Things You'll Need
- Vintage suitcase with hard sides and a locking arm
- Epoxy glue
- 4 short wooden furniture legs
- 1/2 yard fabric
- Fiber fill
- Photographs
Instructions
Find a vintage hard-sided suitcase in a size to accommodate your animal. A toy poodle might do with a train case, while a Yorkshire terrier needs an overnight bag and a beagle needs a full-sized suitcase. Choose a suitcase with a locking arm that will hold the lid open securely. Clean the suitcase inside and out.
Turn the suitcase over and glue four short wooden legs, available from a home store, onto the bottom corners of the suitcase using a strong epoxy glue. Allow to dry.
Set the suitcase on its new legs. Open the suitcase and fill the bottom with your dog's bed. Make a new mat, if desired, by cutting two pieces of fabric to the dimensions of the inside of the suitcase, plus four inches. Pin the fabric pieces together with their right sides facing. Use a sewing machine to stitch around all sides, leaving a 3-inch opening for turning and stuffing. Turn the fabric right side out through the hole and stuff with fiber fill. Sew the opening closed and set this new stuffed mat in the suitcase.
Use glue to attach photographs of your dog to the inside lid of the suitcase.