How to Make Pet Beds

The easiest type of pet bed to make at home is a large pillow that your pet can sleep on. These types of beds can be pricey in pet stores but are relatively easy and inexpensive to make on your own. Choosing the fabrics yourself means you can customize them to fit your specific pet and the décor of your home.

Things You'll Need

  • Fabric (twice the size of the final bed)
  • Batting or Polyfill (available at craft stores)
  • Pine chips (optional)
  • Sewing machine
  • Scissors
  • Straight sewing pins
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Instructions

    • 1

      Decide what you want the pet bed to look like and what shape you want; squares or rectangles are easiest for beginners, but if you are familiar with sewing you can make circles or other shapes. Decide what fabric you want to use for your bed, and if you would like the top and the bottom to be made of the same material. Finally, dedcide what size bed would be best for your pet.

    • 2

      Next, head to your local craft store to purchase your materials. You will need enough fabric to make the top and bottom of your pet's bed, so the fabric needs to be twice the size of the final product. If you want to use two different fabrics on the top and bottom of the bed, purchase two pieces that are each about the size of the final bed. When in doubt, buy more fabric instead of less. You will also need to pick up batting or Polyfill, which will be the body of your pet's bed. If you want, you can also pick up pine chips or potpourri to add to the inside of the bed and give it a subtle scent.

    • 3

      When you get your fabric home you need to prepare it for sewing. Lay the fabric out on the floor with one layer for the top of the bed on top of a layer for the bottom. You will sew the bed inside out so that the seams are hidden, so if your fabric is two-sided, you want the outside faces to be touching, with the face that will be inside the bed on top. Using your straight pins, pin the fabric together along the border of the shape you chose, and then trim the excess fabric using scissors, leaving about two inches of fabric outside the pin line.

    • 4

      After the fabric is pinned, you can begin sewing the bed. Using your sewing machine, stitch along the outside of your pins all the way around the bed, stopping with about 6 inches left unsewn on the final side. After all but 6 inches are sewn, turn the material inside out so that the seam is hidden and the "outside" fabric is now on the outside. Using the hole you left, stuff the bed with Polyfill and wood chips, if you are using them. Pin the last 6 inches and check the final look of your bed. Keep in mind that the Polyfill will clump together over time, so you may want to overfill the bed in the beginning. After you are satisfied with the final look, sew the last 6 inches and remove the final pins.