How to Make Rubber Boot Dogs

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This recycled project shares tips for creating garden art dogs from repurposed rubber boots or wellies. It is inspired by UK artist David Kemp and his garden dogs made from old miner’s boots.

For more ideas, see 50 Creative and Recycled Garden Art Projects here.

How to Make Dogs From Boots

Garden art dog made from old rubber boots.

Dog Boot Inspiration

I first saw this idea when UK artist David Kemp created these fantastic dogs from redundant miner’s boots. I love them. And the project has been on my creative to-do wish list since then. It took all this time to find cheap boots, all in the same color and style, at the thrift shop. It’s a totally goofy yet fun project and I enjoyed making it. Hat tip to David Kemp. His art is fabulous.

See How It’s Done

This recycled project shares tips for making garden art dogs from old rubber boots or wellies. — Rubber boot dog with red scarf (of course!)

First, watch the video instructions for a good overview. And see the dog walk!

I cannot call this a traditional tutorial because there are so many different boots out there and no two will be cut and arranged the exact same way.

And, although the project is not really complicated, it’s hard to describe some of the steps!

I will, however, share my tips for making this pup, so you can make your own. I’ve provided a video and lots of photos to help you.

The biggest concern is making a wrong cut and wrecking a boot—although there’s probably a way do adapt to such bloopers.

To take the pressure off, get a few extra boots or, better still, do some test cuts with sheets of paper to be sure they will fit as desired.

Giant flower urn, giant bird nest, giant agave plants in bathtub.

Supplies & Materials

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Here’s everything I used to make the dog.

Rubber boots (1 adult pair, 3 kid pairs=8 boots total)
Scrap wood – 2×4 and 1×2 pieces to form a body, legs, and neck
Wood screws – to construct frame and secure boots to frame
Scissors – strong, all-purpose for cutting the boots (it’s not hard)
Eyes – I used bolts – test out what you have and see what looks good / dog-like
Tongue – red belt
Scarf – bandana
Bolts and washers – to join rubber pieces and add a little steampunk finishes
Drill and bits – to put holes in rubber for bolts and affix screws
Optional – a proper dog collar and leash would be cute too!

Step-by-Step Instructions

1Plan Your Dog

First, plan how you will place the boots. You could use boots of various sizes like I did, or all the same. Just make sure the four leg boots are all similar.

Five rubber boots laid out to form a dog shape. — Basic layout of boots for boot dog

2Make a Frame

I used a piece of 2×4 and some 1×2 wood to make a body, four legs, and a neck support. Size them according to your boots. I made mine so it was just a few inches taller than the leg boots.

Wood frame for interior of boot dogs. — Build a rough wood base to hold the boots in place

3Assemble Your Dog Frame

The four legs go on as-is.

Boot dog frame with four rubber boots for legs. — Adding four leg boots to base

Secure them to the wooden legs with small wood screws.

Close up of wood frame for boot dogs. — Screw the boots in place

The tail, body, and neck and head are made from 2-3 boots.

4Create Tail and Body

In this next photo, you can see the tail boot. I cut it right down the middle of the back, and then around the ankles (a few inches), from back toward the front. Test before you cut! Use a sheet of paper to test out the best cuts first.

Cutting back of rubber boot for boot dog. — Cutting back seam of boot

The tail boot is secured to the frame with a 2″ wood screw in the sole, right into the wood.

Creating back of rubber boot dog with cut boots. — Creating boot dog body

5Make Dog Head

The head is made from two boots (top of head boot and lower jaw/neck boot). The neck boot has some cuts to help it contour to the body. I also added an extra piece of boot to better conceal the area where the neck and body (tail boot) meet.

Before attaching the top boot (top of head), do the cuts for the ears and top of head (see below).

Cutting boot for head of boot dog. — Special cuts for dog head

Then attach it with a screw to the lower head boot. The last step is to fold over the top head flaps (more on this below) and secure them in place.

Boot on dog's head with ear flaps. — Can you see it coming together?

To finish the head (when it has been secured to the jaw/neck boot), the back flap (heel of boot) is folded down into the boot (toward the front) and then the big front piece is folded right over it, and down the back, forming the top and back of the head. Secure it in place with a screw into the sole (at back of boot).

Here’s the back of the head. It kind of looks like a goat!

Back of boot dog looks like a goat. — View of back of dog head

Owl wreath made from recycled materials.

6Add Finishes Touches

I added two screws to the tops of the ears because they were sticking up too much. Your dog might have ears that should stick up: depends on the breed.

Test out different options for eyes. Dog eyes are basically a solid colour without whites showing. I used the drill to make holes for the eye bolts.

Rubber boot dog with red belt for tongue. — Boot dog is ready for a walk

If the area where the neck boot joins the body/tail boot looks unfinished, add an extra piece of boot overlapping the two. I used nuts and bolts at these joins both for vanity (I like the steampunk look) and to keep things secure.

The tongue is a piece of red belt. I used a bandana instead of a collar, as all the fashionable dogs like to do.