12.14.2010

How To: A Dog Bed for Basil

I will admit something here - Tim and I made a dog bed for Basil before we even knew we were getting him. We knew we wanted a dog and had been on the lookout for some time without much luck - this didn't stop us from preparing though.

One weekend this past summer, yes - summer, we decided to make the bed with some of the fabrics we'd picked up along the way including a burlap coffee sack from Blanchard's Coffee (like the one I used to make this laptop sleeve) and heavy duty canvas from an army tent we came across at a local flea market.

It's a simple square design bed consisting of the following basic steps:

1. Cutting and sewing upper and base fabrics in matching square shapes. 2. Sew lining onto each fabric backing. 3. Face outer fabrics against one another and sew securely around edges leaving a small opening on one side. 4. Flip fabric inside out from opening - you should now have your basic unstuffed dog bed - like a giant pillow. 5. Fill bed with desired stuffing. We chose a mixture of cotton and cedar chips to keep the bed both comfortable and fresh smelling. 6. Fold in edges of opening and pin together. 7. Sew opening closed.

The finished bed sat empty in our basement corner for months and we always talked about whether or not our future dog would like it. Now we ask ourselves if he will ever leave it.

We love the fact we were able to make something together from recycled fabrics that turned out to be so much more meaningful than picking up one of the generic mass produced versions from the pet store. We think Basil agrees.
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13 comments:

  1. It was made for him! You two did a beautiful job creating the pillow.

    He looks like he may have grown a bit ;)

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  2. Yes Monica! He is growing so fast - he has the second vet appointment tomorrow so I will know how much he has gained for sure. He's in the bed laying next to me as I type right now.

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  3. A beautiful bed indeed. Cannot wait to get home to see him in it!

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  4. Basil looks cute in his handmade dog bed! You are going to be shocked when he weighs in - they grow so fast! How old is he now?

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  5. Thanks! He is 18 weeks today - so 4.5 months. I will follow up here with the weigh in from later today and how much he's gained since the last visit.

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  6. He weighed in at 37.2 pounds and the doctor said we could stand to feed him even more food - I know Basil will be happy about that!

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  7. wow, 37lbs! I just realized our dogs are only about a week apart in age and our lab mix is definitely not 37lbs. Basil is going to be a big old sweetheart!

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  8. Oh I love it! Such a great way to make a cozy place for a loved furry friend!

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  9. Such a cozy bed for your gorgeous pup! He looks so cozy and content. I love the idea of using recycled materials, looks durable and practical, as well as stylish. Thanks for sharing this clever project Mary!

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  10. Hi all,

    Basil looks very cute,it is handmade dog bed!Thanks for sharing more and more information...
    Dog Bed

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  11. What a terrific looking dog & Dog bed!! If you make those for sale , I will just have to have one for my Italian Greyhound :)

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  12. Nice job! I've also seen couch pillows made from upcycled coffee bags as well...they are quite attractive and make for a similar accommodation for the bi-peds in your household as well as the occasional usage by the four legged friends when you aren't at home/looking too!

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