Make: A dog bed for under $5

So I have two big dogs, hard wood floors, and a deficit in my checking account because of all the USDs  I have spent on dog beds that were hideous to look at, couldn't fit in the washing machine, and ultimately got left outside in the rain until they were tossed (I am being brutally honest right now). Naturally I have thought about making a bed for my precious pooches before, but until recently it didn't dawn on me how easy and affordable it could be.

And to encourage you to read on, allow me to add you can also make this a cat bed if you do everything the same, and then put it inside of a box. So now that I have your attention...

First thing to combat was how difficult it was to find a dog bed that went with any sort of lovely home decor, and secondly that didn't break the bank. I figured, as I usually do when I can't find exactly what I want at the price I want: I can make that! So, I set out on my quest; I wanted something that would be complementary to any room in the house, a nice washable fabric and a pattern that wouldn't show dirt/wear and tear.

How lucky for me that the exact item I was looking for was at my local thrift shop just a block away; I found a set of king sized pillow cases that were just the ticket, and $1.

Now I am assuming that everyone is like me and has some kind of flat pillows that you should replace but hate to throw them away. If I'm correct then this project will not only help your pet sleep better but it'll force you to get new pillows... then you'll sleep better too.

Next cut the pillow in strips, because we are going to use it to stuff our little bed mats.

Stuff the cut piece of stuffing down in to the bottom of the pillow, you may want to adjust the stuffing and get some of the bulges out... I had a bit of a lumpy bulgy problem. 

This is the hardest part, but still pretty basically easy (if that makes any sense); pin the open side of the pillow case along the ridge of stuffing, and secure it by sewing a straight line across the width of the pillow case. Repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 until you come to the end of the pillow case, then sew it closed.

Once you finish you need to do some quality control and find someone to test out your newest DIY.

Luckily, my Olive B is never far from my side, and loves to lay on things. I'd say it's a pass.

Wait, but what is this...? Oh yeah it's her extra toes, and the new flat top tail hair cut Catherine gave her when she visited last week. Don't worry though, it's not a mean thing, it's just a thing that happens to her favorite pets. I bet whenever Peanut is good she gets a hair cut too... so probably never.

Above is a little story board of why Lucca didn't make it in to any of the above pictures. I tried Luc, but you just couldn't practice your patience.

So that was my DIY dog pillow; I only spent $1, it looks cute on the floor, it's easily stored and machine washable (cat bed in a box version tutorial coming soon?).