Yes, you read that right… a DIY dog bed anybody can make!
Looking for a fun project to do if rainy days and Sundays always get you down? Made a dog bed this weekend and Luigi loved it. Took me about an hour with a glass of wine. You? probably a little quicker. So here we go, an easy to make DIY dog bed… yes with no sewing involved!
You will need:
1) Pair of scissors
2) 2 squares of t-shirt or polar fleece fabric ( depending on how big you want your dog bed to be, I used 1 m x 1 m square of fabric).
3) A few needles to pin the fabric together
4) 1 elastic
5) Stuffing or clothes you no longer wear
6) Dressmaking pencil to trace the fabric.
Instructions:
1) Fold both squares of fabric in 4. Pin the fabric so that it stays in place.
2) Take one of the folded square fabric and using your pencil trace a rounded shape . Like so :
3) Cut the fabric using the guideline you just traced.
4) Take the other folded piece of fabric and place the piece of fabric you just cut exactly on top. Trace the bottom square of fabric in a rounded circle and cut.
5) Unfold both squares of fabric. Once flat, place both equally cut circles on top of one another and pin the fabric together.
6) Cut fringes all around the circles (cutting both pieces at the same time) – try to make them all equal … but no drama if they aren’t. Fringes should be approximately 2 cm by 6cm.
7) Unpin the fabric. Take one of the circles – fold it in four to find the middle of the circle. Take your elastic and wrap it around at about 7cm of the centre.
8) Place that circle ( elastic facing up) and put the other circle on top. Start tying both circles together by knotting the fringes together. Leave approximately 10 undone and start stuffing the bed. Here you can use the pillow stuffing and or old clothing you no longer wear.
9) Once stuffed to your liking tie the rest of the fringe and VOILA !
A fabulous and comfortable DIY dog bed made without any sewing!
i’m a little confused at #7, the part with wrapping the elastic. can you explain it just a little more please?
i just looked at the picture again and think i got it! whoops!
No worries
Let me know how you go and if you have any questions at all X
I think when she says elastic she is meaning a rubberband
i can´t understand how you wrap the elastic and join both parts.. Please, help me.. I want to try this!
Wow, this sounds awesome! Can’t wait to try it!
Thank you so much.
I don’t understand the wrapping with the elastic either. Could you add a picture to it?
Thank you! PS I love your poodle!
Thanks very much ladies : ) In regards to step #7 let me try to re-explain : Take a fist full of fabric in the center of one of your cut circle and tie an elastic around it ( so its like if you were doing a pony tail in the middle of one of your cut circle – if that makes sense ? ) . I hope this helps ?!
Yes it does. Thank you!
Fabulous pet project! I will be doing this next weekend for sure! Thank you!
Not sure how to do the elastic on the no sew dog bed using fleece and old clothes for stuffing.
Just read your explanation. I understand. Making mine today!!!
How do you wash the bed? especially with old clothes for stuffing? Does it wash ok?
Hi Jenny, to wash my dog bed : I simply untie a few knots from the side and pull all the stuffing out and put the bed cover in the washing machine. Oh and I also remove the elastic in the centre to let it dry properly.
I think the elastic gives it the gathered effect on the top that fans out from the center. It’s a look, certain it would be fine with out!
I LOVE THIS POST!!!! i have looked everywhere for a dog bed that isnt ugly or have a stupid pattern and now i can choose my own! your awesomeness!
Thanks very much Erin : )
do you think this would work for a rectangular shape?
Steph, yes I think that would work. Let me know how you go
Looking forward to making this and I agree with Erin…so many beds out there are just plain ugly!
Great Job…btw what kind of dog is Luigi?
Thanks Diana, Luigi is suppose to be a mini poodle – but we really don’t know since he is a rescue.
he looks just like my dog, an adopted cocker-poodle mix (supposedly, he was also adopted) only bigger.
