I feel like this might be the most random how-to post I've ever done! But it was fun and easy and saved me a lot of money and I am sure many of you have little pets that need a cool bed right? I've seen pet beds like this all over the internets but could not bring myself to spend the money on them...some sell for over $150! For a pet bed! I am sure they are well made and lovely but I'll take my $6 DIY version any day! Plus, this cute little bed (that she actually uses!!!) only took about 15 minutes, including sewing! The hardest part is waiting until you find the right materials! Dying to make one now? Ok, good!
Here is what you need, minus the rake (I am using that to hang necklaces!). You need a hard-shelled suitcase, I paid about $4 for this one from Goodwill. You need some legs. Now originally I was going to dismantle a chair or table that had the right legs but ended up finding these sofa legs at a local thrift store for $1 a piece! :) Plus they already had screws and caps for the screws! It was a lucky find! Keep looking and be patient, you'll find the right materials!
First, the dismantle. I removed all the "soft parts" like straps and such. Take some time to look over how the suitcase is held together...
...in this case I noticed that this one notch had a little mark on it...see the one with the dot? Sure enough, I bent that back with some pliers and...
...was able to pull this part of the hinge right out! Now I had two parts!
Already kitty approved! I cleaned it up a bit with some clorox wipes and decided which side I wanted to use.
Measured where my legs should go and drilled holes.
Four of them to be exact.
Then I just screwed my legs in and put the caps on! I measured the inside of the suitcase and added a couple of inches to make the cushion, not too stuffed! If your legs don't have caps you may just have to screw them into some scrap wood or something. The cushion covers my screws and they can't be felt through it.
And the best part? Kitty uses it all the time! I even went ahead and made her a second bed out of the other half of the case and put it elsewhere in the house. Your version might take some creative thinking but I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this project was!
Have fun making one!
