DIY: Dog Bed With a Sewing Machine

Make a cozy, plush bed for your favorite little friend.

Use your trusty sewing machine to create a special, comfortable bed for your four-legged friend. You can customize the size of the bed to accommodate his size and use fabrics that coordinate with the room's decor for an accessory that blends in well. Fill the bed full of cotton batting for a cushiony place for your dog to rest and then try out your embroidery skills and add his name along one edge of the bed.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric of your choice, at least 2 yards
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Straight pins
• Cotton batting

Instructions

1. Cut a 40-by-28-inch rectangle from your chosen fabric. Cut a 36-by-24-inch rectangle from the same fabric.

2. Center the smaller rectangle on top of the large, with the good sides facing inward. Slide one long edge of the small rectangle against the long edge of the large rectangle.

3. Sew a running stitch down the long edge of the two rectangles to join them together.

4. Lift the short edges of the larger rectangle upward to meet the short edges of the smaller rectangle and pin the edges together. Sew a running stitch to join the edges.

5. Lift up the long edge of the larger rectangle to meet the long edge of the smaller rectangle and pin the edges together. Leave a 5-inch gap without pins. Sew the edge together, leaving the 5-inch gap open.

6. Pull the fabric through the gap to turn the dog bed right side out. Fill the hole with cotton batting, filling the sides as much as possible and leaving the middle a little bit softer.

7. Fold the very edges of the gap inward and sew it closed.

References

• "Sew Dog: Easy Sew Dogwear and Custom Gear for Home and Travel"; Jennifer Quasha and Pamela Hastings; 2004
• "Sewing For Dummies"; Janice Saunders Maresh; 2010