How to Make Inexpensive Cat Furniture
Providing special furniture for a cat can be a big help to owners. It keeps the cat from clawing or leaving hair on the real furniture. Making homemade furniture for your cat will provide you with an opportunity to match your current decor, not only in size and style, but color as well. Keep yourself and your cat happy by making one piece of inexpensive furniture that will meet both your needs.
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Things You'll Need
- Plastic sheet
- Unfinished pine accent table, 3 legged, 2 tiered, 18-inch
- Rubber gloves
- Rags
- Wood stain
- Nails, 1-inch
- Hammer
- Brazilian sisal rope, 200 feet
- Work gloves
- Utility knife
- Duct tape
- Cardboard
- Marker
- Carpet remnants
- Paintbrush
- Industrial strength glue
- Books
- Curtain valance, 50 inches long, 12 inches deep
- 16-inch wicker basket
- Regular bed pillow
- King size pillow case
Instructions
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1
Place the plastic sheet down to protect your work area. Place the table on the plastic sheet. Put on the rubber gloves.
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2
Dip a rag into wood stain and wipe the table until it is covered with stain. Take a clean rag and wipe away any excess stain. Remove rubber gloves. Allow the stain to dry according to the manufacturer's directions.
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3
Turn the table upside down on your work area. Tack one end of the sisal rope to the tip of one of the table legs by using a hammer to drive a nail through the rope into the wood of the table leg.
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4
Apply a line of glue to the length of the table leg. Put on the work gloves. Wind the rope tightly around the table leg, placing the coils as tightly together as possible, even pounding them tighter with the hammer if necessary, until the entire leg is covered with rope.
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5
Cut the rope with the utility knife when you come to the end of the table leg. Apply more glue to the ends to secure them. Wrap the rope with duct tape, if necessary, until the glue has dried. Repeat with the other two table legs. Remove gloves.
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6
Place the table, top down, on the piece of carpet remnant. Trace around the edge of the table with a marker. Cut out the piece of carpet using a utility knife. Repeat to make another piece; set the second piece aside.
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7
Use the paintbrush to apply a layer of glue to the table top. Glue the carpet, right-side up, onto the table top. Place books on the table top to hold the carpet down until the glue dries.
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Trim the extra piece of carpet remnant to fit on the lower tier of the table, using the utility knife. Apply glue to the top of that tier and place the remnant, right-side up, on the top of the tier. Place books on top of the carpet until the glue dries.
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9
Apply a line of glue around the edge of the top tier. Glue the top edge of the valance around the edge of the table to create a hiding space for the cat on the lower tier, leaving a space between the ends of the valance for the cat to go through.
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10
Tack the wicker basket firmly to the top of the table, driving the nails through the basket and carpet remnant into the wood of the table with the hammer.
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11
Place the pillow in the pillow case and fold the ends under the pillow. Place the pillow in the wicker basket.
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12
Remove the duct tape from the coiled rope when the glue has dried completely.
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Tips & Warnings
Look for a used accent table, pillow, pillow cases and wicker basket at flea markets and thrift stores; find sisal rope and accent tables at department, hardware, craft or fabric stores.
Choose a color of wood stain, wicker basket, valance and pillow case that matches your current decor.
Wrapping the sisal rope around the table legs is time consuming, and sometimes the sisal rope can be difficult to work with. Use duct tape to keep the rope in place until the glue dries completely.
References
- Photo Credit the cat image by Milena Kowalska from Fotolia.com
