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5 Cheap N Easy Dog Beds – DIYs with Plans

I was wandering around Ollie’s the other day. It’s a discount store that sells a little bit of this and a little bit of that. And this particular day they had dog beds.

I almost always make my dog beds, so I was a bit taken aback by how expensive they can be – even at a discount store. And they’re kind of ugly too.

If you want a dog bed that is simple to make, doesn’t cost a whole lot and will match your decor then try one of these 5 simple ways to make a chic n easy dog bed.

(and if you don’t find what you want here, try this post: How to Make a Dog Bed Out of Old Clothes.)

You can use this dog bed size guide to find what size to make your dog bed for the perfect fit.

To learn How to Make a Dog Bed Without Sewing, click here.

Dog Bed Size Guide Chart with recommended dog bed sizes by dog weight

DIY Dog Bed Plans

I’ve gathered together 5 plans for a DIY Dog bed – these all use easy to source materials and are fun to make.

Looking for a Dog Bed Sewing Pattern with Sides? Click here to learn more.

Cheap N Easy Dog Bed

Frankly, this plan is so simple that the original poster says that if you can sew in a straight line, you can make it!

And the straightforward pattern is easy to adjust for smaller or larger dogs.

cheap n easy dog bed pattern

Materials:

  • Fabric
  • Velcro
  • Ribbon
  • Batting or Foam

Instructions:

Base Pattern:

  1. Cut the two pieces of the pattern, leaving about 1/2″ sewing allowance
  2. Zig zag or serge the pieces.
  3. Take 8 pieces of Male/ Female velcro and sew it down as in the picture, folding in your sewing allowance to have a finished edge.
  4. Take your ribbons and pin in place as shown the picture
  5. Fold inside out the four “flaps” of the pattern and sew the side without the velcro
  6. Reverse your fabric on the right side
  7. Sew down the folded “flaps” along the rectangular base

Top Pattern:

  1. Fold the flap toward the wrong side of the fabric and pin it in place
  2. Pin the top part onto the bottom part (the flap folded of the top has to be inside)
  3. Sew it down on three sides (leaving the opening where the flap of the top is)

Looking for a Dog Bed Cover Pattern? Click here to learn more.

Mattress and Sides:

You can either go with batting or foam, it’s up to you (and your pet’s preferences, of course), but either way, it’s fast :)If you decide to go with batting, you need to have a pillow made on the size of your base without the flaps and four round “sausage” pillows for the sides, so you can remove those parts for being washedIf you want to use foam, just cut the five pieces of foam and you can decide whether you want to insert the foam directly in the bed or you want a quick “any fabric will work” cover for it.

Tie the bows on four sides.

How to Make a Dog Bed Without Sewing

This is one of my favorite ways to make a dog bed. You use fleece and tie it. It’s really easy, can be made in nearly any size, which is great if you have a bigger dog. No sew dog beds use stuffing to make them fluffy.

DIY Fleece Dog Bed No Sew Tutorial Video

Materials Needed:

  • 2 yards each of coordinating fleece fabrics (one solid and one printed)
  • Invisible marker
  • Fabric scissors
  • 2 lbs. or more of stuffing
  • Ruler

Note: This project makes a bed for a small to medium sized dog. To adjust for a larger dog you will need to sew two pieces of fleece together to make a larger circle.

Instructions:

  1. Fold solid fleece in half
  2. Measure and mark 36 inches on the fold line
  3. Mark the center at 18 inches
  4. From the center, measure out 27 inches and mark
  5. From the middle point on each side measure out 27 inches from the center and mark.
  6. Connect the points to make a half circle and cut along the line
  7. Fold the printed fleece in half and use the original fleece as a template to cut a second pice
  8. Cut strips about three inches wide along each half circle
  9. Unfold both pieces and place them together with the wrong sides facing each other
  10. Double knot the strips diagonal from each other
  11. Take the strips next to these and double knot over the first knot
  12. Continue doing this around the dog bed, leaving a foot open at the end
  13. Fill the dog bed with stuffing until you’ve reached your desired fullness.
  14. Once it’s full tie the opening closed
  15. Fluff the bed to even out the stuffing

How to Make a Dog Bed Out of a Sweater

This project is a clever use of an old sweater and is perfect for small and medium dogs or cats. It’s also really easy and inexpensive.

NOTE: Some dogs are bothered by wool. I recommend using a cotton or synthetic blend sweater for this project.

DIY Sweater Dog Bed Video Tutorial

Materials Needed:

  • Sweater
  • Pillow stuffing
  • Yarn
  • Scissors
  • Large needle
  • Pillow

Instructions:

  1. Sew the neck shut
  2. Stitch all the way across the chest from underarm to underarm
  3. Stuff the upper half of the sweater with pillow stuffing – all the way through the arms.
  4. Stuff the bottom half of the sweater with a pillow
  5. Sew bottom of the sweater shut
  6. Stuff on sleeve cuff into the other and sew the sleeves together
  7. Turn the sweater over and sew any loose parts of the bottom to the back.
  8. Secure the sleeves to the base by sewing the arms to the edge of the bottom.

This Large Dog Bed Sewing Pattern couldn’t be easier! Click here to learn more.

How to Make a Dog Bed Out of Old Towels

This is a super easy project and since it works well with a beach towel sized towel, can be made in nearly any color.

DIY Towel Dog Bed Video Tutorial

Materials Needed:

  • Large bath sheet or beach sized towel
  • Old bed pillow
  • Scissors

Instructions:

  1. Take your towel and fold in half
  2. Cut the towel in half
  3. Place pillow in center of towel
  4. Cut strips about 1/2 and inch before the pillow all around both layers of towel
  5. Put pillow between the towel with the right sides out.
  6. Tie strands together in double knots all around
  7. Even out the strands if you’d like to make it neater

How to Make a Dog Bed with Egg Crate

When I was first looking at this project, I kept thinking it they meant egg cartons, but this dog bed is filled with egg crate stuffing (like the kind you might use for a mattress pad). Here’s how to make it:

DIY Egg Crate Dog Bed Video Tutorial

Materials Needed:

  • Fleece fabric
  • Egg crate memory foam
  • Scissors
  • Yard stick

Note: Make your foam as big as you need it for your dog (see the dog bed sizes guide above).

Instructions:

  1. Place two pieces of egg crate memory foam flat sides together
  2. Cut two pieces of fleece 6 inches bigger all round than the foam
  3. Place foam in center of one piece of the fabric (fabric should be right side out against the work surface
  4. Place second piece of fabric on top of the foam (fabric should be right side up facing you)
  5. Cut the corners out of the fabric
  6. Cut 5.5 inch slits all around both pieces of fabric
  7. Tie each the slits together into double knots

Summary: Cheap N Easy Dog Beds

All of these dog beds are simple to construct and fun to make. Consult the chart to see what size dog bed will work for your dog. One of the easiest beds to adjust sizes on is the egg crate bed. So if you have a large dog, look at that one first.

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