16 DIY Dog Bed Ideas That Let Your Pup Relax in Style
Dog owners know: It can be tricky to decorate your home in a way that’s both dog-friendly and stylish. This is especially true when it comes to dog beds (and dog crates for that matter), which can feel like eyesores amidst an impeccable living area. That’s where DIY dog beds come into play: Whether you’re placing a dog bed in a corner of your office or at the foot of your bed, you can create a cozy spot for your pup that fits both your aesthetic and your dog’s needs.
Tips for Creating a DIY Dog Bed
- Tailor the bed to their needs: Be sure to consider your dog’s size, temperament, and individual quirks when planning a DIY dog bed. (For example, would they feel comfortable on a bed with some height or would they be terrified and never use it?)
- Make sure there’s enough space: You’ll want to ensure your furry friend has plenty of space to get comfortable, especially if you’ll need them to utilize the space for long periods of time, like at night or while you’re away at work. (Or, conversely, make sure there’s not too much space that a small dog would get overwhelmed.)
- Account for chewers: If your dog is a huge chewer, you may want to avoid a cushion that’s filled with anything dangerous that they could swallow.
1. Rustic Dog Bed
Buster’s owner made this DIY wooden pet bed with just $12 of lumber. Check out these Shanty2Chic plans for step-by-step details.
2. Closet Dog Bed
“One side for the closet, and one side for the dogs,” Christina Orleans of Little Victorian says of her setup. “It’s extremely cute that their dogs have basically their own room. Moving their bed into the closet totally opens up the rest of the bedroom for the humans. The shelving above still provides some storage for those same humans.”
3. Shiplap Dog Bed
A DIY dog bed with vertical shiplap is modern and sleek, yet blends seamlessly into a cozy farmhouse-style home. Get the plans on Angela Marie Made’s site.
4. Pupgraded Dresser
Take a cue from Emily (of @ourhousenowahome) and transform a basic IKEA dresser into a luxury bed for your beloved pup.
5. Suite Complete
Looking to DIY a dog bed? Don’t forget to include the food and water bowls! We’re sure your pup will thank you for it. We love this setup by @dextertheratterrier that comes complete with a bed and a feeding station.
6. Scandi-Style Dog Bed
What furry friend doesn’t need its own Scandi-style DIY dog bed? That’s just what @anetterosand figured when she created this boosted bed for her pup. We think it totally looks comfortable enough for a person to sleep on!
7. Murphy Dog Bed
Sarah Gibson of Room for Tuesday has a smart solution for small spaces: A Murphy dog bed that folds away when not in use. (You can find a similar pre-made one here.) To make the cabinet match her office decor, she gave it a fresh paint job, new hardware, and a reupholstered cushion — all of which ensure that it looks just as good when it’s in use as it does when it’s folded up and out of the way.
8. Mid-Century-Inspired Dog Bed
After falling in love with a wood and steel dog bed that was beyond her budget, Gabrielle of @gabs_projects set out to recreate it. She sanded and stained plywood left over from another project before building into a box shape. Finishing touch: hairpin legs she found on Amazon.
9. Custom Dog-Sized “Room”
Using leftover wood from a previous DIY, Rachel created a frame for her existing dog bed to help raise it off the ground. But she didn’t stop there — she revamped a corner of her home to create a tiny dog-sized space with custom decor that includes a gallery wall of dog portraits and a floating water bowl. This project is easy for beginners just getting started with power tools.
10. Indoor Dog House
Inspired to build a dog bed that would match her son’s, Susan used wood to create a frame in the shape of a home. After adding a dog mattress for cushion, the final touches were a simple light fixture hanging from the center and a wood sign to greet visitors.
11. Geometric Dog Cubby
This dog cubby — from Tanika and Bryan’s NYC apartment tour — is a cozy hideaway perfect for small dogs. HomeMade Modern has step-by-step instructions for a similar bed, which DIYer Ben says will run you about $30 to make.
12. Industrial-Style Dog Bed
This DIY uses wood and metal pipes to create a chic industrial-style dog bed. Leave the pipes black for a rugged, minimalist feel, or spray paint them a different color to match your decor.
13. Medicine Cabinet Turned Dog Bed
You’d never know this bed for Teddy had a previous life as a medicine cabinet. What’s the secret to this transformation? A fresh coat of paint, furniture legs and a blanket tucked around a piece of memory foam. Go the extra mile with spray paint and a stencil for personalization.
14. Cushy Pink Dog Bed
When her dog needed new bed, Katie and her husband built a wooden one from scratch, added legs and painted it a sweet pink. Since Pepita the dog loves sleeping on their (human) bed, Katie and her husband outfitted the new dog bed with two of their old pillows and an old sheet.
15. Mini Twin Bed
Dahlia made it a quick afternoon project to upcycle leftover cabinet drawers into twin beds for her dogs, Bruno and Sailor. She added simple legs from the hardware store, painted them white, used a paint pen to add their names and ironed on their photos to a pillow case.
16. Dresser Drawer Dog Bed
If you’re thinking of donating an old dresser, you could hang onto one of the drawers for this simple DIY. Once you paint it to match your decor, plop an old cushion covered with new fabric inside.