These 17 DIY dog beds prove your pup deserves better than the flat cushion from the pet store aisle. A DIY dog bed is any frame, cushion or upcycled piece of furniture you turn into a spot your dog actually wants to sleep, from a no-sew pillow you finish in about an hour to a half wine barrel, a vintage suitcase or an old drawer on knob feet. If you love a good furniture makeover, start with the end table, console and cabinet beds (fair warning, once you see a thrift store nightstand as a dog bed you can never unsee it). Whatever you build, size the cushion to your dog, not to the furniture. Short on time? This DIY dog bed for small dogs is a quick place to start.
1. DIY Sweatshirt Dog Bed
This DIY sweatshirt dog bed turns one worn out hoodie or sweatshirt into a round nest for a small or medium dog. Turn it inside out and stitch the neck closed, then sew straight across from armpit to armpit. Pin the sleeves along the body and sew them down, stuff the sleeves through the cuffs with batting or fabric scraps to make the bolster rim and fill the belly with a pillow insert. Close the hem, join the cuffs and cover that seam with a small hemmed fabric patch.
Get the full tutorial at CASA.COM.BR.
2. DIY Wine Barrel Dog Bed
A DIY wine barrel dog bed starts with a half barrel sold precut as a planter, which costs a fraction of the $250 versions in shops. Scrape out any char and seal the inside with spray shellac so it stops rubbing off. Drill through every stave at the top ring and add carriage bolts, then trim the wood above the ring with a jigsaw. Mark a doorway (this one is 14 inches wide), bolt the second ring at the opening and cut it out with a metal blade.
Get the full tutorial at The Gilded Horn.
3. DIY End Table Dog Bed
This DIY end table dog bed turns a thrift store side table into a tiny throne fit for a spoiled pup. The video walks through painting the table with bold patterns using only painter’s tape and stickers, plus a hack that converts the drawer into storage for toys. An old picture frame becomes a little headboard with your dog’s name on it, and a soft pillow finishes it off. Go polka dots and stripes, rustic or princess pink.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
4. DIY Dog Bed for Large Breeds
This DIY dog bed for large breeds took one day and about $80, and it has held up under a 160 pound mastiff. Cut 2x4s with 45 degree ends, join the frame with corner brackets and L brackets and fill any gaps with wood filler. Staple 2 inch nylon strapping across in one direction, then weave the second set through and staple those too. Upholstery tacks add a finished look, painted legs screw into the corners and rubber pads protect the floor.
Get the full tutorial at Wouldn't it be Lovely.
5. Upcycled Side Table DIY Dog Bed
This upcycled side table DIY dog bed came from a $15 estate sale table, and it still works as a table up top. Wash it well, remove the door and hinges, fill the screw holes and sand them smooth. A cracked stone insert in the top was swapped for leftover maple flooring traced to fit, then the whole piece was painted. The round cushion is a simple sewing project; skip the piping if it scares you. Make the cushion about 4 inches wider than the opening for a snug fit.
Get the full tutorial at 86 Lemons.
6. DIY Vintage Suitcase Dog Bed
A DIY vintage suitcase dog bed costs under $10 when the shop versions run past $50. Pick a hard shell suitcase from a thrift store and look at how the lid is attached. If it is screwed on, just unscrew the top half; if it is riveted, a hammer and some muscle will break it free. Toss the lid, slip a pillow into a sham you love and tuck the corners into the case. No pillow that fits? Sew a custom one to size.
Get the full tutorial at mox & fodder.
7. DIY Wooden Crate Dog Bed
A DIY wooden crate dog bed takes one craft store crate, around $8 with a coupon, and an afternoon. Knock off the top two slats with a hammer, stain the crate and four upside down wooden candle holders that stand in as legs, then wipe off the excess. A gray wash of 1/3 paint to 2/3 water, wiped along the grain with a paper towel, gives it age. Glue on the legs, transfer a name in permanent marker and fold in a fuzzy blanket. It suits a cat or small dog.
Get the full tutorial at The Inspired Hive.
8. Pant Leg Puppy Bed
This pant leg puppy bed is a no-sew way to give your dog the next best thing to your lap. Stuff an old pair of jeans and pose the legs crossed, so the knees form a soft ring and the seat becomes the backrest. Your dog curls up in the middle like it is sitting with you, any time of day. The page shares it as a short video rather than written steps, so it is more of a clever idea than a pattern. Got a pair of beat up jeans? Perfect.
Get the full tutorial at iHeartDogs.com.
