How To Make Dog Beds:
Free Dog Bed

Talk about how to make dog beds that are inexpensive! Learn how to make a free dog bed for a smaller dog* that doesn't cost you anything but time.

It's easy - simply scrounge one or two discarded couch cushions with covers made of any kind of heavy duty fabric including vinyl. The first cushion forms the base of your bed; the second provides fabric for the tube. If you only have one cushion, use it for the base and use a matching or contrasting fabric for the tube.

*Before you start cutting or sewing anything, make sure the bed will fit your dog! Have him or her lie down on one of the cushions. If the dog fits in the middle with about six inches (15mm) to spare on three sides, the cushion is big enough.

If all you have is foam from the cushions, you'll need to find enough material to cover both. (We used curtain material to cover the foam for the above bed.} Our Dog Bed with Sewn Cover offers one way to sew a cover for the cushion.

If you can't find enough of the same fabric for the back tube, a contrasting or coordinating material can be used.

Here's Buddy from Salton City trying out his new bed!

We recommend using your dog's favorite blanket as a cover since it's easy to take off and wash. As a bonus, the blanket will hide any imperfections in the fabric you use.

Add a pocket or two in the corners to hold your dog's toys and/or grooming equipment. See free dog bed with a pocket for instructions on adding pockets to the basic design below.

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FREE DOG BED INSTRUCTIONS

• Two to four hours

MATERIALS AND TOOLS

• One or two discarded couch cushions
• Fabric for the tube if you only have one cushion
• Stuffing from an old pillow or quilt
• Sewing machine or sewing needle with heavy duty thread
• Straight pins or safety pins
• Cloth scissors

PREPARATION

• Decide on your base cushion (Cushion #1)
• Remove the cover from Cushion #2
• Cut or rip along the seams
• Tip: Save the zipper (if it has one) for another project
• Cut Cushion #2 fabric into pieces 14 to 16 inches (355-410mm) wide

SEWING

• Sew two or more pieces end to end until you have a long strip
• Lay the strip in an arc along the sides and back edge of Cushion #1
• Allow two inches (50mm) to spare on either end and cut off the rest
• Fold the strip over, right sides together and pin
• Leaving two inches (50mm) on either end unsewn, sew edges together, making a tube
• Add an extra row of sewing for additional strength

STUFFING

• Turn the tube inside out so the right side faces out
• Start stuffing the tube, pushing the material to the middle
• Try to pack it uniformly, adding material from either end
• When fully stuffed, pin the ends closed
• Arrange the tube in a semicircle on Cushion #1
• Keep the wrinkles evenly spaced and hide the seam if possible
• Pin the tube in place with safety pins

• With needle and double thread, sew the back side of the tube to the base, removing safety pins as you go
• Sew the ends closed so that each end looks similar to the other
• Sew the tube ends to the base and you're done!

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