Green & Frugal Pet Bed
Many people have to replace their pillows two or more times per year because the stuffing quickly wears out, becomes flat and even becomes infested with dust mites. Wondering how to recycle old pillows instead of tossing the flammable filling aside of further stuffing a landfill? Try turning old pillows into comfy beds for your furry friends. Cat and dog beds may cost as much as $50 retail, but you can buy the necessary fabric, thread and sewing needles for $5 or less.
Steps:
- Decide on a size for the pet bed, depending on the size of your pet. If you can get your pet to cooperate, lay him or her down on their side and measure their length from head to tail and height from head to toe. Add 6-inches to both of these measurements to provide plenty of extra wiggle room for your furry friend.
- Cut two rectangles or squares of material to use as the top and bottom of the pet bed. You may use two different types or patterns of material so you can flip the bed to match certain rooms or seasonal decorating themes.
- Align the two pieces of material with the printed sides of the fabric facing. Use safety pins to keep the material aligned while you work.
- Leave a seam measuring one-quarter to one-half inch wide and sew up all sides of the rectangular shapes. Leave an entire side open or just a hole wide enough to allow you to slide your hand into the bed to stuff the pet bed.
- Turn the case for the pet bed inside out to produce the printed side of the material. Push the corners through before you start stuffing the pet bed.
- Cut open the old pillow you no longer use and remove the stuffing in handfuls. The pillow I used was a body pillow stuffed with a rolled section of quilt batting that I had to cut down to the size I needed; you may have to do the same, depending on how the pillows you use are stuffed.
- Place the old stuffing inside the new pet bed case. Do not over stuff the pet bed, you want the pet to be rather flat and flimsy like a folded quilt.
- Fold the two lips of fabric on each side of the opening down into the opening. Pinch the folded material together and sew the seam together with one-way stitches, looping the thread over the edge of the material.
Sloppy hand stitches on Cinnamon's pet bed.
Warning:
Remove all safety pins from the bed before letting your pet use the bed.
Remove all safety pins from the bed before letting your pet use the bed.
Cinnamon's very own green & frugal pet bed.
Don’t worry about how well you can sew. Your dog isn’t going to judge an uneven stitch.
As you can tell from my stitches, I’m not very good at hand sewing, but Miss Cinnamon is just tickled to have a comfy bed to call her own.
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