What size bed does this make? I am making one for a golden retriever and wasn’t sure how big your measurement would make the bed
Hi Elizabeth, the size given above is for a medium size dog. Perhaps you could double the size for an extra large bed.
love this! what an easy way to make a new cover for the dog bed you already have!
come visit us at http://www.thesitsgirls.com
Very nice! Is it difficult to untie the fringe? I am going to put my stuffing in a liner and add some cedar chips to the stuffing. I was trying to figure out how to put an opening in it but if untying works I’ll just do that. Got some really cute fabric and am going to do this for an auction for one of the local animal shelters
HI… QUICK QUESTION…Just to make this clear..you used 1m x 1m & folded this into 4 squares..so your 4 folded squares ended measuring about 20in? I feel like when I proceed to cut my cirlce..it seems like mine is very much smaller than your picture…? I just want to be sure before I start cutting lol! & once I draw & cut my circle..this WILL end up cutting into ONE big circle..not multiple circles like I seems?
THANKS
okay yes lol i ended up with 4 very small cirlces! & only from one square! so folding it in 4 is irrelevant for cutting a circle!? another words..i should just cut a circle out of my 1m x 1m square..not folding it in 4 and then fringe and tie and stuff!?
The reason you fold it in four is so that you’ll end up with a circle that is symmetrical. You fold your fabric in half and then fold it in half again, then draw an ARC, not a full circle. You can then just cut along the arc (with the fabric still folded) and it will be a circle when you unfold it. You could also just cut a circle out of the big piece of fabric but many people (myself included) find it hard to do.
I can’t wait to try this! I can’t seem to find any dog beds for our dogs that don’t cost a fortune. My dad and i raise German wirehaired pointers and they get pretty huge. lol Thanks for posting this! Hopefully I can figure it out!
I am so excited about this project, I’m going to make this weekend!
cool. im so gonna do this. thanks!!!
I wish this was posted with pics…I learn with visuals…sorry I wont be able to make this lovely bed
Hi Sally, I will redo this post for a magazine with professional photos of each steps- so I will update my post as soon as it’s done
Hopefully you get a better idea on how to do it!
awesome project for my girls (15yrs & 8yrs) to make during the Christmas Break!! They will be cleaning out their closets and can use their old worn out tshirts as the fillers…. the plus side of this their labradors will love that their “mommas’ scent is on their new beds!! Can’t wait for them to do it!!
I made this with my 7yo and it was soooooooo easy and cool! No, we don’t have a dog but the pillow is theperfect hangout spot for son&cat XD
Is this good for dogs who chew beds? Or would you recommend something else?
Hi Jocci, I don’t think that such a great idea for dogs who chew beds. I would recommend making one with heavy duty fabric.
Ha! Jocci, your post made me giggle.
I have a 1 year old Lab/Great Pyrenees who is on bed #4. She even chewed her brother’s bed! Stella (AKA Chewbacca) has decorated both the backyard and living room with stuffing on many occasions . *sigh*
Now, though, since she SEEMS to be out of the bed-destroying phase, I am hoping to try the DIY approach to bedding after spending a slight fortune for dog beds. I may try turning the fabric inside-out after tying (before stuffing) to discourage her from chewing the tassels. We’ll see how that goes! Good luck with your chewbacca!
Oh that’s a good idea, thanks a bunch! I will try it and see how it goes!
this is a perfect project to make a short video… it will be much easier to follow. Especially for all of us visual learners!!!!!
Great Idea ! Thx for that ! I’ll definitively think of making one in the new year
I love this idea , good work! It has so many possibilities! Old towels or blankets & sheets would work well for stuffing too!
Thx Jenny !!
I have a 110 lb lab. How much will I need to increase the size to suit his size?
Hey do you have pictures of each step?! It’s confusing some of your steps, thanks a bunch
Rachel
what size is 1m x 1m??
great idea! i bought 2 of the fleece kits a couple years ago from a local fabric/craft store. i’ve used them as just blankets to cover with. your idea is the same concept except with stuffing. i like it! i’m going to take one of the two tied fleece throws, untie one end & stuff with old t-shirts. thanks for the idea to repurpose something i already owned!
Great idea, thanks! I am thinking of making a square one with a continental pillow used for the inside.
Another cool little custom touch…is to add wool roving. Saw this demo on creating patches with wool roving using a cookie cutter, some styrophome and wool needles. All u do is place the styrophome under the fabric, place the cookie cutter on top (say maybe your dog’s initial) place the wool roving in the stencil and stab till flat (placing additional roving in bare spots) with wool needle, then iron. Can do pets entire name or even cover with bone shaped designs (anything your heart desires).
