Dog Bed

We adopted a dog from the Humane Society a month ago. Her name is Zoey! She is a beagle / german shepherd mix. I am obsessed with her. Before we even got a dog my husband made the rule “no dogs on the bed.” So I knew I had to make her the coolest bed ever. After her first vet check-up we found out she is starting to get arthritis in her back legs (she is 7 years old). For the old lady, I splurged on the large sized therapeutic dog bed mattress at L.L. Bean. Then I got to work designing the frame to go around it.

First I found a couple of free pallets that I planned on deconstructing. I scratched that idea after I came to my senses. Pallets are horrible to work with. I learned that from making this pallet artwork. Not only are they hard to tear apart, they have uneven widths, splinters and nails everywhere (I hate sanding)…they can be toxic. From pesticides, to E.coli, to salmonella, to dangerous chemicals that were spilled on these pallets…you just have no idea where these pallets have been. Making furniture out of pallets is a bad idea. Putting pallets in a baby’s room is an even worse idea (I cringe every time I open Pinterest and see this). Please do your research and be smart about how you recycle pallets!

So! What is a good alternative? Furring strips!!! It is VERY inexpensive wood with imperfections like pallets. I discovered this type of wood when I was searching for something to make my indoor basketball hoop out of. At Home Depot, a 1 in x 4 in x 8 ft furring strip is $1.84.

To make this project you need:

• Large dog bed mattress or a 34″W x 44″L x 5″H foam cushion insert and slip cover

• Approx. 10 qty. 1x4x8 Furring Strips

• Approx. 4 qty. 1x2x8 Furring Strips

• 48″ x 38″ x 3/4″ plywood

• 4 qty. Magic Sliders

• Saw

• Tape Measure and Speed Square

• Pencil

• Wood Glue

• Approx. 110 qty. 1-1/4″ Self Tapping Deck Screws

• Approx. 28 qty. 3″ Self Tapping Deck Screws