Pets will sleep sweetly on this vintage crate bed you can make at home

I’ve been on a DIY kinda kick lately. Usually, I bake a batch of dog treats and that usually quells my handy urges. But with the weather being so mild, I felt it was time to take it up a notch and get busy with a project that was outside of my comfort zone. These DIY Vintage Crate Dog and Cat beds fit perfectly into my décor. However, my sewing skills are a bit shaking – but luckily, I have a friend who is a whiz with the sewing machine and was willing to help me out.

The idea of making a crate bed was to capture a vintage style look that would match my living or bedroom. I think these beds would look good in any home, not matter what style you have. I picked up some funky material that features cool patterns… pus, it was all on sale and I love to save money.

For the crates, I was lucky enough to find an out-of-the-way business on Kijiji that had hundreds of crates to choose from. I picked two larger crates for the dogs, and some smaller fish crates for the cats. Because Oscar is only 10 pounds, a smaller shipping crate was the perfect size. There were large crates available, but they were a little pricier.

Here’s what you’ll have to do to make a Vintage Crate Dog and Cat bed of your very own.

What you need:

Directions (Crate)

I found the crates for sale on Kijiji, but you can use your local online listings or yard/antique sales. The varathane gave it a glossy sheen without taking away the vintage color of the crates. You can use a stain if you’d like your dog bed to be darker.

Directions (Cushion Cover)

Make sure the fabric is 100 percent cotton, so you can unzip it and throw it into the washing machine.

Optional Piping

I picked up the paint roller, tray, brush and felt tabs at the dollar store. I reused the foam from an old couch cushion and looked around fabric stores for sales. The crates turned out to be the most expensive item on my list, but since I bought four, I got a great deal – $15 per crate. With a little sale sleuthing and bartering skills, you can save yourself some big bucks on this hip DIY dog/cat bed (and perhaps start an Etsy side business!).