How to Make a Dog Bed

LOOK AT HIM!!! He’s got the perfect blog photo side eye and everything. I can’t even. Lol.

So…I bought this collapsible dog bed for our home after we adopted Sampson. It was meant to be used for traveling, but managed to somehow stay on our living room floor for the past few months. Unfortunately, my kids saw this as the perfect opportunity to play ‘dog house’, and have since demolished said collapsible dog house. Naturally, I could have gone to the store to purchase another doggie daybed similar to the ‘real’ one we have upstairs in our bedroom. But after watching Sampson hump that dog bed ALL. DAY. LONG, I thought something perhaps with less sexy siding would be nice. A dog bed DIY – Oy.

In all honesty, I have been thinking about making his doggie daybed for quite sometime now. After all, isn’t one of the perks of being a seamstress the fact that we can MAKE home decor and accessories that actually match our house? *High five*. And well, by now you must know my affinity for the almighty stripe.

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How to make a dog bed

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Skill level – Beginner

Time needed – 2 hours

 

MATERIALS:

• 1 yard mid-heavyweight knit fabric
• 1/2 yard coordinating mid-heavyweight knit fabric
• Ruler
• Fabric scissors
• Pins
• Heavy duty ball point sewing needle
• Coordinating thread
• Poly-fil
• 4″ Embroidery needle
• Sewing machine

*Recommended fabric is sweatshirt fleece, fleece, sweater fabric, ponte, interlock knit, and other fabrics will a little bit of stretch to them. A minimal stretch is recommended as it will help when sewing, but not necessary. Woven CAN be used, it is just a bit more difficult to work with around the corner seams.

 

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Dimensions given are for a small dog (10 pounds).  Feel free to enlarge pattern size to accomodate bigger dogs.

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HOW TO SEW A DOG BED:

Step One – Cut (1) 29″ x 38″ rectangle from the outer fabric, and (1) 14″ x 23″ rectangle from the inner fabric. Furthermore, cut (1) 3.5″ x 10″ piece of fabric for the handle.

Step Two – Place the inner rectangle in the direct center of the outer rectangle. Draw vertical and horizontal lines to the sides of the larger rectangle pattern from the corners of the smaller rectangle. Cut out the square pattern shapes from the corners of the larger rectangle.

Step Three – Place cut edges right sides together, pin and sew. Repeat for all 4 sides. Leave a 4″ unsewn gap on one of the sewn corners.

Step Four – Fold strap in half right sides together. Pin along the outer long edge and sew. Turn fabric right side out and press. Fold the raw side edges 1″ towards the back and press. Pin sides to the right side of one short end of the outer fabric rectangle. Sew a rectangle around each of the 1″ folded sides to secure.

Step Five – Line up the side edges of the inner rectangle right sides together with the outer rectangle side edges, matching up all corners. Pin around and sew. Be careful to pivot when sewing at all corners by lifting the presser foot, turning the fabric, lowering the presser foot and continuing to sew.

Step Six – Stuff the bed with Poly-fil until fluffy. Pin opening closed and whipstitch to secure.

Step Seven – Using a heavy duty embroidery needle and thread that has been doubled up, ‘tuft’ the pillow in various spots around the daybed. To do this, simply sew directly through the front and the back of the daybed, pulling the thread tight as you sew to create a tufted look. Repeat in various spots around the daybed to complete the look.

And you are finished!

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Blue steel.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and until next time…happy sewing!