How to Make a Dog Bed From Plastic Piping

Raised dog beds made from plastic piping are relatively easy to build. Most hardware stores carry the construction materials you need. Raised beds made of plastic piping offer advantages over dog beds that lay on the floor. They allow air to circulate around your dog, which helps it keep cool on hot days. They are rot, mold and mildew resistant. Raised beds are more durable than stuffed beds, making them a great choice for dogs that tend to destroy their stuffed beds.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 1/4-inch PVC pipe
  • 3-way 1 1/4-inch right-angle PVC connectors
  • Hack saw or PVC pipe cutter
  • Hammer
  • Tape measure
  • 1000 denier Cordura cloth
  • Fabric scissors
  • #8 3/4-inch screws with round #8 washer heads
  • Power drill with screw driver head
  • Channel-lock wrench
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose the size of your bed. Choose an appropriate-sized bed for your dog. There are three size different sizes; small, medium or large.

    • 2

      Cut the platform pieces. You need four pieces of 1 1/4-inch PVC pipe to create the platform. For the small bed, cut two pieces 18.5 inches long and two pieces 25.5 inches long. For the medium bed, cut two pieces 24 inches long and cut two pieces 28 inches long. For the large bed, cut two pieces 25.5 inches long and two pieces 34.5 inches long. Use your hacksaw or pipe cutter to make the cuts.

    • 3

      Build the platform. Connect the longer pipes into the PVC connectors so that they run parallel to each other. Connect the shorter pipes into the PVC connectors so that they run parallel to each other. The pipes form a rectangle with four open spaces in the connectors, all facing the same direction, for the legs. Use your hammer to tap all of the pipes snugly into the connectors.

    • 4

      Cut the leg pieces. For the small, medium, and large beds, cut four pieces of one and a 1/4-inch PVC pipe that are all four inches long. Use your hacksaw or pipe cutter to make the cuts.

    • 5

      Insert the legs. Insert the four legs into the remaining open slots in the PVC connectors. Place the bed right-side up on a solid floor. Use your hammer to tap the top of each connector until the legs are snug in their connectors.

    • 6

      Cut the Cordura cloth. For small beds, cut the cloth 36 inches by 29 inches. For medium beds, cut the cloth 34.5 inches by 38.5 inches. For large beds, cut the cloth 36 inches by 45 inches. Use fabric scissors to cut the cloth.

    • 7

      Attach the cloth to the frame sides. Lay the cloth on the floor and center the bed frame upside down on the cloth. Fold the corners of the cloth inward to expose a half inch of each corner PVC connector. Fold the cloth over twice on one long side so that the cloth lies roughly in the center of the pipe on the bottom side. Use your drill to secure the cloth to the long pipe using six #8 screws. Screw one screw into the middle of the long pipe on the opposite side. Use your channel-lock pliers to turn the pipe until the cloth is taught. Finish attaching the cloth to the pipe using five more screws. Repeat this process to attach the cloth to the short sides of the frame.

    • 8

      Attach the cloth to the corner connectors. Screw five screws through the cloth and into the each connector. These five screws hold the cloth down and keep the frame pieces from turning.