Pampered Pet

I'm always trying to find new ways to pamper my already spoiled dachshund and this is perfect! I found this one on Design Sponge, it's Kirsten's suitcase pet bed. I've already been searching for the perfect suitcase at the flea markets. Her DIY bed is absolutely genius! Here is her pet bed and instructions on how to make your own. Enjoy.Kirsten’s Suitcase Pet Bed

Supplies:

-Old suitcase

-4 “feet” (wooden doll heads/these work well because the have a flat side, finials, etc)

-Gorilla glue or other heavy-duty glue

-2 large snaps

-Hammer

-Drill

-Ribbon or strap material

-Fabric

-Stuffing

Optional: two large buttons and upholstery thread and needle

Instructions:

1. Clean that suitcase! Febreeze that musty smell! Repair any damage to lining.

2. Measure for pillow. Using a tape measure, measure the width plus the depth of bottom suitcase cavity x 2. This gives you the width of your pillow. Then measure the height (from front to back) plus the depth of the bottom suitcase cavity x 2. This gives you the height. You must add the depth of the suitcase x 2 or else your pillow will end up too small. Believe me I made that mistake the first time!

3. Sew your pillow together. Put right sides of fabric together and sew around leaving about a ? inch seam allowance. If your suitcase has rounded corners you might want to round the corners of your pillow. Leave an opening for stuffing. Turn pillow right side out and stuff. Sew up opening by hand.

4. Optional: Tuft your pillow. I used two large buttons, heavy-duty thread or upholstery thread and a long needle. Using the long needle sew the buttons on the pillow. Enter the front of the pillow and exit at the back, repeating this over and over. This will make nice tufts and give your pillow some shape and a more finished look.

5. Attach a strap to the back of the suitcase so it will not close on your pet.

Place a mark about 4 inches in from the back of the suitcase on the top and bottom of your suitcase. Open the suitcase and measure the distance between these marks, making sure your measuring tape is taut. Cut a strap using that length plus about 1 inch. Attach snap tops to both ends of the strap following manufacturers instructions. Now depending on your suitcase this part is tricky. Improvise if you need to, every suitcase is different. Choose a drill bit that will be just large enough for your snap shaft to fit through. Drill a hole on the top and bottom of the suitcase at the marks you made. Be careful of the suitcase lining. Attach the snap bottom to your suitcase following manufacturers instructions. Like I said this can be the tricky part, you might need to use a craft knife to clean up the hole and make it just right for the snap. Be creative. Once you finish this part, you should be able to snap on the strap and it should keep the bed open and not allow it to close on your pet. It can also be removed when you want to travel or close up the bed.

6. Attach feet. Once again, every suitcase is different; you may need to be creative with this step. I attached the painted wooden dolls heads with gorilla glue to the bottom of the suitcase. Clean the area you are gluing very well and sand the area of the wooden dolls head and make sure it has no paint on the contact point. You may also be able to screw the feet on depending on what you are using.