The Perfect Gift For Your Pup: a DIY Bed! A Simple Tutorial + 5 Free Dog Bed Patterns
I don’t know about you, but I love to get my dog, Obi, gifts ever so often. Especially for her birthday, which is coming up in a few weeks. What’s more fun than shopping for a special present for your favorite pup? Trying out some sewing projects for dogs, of course!
Today, we’ll check out some fantastic free dog bed sewing patterns I’ve gathered from the interwebs. A bed is a perfect gift for your dog since they will use it pretty much every day, and it can be pretty simple and quick to make.
What Fabric Is Best For Making a Dog Bed?
Dogs aren’t quite picky as cats, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want their bed made from comfy, cozy fabrics. When figuring out what material to use for your DIY dog bed, remember that you know your dog best. If you’ve had a blanket or item of clothing they LOVED, why not make a bed out of that same material?
For example, my girl, Obi, loves fleece and faux fur blankets. So the best choice for me will be one of those two options. Here are a few other options for you to consider for your dog bed project.
- Fleece: Soft, durable, and goes on sale throughout the year
- Faux Fur: Plush and fuzzy, this could be a hit or miss depending on your dog
- Quilting Cotton: Durable and easy to sew, quilting cotton is a fun option since it comes in all kinds of colors and prints
- Denim: Some dogs love denim! I suggest using thinner denim unless you have a heavy-duty sewing machine that can handle thicker denim.
- Old Clothes: If you and your dog have a special bond and have to leave the house regularly for work or run errands, making a bed from your old clothes could be a great idea. It will be a comfort for your pup while you are away.
- Home Decor Canvas: Since this fabric is meant for reupholstering furniture, it’s durable enough for a dog bed. Plus, you could make matching pillow covers for your throw pillows!
- Sweatshirt or T-shirt Material: If you have a big dog and using your old clothes is out of the question, you can purchase sweatshirt or t-shirt material by the yard at your local Joann’s. Remember to use a zig-zag stitch instead of a straight one since you’re working with stretchy fabric.
If you’re interested in making a cat bed, I have a blog post about making cat beds, including a section where I teach you how to make a simple cat bed.
How To Make a Dog Bed Out of Old Clothes
If you decide you do want to make a dog bed out of your old clothing, use this simple free dog bed tutorial to create a patchwork-style dog bed.
Step 1: Cut Out the Squares
To make a 24”x24” bed, you need to cut out 36- 5” squares from your clothing. These squares are going to be used for the top of the bed. I suggest using non-stretchy fabric for this style of a dog bed.
Step 2: Layout the Squares
Next, you need to figure out the layout you want for the squares. You will have 6×6 rows laid out like the image below.
Step 3: Sew the Blocks Together
Now you need to sew all the horizontal blocks together to create rows.
Step 4: Sew the Rows Together
Sew the rows together to create the top of the dog bed.
Step 5: Sew the Top and Bottom Pieces Together
You need a 24 ½” square for the bottom of the dog bed. You can either use new fabric like fleece or quilting cotton or, if you prefer, create a 2nd piece like the top we made in Steps 1-3.
Place the top and bottom pieces right sides together and sew around the entire square using a ½” seam allowance. Leave an opening about 3”-4” long so you can stuff the bed.
Step 6: Turn the Bed Inside Out and Stuff It!
Turn the bed inside out using the 3”-4” opening you left. Once it’s completely turned out, you can stuff it with whatever you choose to stuff it with. If you have a dog that likes to tear toys up, and you’re pretty sure they’ll do the same thing with this bed, try using socks or strips of old clothing as stuffing instead of regular polyester stuffing.
After stuffing the bed, sew the opening shut by hand or with your sewing machine. Now allow your pup to enjoy their new bed!
5 Free Dog Bed Sewing Patterns To Try
Now that we’ve checked out my simple tutorial let’s check out some beautiful free patterns about sewing for dogs from some amazing designers! Dogs love to snuggle, and these five patterns are perfect for snuggling.
Here is an adorable doggy bed pattern written by the highly talented Kate from See Kate Sew. This free pattern includes instructions and illustrations to help you create this bed. She even wrote the pattern to include several different sizes, so if you have an itty bitty pup or a big cuddly teddy bear, this pattern is an excellent choice.
Here is a super simple tutorial that shows you how to use soft fleece to create a pillow-like dog bed. This tutorial is from The Frugal Chick and is very similar to my tutorial earlier in this post. The directions are short and sweet and will help you make a cozy bed for your pup.
How cute is this bed? Obi would absolutely LOVE this; I may need to make one for her upcoming birthday. This is an easy-to-follow tutorial from Lia Griffith. She offers a free condensed version of the tutorial, but if you want the full tutorial, you need to purchase her monthly membership, which is $10 per month.
If you’re into felt crafting, this membership would be an excellent idea for you since felt crafting is her specialty. If you’re a confident beginner and up, you could use just the free version of the tutorial to create your Burrow bed for your pup.
Here is a fabulous and easy dog bed pattern you can make in just a couple of hours. This free tutorial is from Kimberly from Sweet Red Poppy, and she includes several sizes to choose from in her printable pattern. Like all her tutorials, her tutorial has excellent photos showing you step-by-step how to make this bed from start to finish.
This free downloadable pattern and tutorial are perfect for an intermediate sewist who wants to make something that looks store-bought and professional. This dog bed has several components that create a soft, plush bed for your dog. The pattern includes all fabric requirements, step-by-step instructions, and printable pattern pieces to cut out and use for cutting fabric.
You can make any of these beds into stuffing-free dog beds using something other than traditional stuffing. Socks, strips of clothing, or stuffed animals are fun options to stuff a dog bed.
I hope you enjoyed these adorable beds and that you found something you can use to make your next sewing project for your dogs. Which did you like the best? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy Stitches!
