Make It! DIY Modern Pet Bed

Everyone in your family deserves a stylish little place of their own.  We love our cat, Pumpkin, but he isn’t allowed on the sofa.  I’m just not a fan of pet hair on everything.  I wanted to give him his own special spot, without sacrificing style in our home.  This easy-to-make pet bed cost only $10 in materials.  Instead of buying expensive designer fabric, I created my own look with modern black and white splatter effect.  I’ll happily let it live in our living room and with its removable cover, I can easily wash it often to keep the air issues at bay.  

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Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1/2 yard black 100% cotton duck cloth or canvas
• white craft paint (I like Martha Stewart’s)
• fabric medium
• plastic cup and fork
• drop cloth or news paper
• sewing machine
• inexpensive bed pillow
• large needle and heavy thread or floss

Ok, enough of the cute kitty pics.  Let’s get to the easy how-to.

Start with a inexpensive pillow.  I picked up this one at Target for $4.

Using a large needle and some heavy thread, stitch all the way around the outside of the pillow, about 3″ in.  I used pink thread here for clarity. 

Then stitch 2 X’s in the middle of the pillow.  This stitching makes the pillow flat and compact.  

Cut the fabric into 3 pieces.  The top of the pillow will be 17×23″ and the two pieces for the bottom of the pillow will be 17×17″.  Take the top piece for the pillow outside and place on a drop cloth or newspaper.  Mix together about 2 tbsp. of white craft paint with 1 tbsp. of fabric medium. 

 

Using a plastic fork, drip and splatter the paint all over the fabric.

Allow the paint to dry completely.

Place the painted fabric in a dryer on hot for at least 15 mins.  This sets the paint permanently.

You will be making a simple envelope closure for the back of the pillow.  These instructions might help.  Turn over twice and stitch down the open ends of the envelope closure.  Placing good sides together, pin the pillow top to the two bottom pieces.

Using a drinking glass as a template, trace a curved corner with a piece of chalk. When the pillow is turned right side out, the corner with look clean and finished.

Trim away the corner with a pair of good, sharp fabric scissors.

Leaving a 1/4″ seam allowance, sew all the way around the outside edge of the pillow.  Then turn the pillow right side out and iron the seams flat.  Insert the pillow form that you stitched and add a little cat nip just inside the pillow to entice you kitty.