9. Drawer Dog Beds
These drawer dog beds turn two spare dresser drawers into a matching pair of beds for small dogs. Paint the drawers, then sand the edges lightly for a shabby chic finish and add big house numbers to the fronts (these ran about $4). The pillows are spare twin pillows wrapped in burlap sewn into simple cases, with one side left open so they slide off for washing. Keep the original wooden knobs and distress them too, or swap in new hardware later.
Get the full tutorial at Liz Marie Blog.
10. Customized Drawer Pet Bed
This customized drawer pet bed adds wooden knob feet to a cast-off drawer and lines it with a handmade pillow and bumper. Sand and prime the drawer, glue four extra knobs to the bottom and let it dry for 24 hours. Two coats of black paint come next, then stencil your dog’s name in acrylic along a light pencil line. The pillow is two layers of fleece trimmed with wool piping and filled with buckwheat hulls, with a fiberfill bumper around it. The front knobs hold a collar or a toy.
Get the full tutorial at NewEngland.com.
11. Side Murphy Dog Bed
This side Murphy dog bed folds a twin mattress up into a tall cabinet, so the dog bed disappears during the day. It started as a flat pack wardrobe frame that happened to fit a twin mattress, found on markdown for $49.90. Birch boards cut to the same 6 foot length were glued and nailed across the front, the piece got a pecan stain and poly, and a piano hinge plus a locking latch do the folding. Setting the hinge halfway into the box saves floor space.
Get the full tutorial at littlehousesbigdogs.
12. Large Wood Pet Kennel End Table
This large wood pet kennel end table hides a dog crate inside a piece of modern farmhouse furniture with a wood top you can actually use. The free plans include a full shopping list, a cut list and step photos, plus metric measurements. The build uses a 24 by 36 inch pine project panel for the top, 1×3 and 1×2 boards for the slatted sides and legs, 1/4 inch plywood panels, pocket hole screws and a hinged door with a latch. It is sized for a medium dog.
Get the full tutorial at Ana White.
13. Poplar Hardwood Dog Bed
This poplar hardwood dog bed uses a woodworking technique called kerfing, a series of shallow cuts that lets plywood bend into a smooth curved shell. The supplies are poplar hardwood plywood, about a foot of 1 to 1 1/2 inch doweling, a couple of yards of heavier fabric and pillow stuffing. You will need a miter saw, table saw, drill, pocket hole jig and sewing machine. There are no fixed measurements, so size it to your pet. It came in around $50 from scraps.
Get the full tutorial at A Beautiful Mess.
14. DIY Mobile Dog Crate Bed
This DIY mobile dog crate bed was built from scrap 1x4s, put together loosely on purpose so it looks like an old weathered crate. Small caster wheels let it roll from room to room. A vinegar and steel wool mix aged the wood, and when it came out too red, a light sanding and dark walnut Danish oil toned it down. Dry brushed green and white paint plus another coat of oil finished it, and a freezer paper transfer put the dog’s name on the front.
Get the full tutorial at Home Frosting.
15. No Sew DIY Dog Bed Pillow
This no sew DIY dog bed pillow takes about an hour and two squares of fleece or T-shirt fabric (about 1 meter each for a medium dog). Fold both squares in four, trace a rounded edge and cut so you get two matching circles. Cut fringe all the way around through both layers, about 2 by 6 cm. Wrap an elastic around the center of one circle, then knot the fringe pairs together, leaving about ten open to stuff with pillow filling or old clothes before tying it shut.
Get the full tutorial at luigi & me.
16. Upcycled Console to Dog Bed
This upcycled console to dog bed turns a free vintage console TV into a cozy cabinet bed, but be warned, the gutting is the real work. The picture tube has to come out whole, so read up on safe removal first. Behind it waited 35 bolts and 55 tight staples, and once they were out the cabinet needed about a dozen L brackets wherever it felt loose. Sand with fine grit sanding blocks, then two coats of paint and primer in one, dried four hours apart.
Get the full tutorial at Endorsed By Igor.
17. DIY Dog Cabinet
This DIY dog cabinet started as a $25 thrift store entertainment cabinet with its doors already missing. The center drawer was moved down and its support bar removed, so the bed sits just off the floor in an easy to reach nook. Spray paint gave the carved wood an aged texture, though two coats of interior paint by brush would be faster. Vintage style knobs hang the leash and harness, and the open shelf above holds treats in jars like a tiny candy shop.
Get the full tutorial at Momma Told Me.
