DIY STYLISH CAT BED
you know what we think there’s a shortage of in the world? stylish animal beds! natalie took on the DIY cat bed challenge and her little kitty fell in LOVE with it. the stacked pillows would look good on a couch, on the floor…pretty much anywhere. i love that you can use fabrics that match the decor in your home. we used these beautiful rebecca atwood fabrics in different shades of blue…
supplies:
• 4 yards of fabric, we used approx. 1 yard per textile patter
• 6-8 yards of super loft batting
• yarn
• yarn needle (with a sharp point)
• fabric marker
• scissors
• pins
• large piece of sketch paper
• pencil
• ruler
• sewing machine
*this project is great for novice sewers, if you have a sewing machine and have been intimidated to try a project this one is perfect. it is as easy and straight forward as sewing a pillow. if you are not familiar with sewing terms we recommend the “SEW U” book by Wendy Mullins or the myriad of youtube tutorials. sewing gets easier and easier with practice and this project is a great place to start.
how to:
• the first thing you’ll want to do is make a pattern for the cushions you want to stack. our model cat is on the petite side and we made our cat bed 18 x 22 inches but you can make yours larger for bigger cats (or dogs). add a 1/2 inch seam allowance to all 4 sides. on one one the long sides mark a 4 inch opening in the middle so that you can stuff the batting inside
CLICK THROUGH TO SEE HOW TO MAKE IT!…
• cut 2 pieces of each fabric, be sure to weight your pattern down, we like to use large washers from the hardware store but soup cans work just as well
• next, trim the 1/2 inch seam allowance from your pattern and cut out batting for each cushion. we used 3 pieces per cushion to achieve the thickness we wanted for for our cat bed, set the paper pattern aside
• place fabric with “right sides” in and pin, taking care to note the opening space on your pattern, we used different colored pins to make it easier to see
• starting at one end of your opening sew around the entire cushion ending at the other end of your opening. trim excess fabric off of your seam except at the opening that you haven’t sewn, clip the corners at 45 degrees to minimize the amount of fabric bulk in the corners and turn you sewn cushion inside out taking care with your corner points
• iron to make your seams crisp
• roll the batting up to fit through the opening and reach your hand inside the pillow to smooth out. add as many layers as you like until you feel the cushion is thick enough, we used 3 pieces of batting per pillow
• tuck the seam inside and sew shut
• repeat this process for each cushion
• take your paper pattern, fold it into quarters and mark where the folds intersect. use your yarn needle to poke a hole through the paper at each mark
• lay your paper on top of each cushion and poke a fabric marker through each pin hole
• stack all the cushions on top of each other with the marked sides facing up
• with a yarn threaded needle sew through all of the cushions from top to bottom taking care to go through each mark, it is easiest if you start in the middle and work your way towards the edges. leave long tails on your yarn as you go
• after you have yarn sewn through all your marks double knot all the yarn on the bottom of your cushion
• flip over and starting in the middle pull the yarn tight enough so that the fabric puckers a bit. double knot and trim
we hope your pets love this project as much as we do. let us know if you make one!
DIY by: natalie shriver for designlovefest
photos by: ivan solis
I’d like a human version, please and thanks 😉
Danielle | D is for Dreamer
Love how this turned out! We are getting a kitten this fall so it’s great inspiration.
This is gorgeous! And reminds me of the Princess (kitty) and the Pea 🙂
such a cute kitty! reminds me of mine, but my cat is definitely NOT on the petite side :]
C’est super beau!!! Merci pour le DIY, je le tenterais bien.
cute!! i like this idea, but my kitty likes to hide when he sleeps so he just has a regular cat basket sitting under the couch!
Awe your baby is so cute. I will get my friend who is great at this to make me two. Lol my babies would love this.
omg this is too cute!! i wish i know how to sew..
i like the addition of catnip on the pillow lol. Cute idea
This is super cute. I might make this for my cats. The only problem is that they don’t like to sleep where the other one has slept so it would only be for one cat. Or I guess I can make two….
This is beautiful!! I would make it if my cat wouldn’t reject any bed other than the one he’s had since he was a kitten (and spills out of, mind you). I’ll definitely be making this for my new kitten/puppy some day.
So cute! I’m adding this to my weekend sewing to-do list!
I love Rebecca Atwood, I wish I could find fabrics like these that I wouldn’t mind my cat using 🙂
Cute, making this weekend for sure!
Beth.
http://www.modernmotherblog.com
Love it! The cat is so cute. Although I’m convinced just because it’s for them my cats would never use it!! LOL
I’m gonna have to supersize that for myself -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s
Great idea, and so easy to make!!
This is why my 5 cats sleep on my folded vintage quilts.
Super soft, and piled high like the Princess and the Pea story.
Might keep them off my quilts.
Great idea! I think maybe using pillowcases would save me from sewing machine anxiety…lol
In the case of put Binary Choices, the put purchaser receives $one hundred per contract if the underlying security closes below the strike worth at expiration, and nothing
if the underlying security closes at or above the strike price
at expiration.
Select your preferred buying and selling broker from
the top of the page, register, start trading and incomes money.
Super cute, but seems like it might not survive the washing machine after one or two washes? Every pet owner knows how necessary it is to be able to throw their bedding in the wash!
Oh my goodness soooo cute! Somehow reminds me of The Princess and the Pea with all those layers! Love this DIY!
Just found the DIY on Pibnterest.. and I’m obsessed. thank you so much for sharing. I’m on the hunt for a lovely cat bed for ages now.. will recreate it asap. xxx