reached out to dog hair artists to show you what is possible. Maybe they will inspire you to DIY. Or feel free to contact them to have a custom keepsake made just for you.
Meet Ivy Fox
“I wasn’t inspired by dog hair itself in my artwork, but wanted to make tactile, functional artwork that represented well-bred purebred dogs, and I got the idea it would be fun to incorporate the dog’s actual hair for more accurate color matching, but especially for extra special memorial pieces,” says fiber artist Ivy Fox. “By including dog hair in a needle felted sculpture it’s almost like getting to pet the dog again in a way, if that makes sense. And you get to carry a piece of them with you everywhere if it’s a wearable! The majority of my clients are dog sport and show fanciers, and professional pet groomers, so they often save hair from their dogs or have a nearly endless supply to share if they’re grooming their own pets, and the hair I receive has always been in pretty clean, nice to work with condition. I have found that Cocker Spaniel and Afghan Hound hair are my favorite to work with so far, and I am absolutely giddy to work with hair that has been creatively dyed!”
You can find Ivy’s work in her Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/IvyFoxIllustrates
Meet Ruthy Stephan
Ruthy Stephan started working with dog hair to honor a friend’s Bull Terrier who was named after her. She has made about 50 “felties,” as she calls them, for friends and club donations, and she likes to include a heart made from a specific dog’s hair.
Meet Jasmine Hagger
Jasmine Hagger resides in Wales and offers a personalized service: “Clients send a small amount of their dog’s fur, which is used to create a detailed needle felted model. Sometimes the whole model is made from the fur, and in other cases it is blended or combined with wool, depending on the texture and coloring. I work from photographs to capture each dog’s appearance and personality, carefully recreating markings, coloring, and fur texture. These models are crafted with great care and make unique and thoughtful gifts, especially for those remembering a much-loved companion who has crossed the rainbow bridge.”
Please visit Jasmine’s Etsy shop or website to see more of her artwork: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleFluffsFelting or https://littlefluffsfelting.com/
As for trying it yourself, heed my friend Randee’s advice: “I spun some of Calvin’s fur. He was half Great Pyr and half Golden. The big problem is the hat I made stunk to high heaven when it got wet. Yuk!!! Smelled like a wet dog! Spins better if you combine with sheep wool to spin!” Point taken.
If you’ve brushed out enough hair to fill a pillowcase (we see you, Husky owners), consider using it for stuffing. While it’s not as lofty as synthetic fiberfill, it works just fine for small throw pillows, pet beds, or DIY plush toys.
Keep in mind that raw dog hair may retain scent or dander, so it’s a good idea to wash and fully dry the hair before using it as filler.
Dog hair is rich in nitrogen, which makes it an excellent compost ingredient. Add small amounts to your compost pile or bin, ideally mixed with “brown” materials like dried leaves or shredded newspaper.
Because hair breaks down slowly, it’s best to chop or mix it in thoroughly and make sure it’s not clumped. Bonus: composting dog hair keeps it out of landfills and contributes to healthy garden soil.
Some gardeners swear by using clumps of dog hair around their plants to repel critters like deer, rabbits, and rodents. The theory is that the scent of a predator (your dog) helps to keep plant-munching pests away.
Stuff hair into mesh bags or sprinkle it loosely around flower beds. It’s not foolproof, but it’s free—and sometimes effective. Just be sure to replace it after periods of rain.
Dog hair is quite flammable (remember: it’s keratin, just like human hair). You can create DIY fire starters by stuffing small amounts of dog hair into paper egg cartons along with dryer lint and melted wax.
These work great for campfires or wood stoves and give your dog’s grooming routine a cozy second life.
Some pet owners choose to save their dog’s hair for sentimental keepsakes. This might include:
Even a tiny amount of a favorite dog’s hair can serve as a tangible, meaningful memory of a beloved pet.
To get started, simply collect hair from brushing sessions. The undercoat during shedding season is ideal. Place the cleanest, fluffiest hair in a paper bag or breathable fabric bag (not plastic, which can trap moisture and cause mildew). Store it in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to use it.
Before crafting, you’ll want to wash the hair with a mild shampoo and rinse thoroughly. Let it dry completely. If you’re planning to spin or felt it, combing it with wool carders or dog slicker brushes helps to align the fibers and remove debris.
Dog hair might seem like a household nuisance, but with a bit of creativity it becomes a surprisingly versatile resource. Whether you’re crafting keepsakes, knitting one-of-a-kind accessories, or simply using it to help your compost thrive, your pup’s fluff can find new purpose. Think of it as the ultimate form of recycling, with a warm, furry twist.
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