Make Your Bed on The Cheap!

Bella has gone through many doggie beds in her time, and whenever I’ve needed a new one, I’ve always tried to strike the right balance between durability, price and of course cuteness. I’ve tried the more affordable ones but they are almost always disappointing- oddly bunchy, ugly patterns, and of course quick to fall apart.  However for her size, a decent dog bed can be well over 100 dollars sometimes up to 250 dollars. Who has that kind of cash right now!

Why are Dog Bed's So Pricey?

So frustrating, particularly when dog beds should be so simple to make! It’s just circles and squares, right?

Being a little on the crafty side, I decided to see what kind of dog bed patterns I could find. I headed out to the fabric store and took a look at their offerings. The patterns looked simple enough on the package, So I bought them and brought them home, where upon a little more investigation- i.e. opening the package to find 7 zillion pieces and directions that made no sense, I decided to take a new approach— I got online and Googled “easy dog bed pattern”. Google really is a dog owner’s best friend.

Sadly my favorite pattern is no longer available online- if you need it I’ll send it to you, by email (betsy@lovethydog.com). But here are a two extremely simple, affordable and fun patterns for the crafty yet- skill challenged among us.

1. Take an old pillow case, stuff with a blanket or an old pillow. Sew in the stuffing, or put velcro on the ends to remove the pillow when needed. Just stuff and stitch.

2. Cut out two large circles of fabric (fleece is a very forgiving and cozy fabric but you can use most any fabrics- even try a towel).  To get a nice round circle, create a pattern using your newspaper. On the edge of the paper draw a semi-circle- the radius of the circle will depend on how big your dog is. Take the semi-circle pattern and lay it down on your fabric folded in half. Then cut around the pattern. When you open the fold you have a nice complete circle. Do it again and you have two. Simply sew the edges, leaving a little space so that you can stuff. Turn inside out so the seam is on the inside and then stuff. You can use  traditional stuffing which can get pricey, or you can get creative. Use old blankets, towels, even sock. I’ve have gone to discount stores (99cent store, Marshall’s, Anna’s Linens) and bought pillows. I took the stuffing out and used it to stuff my dog beds. Sew up the gap where you stuffed and while it might not be the most perfect thing you’ve ever seen, it’s cozy and dogs love these beds!

Bella on Her Homemade Bed!

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