Your dog shows you so much love and is always there for you. Each one of us dog owners wants to return the favor, so we shower them with treats and toys.
Take it a step further by building your furry friend a cozy home, with your own two hands. Whether you make it from scratch or repurpose an old item, you can customize a DIY dog bed to fit your pup’s personality! There are tons of ideas out there; here are a few popular ideas that almost anyone can do!
Use Memory Foam
If you want to keep it simple and don’t see yourself as a hammer and nail kind of dog bed-builder, this one’s perfect! Just grab a Twin XL mattress topper, fold it in half, and essentially build a pillowcase for it.
This one does require a sewing machine and a zipper. Outdoor fabric is recommended.
Upcycle an Old Dresser Drawer
This may be one of the easiest on the list, especially if you hate sewing – and it also has plenty of room for creativity!
To be functional, you just need the right size pillow and some fabric of your choice. Make sure that everything is properly sanded and smoothly finished to avoid any scratches (on the dog, that is!), and use a coat that is non-toxic and safe for pups, like a shellac.
Repurpose an End Table
If you have an end table with some nice ornamental legs on them, and a dog that has a flair for regality, just flip the table over!
Again, be sure to make everything is sanded, surfaces are smooth, and all areas are finished properly. Like the dresser drawer, all these needs is a cozy pillow, some fabric, and a staple gun to make it comfy! After that, you can get as creative as you please. You can completely cater this bed to suit your dog’s personality, like these very different doggos.
Bonus: if you have an end table with a drawer, it might not be too hard to keep the drawer functioning as a treat and toy storage. Metal slides can typically be removed and placed the opposite direction, and wooden upper and lower slides, if removable, can also be flipped with a little glue and elbow grease.
Use a Pallet
Everyone knows that old pallets can be found free or cheap with a little bit of hunting – and people are turning them into everything these days! They can also be made into a luxurious and personalized dog bed, with minimal power tool use if that’s your style.
If you have a pallet in good condition (still be sure to sand adequately), you won’t even need to remove the boards to recreate something new. Simply choose how high you want the headboard to be – probably about two or three boards – and cut the whole thing off.
Add screws where needed to make sure everything is solidly attached, and then do the same to attach the headboard to the back – adding corner brackets for extra safety. Throw on some personalized paint and that dog-friendly finish that’s so important, and then add the memory foam cozy bed that was first on the list.
If you have extra wood, feel free to add some sides for extra flair. Check out the full instructions here for full instructions and don’t forget safety tips when working with heavier power tools. Luckily working with pallets won’t require much hassle!
Make a Murphy Bed
If you’re feeling fully underwhelmed by everything you’ve seen so far, go check out this combination Murphy bed/bar. Use a cheap but stable dresser frame or box, a large piece of nice-looking wood and some smaller slats of wood. Piano hinges and locks, along with a cozy dog mattress and some bar stools, will give you a decorative bar table that has a cozy surprise inside for your best friend.
If you want to treat your furry friend with something cozy, then these ideas will cover it! Just grab your tools, inspiration and your doggo – you’ll be good to go.