EDIT: felting needle
Instructions:
http://honestlywtf.com/diy/diy-elbow-patch/
I created a scrapbook cave in my garage this past weekend. This weekend I am planning to make a new dog bed for my little furry girl to enjoy in the cave while she hangs out with me. I love this bed and think adding her name with the wool roving would look awesome! Thanks for the idea and the link to the instructions!
I love Melanie’s idea with the wool roving. It’s easy to do and looks beautiful.
in the case of stuffing (i used mostly old pillow stuffing/batting), does anyone know of a way to keep little bits from popping out every once in a while? For this slight inconvenience, I guess that’s why old clothes and such are better for this method
I’m going to look for some kind of denim quilt at goodwill and work with that. I have a 75 lb. German Shepherdthat sheds a LOT in the spring and most of the summer and denim would be easy to clean and doesn’t attract the hair like fleece will.
Great Idea ! I;m sure it will look fantastic with denim. Please send me a photo so I can share on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dharfdogs xx
What is 1m x 1m and can you buy fabric so you can personalize color
I made this in a much larger size (for my 110 lb APBT) and he loves it… I just have to constantly pick up fluff that he seems to be able to pull from the spots between knots lol. It was an easy project and I always have people compliment it and ask me where I got it!
What measurements did you use? I’m planning to make one for my lab and would need a bigger size. Love this bed!
Reblogged this on A Dog's Life and commented:
We ran across this great idea for making a dog bed. There are two things about this that passed our “do we love it test”. First, you can upcycle your old clothes or linens which means you get a cleaner closet and your pooch gets to feel close to you even when you’re not around. Second, this is a no sew project! A lot of people have a poor relationship with their sewing machine, so for this project you don’t have to fight with it!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful idea for a homemade dog bed! This is the answer to my quest for the perfect, stylish, budget-friendly dog bed for the puppy are expecting this Spring! You are a very crafty lady! God bless!
Fabulous idea!! I also want to commend you for your patience.
I think it is great that you respond to the questions. Very helpful
I love this bed! I can’t wait to get started. I have always made the ones that are tied but never in a circle. I am sooooo Excited for the round one! Thanks for sharing.
I just made this for my dog but used a black fabric that was sort of like polar fleece but had raised polka dots on in in all black. I used a a little over a yard of fabric and made it more rectangle. To stuff, I used two large pillow inserts that I already had. This might work better as no stuffing will come out of the sides. Plus easier to pop those out to wash. The black bed goes well with my Living room decor where she plays on pillows with her stuffed toys. I might make another one in white to use in the bedroom where she sleeps at night.
I wonder if you could tie most of the fringe, then turn it inside out so the fringie ends were inside, then stuff. You’d put the elastic on the other side, of course — but that would slow down dogs who want to chew on fringe.
Awesome! I understood it very well. Love the idea. Dnt have a dog but my kids would love this as lil floor pillows ty!
My elderly English Bulldog is going to be THRILLED! I’m just not willing to spend the crazy money on dog beds, but with a Hobby Lobby coupon this is CHEAP!! Thanks!
I think it’d be easier for me if I saw a video :/ also, how long should the elastic be?
Hi Amanda, I just took a simple “hair elastic”
saw this on pinterest. Found 2 old blankets and old clothes. Within an hour I had a dogbed! Now I have to make two more… For the other dogs.
What a great idea this bed!
Just made this for my Boxer/Husky mix, Moxi. She LOVES it. I used a combination of pillow stuffing and old tshirts and stufffed it about halfway. She likes the extra room in the bed to burrow into. Thanks so much for the great idea!
What an awesome idea!!
Thanks for sharing…
I will be making my girl one soon!!
I’m having trouble understanding the process could you please add some more pictures of how it’s done?
You are a legend!! I LOVE the simplicity of this project. I LOVE the fact that I can choose whatever fabric I want- including different textures for top and bottom. I LOVE the fact that it is so easy to wash – especially if puppy had a flea problem (or ‘accident’) – andyou can even wash the ‘filling’! I LOVE the fact that it’s so cost effective AND I can make it as big and as thick as I want! (My Bernese Mountain Dog will finally have a bed big enough for her giant fluffiness! Thank you!!!!