DIY Pet Bed

Like other pet supplies, a dog bed, cat bed or any type of pet bed will not come cheap, unless the cat bed or dog bed is made cheap. And even then, the cheaply constructed pet beds from Wal-mart are surprisingly pricey, considering how quickly they fall apart. The few well-made and durable pet beds are quite expensive. I've seen them sold for over one hundred dollars! What's the point of spending so much money on a crappy cat bed when you can make your own durable and stylish pet bed for a fraction of the cost? It's easy to create your own pet bed, even if you are terrible at DIY projects and sewing in general. And if you make your own pet bed, you can choose the fabric in any color or pattern you wish, instead of being stuck with some eye sore dog bed that you'd rather hide in a corner. The other advantage of making your own pet bed is that this DIY dog bed (or cat bed!) is washable, unlike many pet beds on the market. It is also quite comfortable, which means that your cat will spend his 22 hours of nap time on the cat bed and your dog will hang out on the dog bed, instead of spreading fur all over the couch or your human bed.

The only materials you need for the pet bed are a fluffy pillow and some sturdy canvas fabric. Both can be bought at Jo Ann fabric or any other craft or sewing supply store. Or if you really want to be cheap, you can make the pet bed out of an old pillow and some old canvas fabric that isn't being used. Make sure you take the size of the pet into account as you choose the pillow and fabric. A cat bed can be made with just about any size fabric, as can a dog bed for a smaller dog. But a German shepherd or Golden Retriever will need a much larger pillow than a Chihuahua.

Make sure you have plenty of fabric to cover the pillow for your pet bed. I used a standard size pillow for my cat bed and needed just over a yard of fabric to cover the cat bed. Begin by hemming the top, shorter side of the pet bed fabric. Next, fold the fabric in half length-wise (like a hotdog!) and sew the edges of the long sides together. Now, sew the edges on the bottom short side, opposite of the first edges that you sewed. The final opening will be the long side opposite of the second side you sewed together. Now to finish your pet bed, turn the canvas fabric inside out and shove the pillow in. You can either tuck in the longer portion, or if you know how to sew on a zipper, you can take that route.

That's all there is to it! This DIY dog or cat bed can be completed in 20 minutes or less and is a very inexpensive project. Consider making a few pet bed canvas fabric cases, so that you can easily take one off the pillow and switch it out with another when the pet bed is getting dirty. Then you can wash the dirty pet bed cover and store it with the other extras, while your dog or cat relaxes on a fresh and clean pet bed.