DIY Suitcase Dog Bed

DO-IT-YOURSELF DOG BED OUT OF AN OLD SUITCASE

I have seen tons of ideas for suitcase dog (or cat) beds over the years. After finally finding a suitcase in good shape, a decent price, and big enough to fit my medium sized dog, I decided I would give it a try myself!

Materials include:

Suitcase (I found mine at a resale shop)

batting or foam (I actually used both)

Fabric

Sewing Machine

L-Brackets

Time Spent: 1-2 hours.

To make it easy, I decided to make a slip-covered type pillow to fit inside of the suitcase instead of adhering anything to the inside. This meant there was less time spent on the project and it will give me the ability to change the fabric easily without ripping apart the foam or the inside lining of the suitcase.

Steps I used:

Clean the outside of the suitcase well.

Measure the dimensions of the inside of the suitcase where the end pillow will be placed.

Measure the foam and cut to desired length.

BIG TIP::

My grandmother once taught my mom (who taught me) that the easiest way to cut foam is to use an electric kitchen knife.

See... cuts like butter. It took NO TIME at all with a very precise cut.

Since I had extra batting lying around, I wrapped the cut foam with it to give a little extra cushion. This also allowed for the end product to be very fitted to the bed in case the foam was cut a little shorter than needed.

To make the slipcover, sew 3 sides of the measured fabric right sides facing each other. Allow for enough room in the seams to properly fit the cushion.

Once the 3 sides of the fabric were sewn, flip the fabric right side up and stuff the padding material inside. To close the slipcover, I did a simple whip-stitch by hand.

When the pillow is finished, it should fit snug inside of the suitcase.

To finish, attach L-brackets on the back of the suitcase next to the existing hinges. This is to insure that the lid stays in place for the safety of the animals.

Wah-Lah!

Here is Gypsy Blu, my miniature Aussie with her new bed!

And this is Scooter. My 13 year old Scottie-schnauzer mix. She was a much better model than Gypsy... Scooter tends to be a little more calm when you beg her to pose for pictures.