How To Make A Homemade Dog Bed

Does your pup need a new bed? You could, of course, hit the pet store and select a generic one off the shelf. However, there's a good chance that your canine might prefer a custom-made dog bed that reflects his or her personality, as well as yours.

Another plus? The following dog bed ideas are inexpensive to make, which means that you'll have more money to spend on tasty treats. That's something your furry best friend is sure to appreciate. Don't worry, both of these dog beds are simple and easy to create. You won't even need a sewing machine.

No-sew fleece DIY dog bed

What you'll need:

• Pillow or pet bed insert that will be the appropriate size for your dog

• Two pieces of fleece, at least four inches larger on all sides than your pillow/insert

• Fabric scissors

Directions to make your own dog bed:

1. Cut both pieces of fleece so that they are four inches larger on all sides than your pillow/insert. That means if you have a 20" x 26" pillow, you will need to cut the fleece to be 24" by 30". 

2. Place the two pieces of fleece on top of each other. If your fleece has a print on one side, make sure the side faces out. 

3. Create fringe by cutting strips into the fleece that are approximately 3.5 inches long and about 1 inch wide. 

4. Tie each set of fleece fringe (firmly, but not too tightly) on three sides of the pillow cover, so that the pieces of fleece are tied together. 

5. Stuff your insert or pillow into the opening. 

6. Tie the remaining fleece fringe together, again firmly, but not tightly. This way you can remove the pillow/insert to wash the cover, when necessary.

Sweatshirt bed for small dogs

What you'll need:

• Old sweatshirt (no hood)

• Small piece of fabric

• Fabric scissors

• Pillow, insert, or filling

• Thread and needle

Directions to make your dog bed:

1. Turn the sweatshirt inside out. 

2. By hand, sew the opening of the collar closed by stitching in a straight line. 

3. Turn the sweatshirt right side out. 

4. With straight pins, mark a horizontal line across the front of the sweatshirt from armpit to armpit. 

5. Using the straight pins as your guide, hand sew the two layers of the sweatshirt together. This will create the top border around the body of the dog bed. 

6. Next, align both sleeves vertically along the body of your sweatshirt. Then, sew the sleeve to the side of the sweatshirt, but do not sew the cuffs shut. The sleeves will become the side borders of the dog bed.  

7. Using cut-up scraps of fabric or fiberfill, completely stuff the sleeves and shoulder area of the sweatshirt. Make sure to distribute the stuffing evenly throughout.  

8. Next, stuff the body of your dog bed with a pillow, insert, or some other filling.  

9. Sew the bottom of the sweatshirt shut. 

10. Sew the opening to each cuff closed.

11. Bring the cuffs together at the bottom of the sweatshirt and then stitch them together. The sleeves should now form a circular border around the bed.

12. To hide the stitched-together cuffs, wrap a small piece of fabric around the area and then sew together. The fabric should form a small tube around the cuffs. Rotate the fabric tube inward to hide the stitching.

Filling substitutions:

If you don't want to buy a pillow or an insert, you can use any of the following as substitutes to stuff your dog bed.

• Old T-shirts or blankets cut up into strips

• Old socks

• Fiberfill

• Memory foam

After you've completed one of these homemade dog bed ideas, make sure to check out these other DIY projects for your pets. From a DIY cat scratching post to a custom-made dog house, these projects are a fun way to do something special for your furry best friend.