DIY Dog Bed for the Kennel!

So, my dogs are SPOILED! What can I say; they're my children. And my personal opinion is that kennels are not comfortable.... AT ALL! (You can't tell me you never tried crawling into a kennel when you were little, pretending to be a dog, only to get out a couple seconds later rubbing your knees...) So I decided to make them something "custom comfortable" for pretty cheap!

What you'll need:
Fleece (how much you'll need depends on the length and width of the kennel, 2x) --- I luckily bought my fleece from Hancock Fabrics during their "Fleece Fest" --- $4.99 a yard!
Mattress Foam Pad --- bought a twin size pad from Walmart for $9.99
Scissors --- whatever you have available, I used regular kitchen scissors to cut the mattress pad and fabric scissors for the fleece.
Tape Measure
Level (optional) --- for those who can't cut straight lines very well, like me!

 



First thing first, measure the length and width of the kennel! The one I was working on was 21in x 14in. I decided to double up the mattress pad so it would be more comfy, so I doubled the width when cutting the pad.

 



Once you have cut the pad to your dimensions, you can set it aside.

Pull out your fleece! I always slice off the extra curled stuff on the sides... It just looks sloppy to me. You can feel free to skip this step though.

(I later tied these pieces into knots and the dogs play tug with them now!)

Time for some simple math. Remember my kennel dimensions may be different than yours. I added 4 inches to the length and the width measurement (1 inch to cover the side of the mat and 3 inches for tying --- I didn't want a bulky seam, but if you want more tie-ability, leave yourself a couple more inches.) So I cut my two pieces of fleece to 25x19. Make sure you lay the "out" sides of the fleece so they are touching and you see the "in" sides on top and bottom, as we will be turning this inside out later to eliminate the tied seams.

 

(I can never get them to line up exactly, so don't feel bad if you can't either!)

 

As is the norm with no-sew fleece blankets, cut around the edges (I cut mine about and 2 inches in on every side).

 

 

If you so choose, you could take a breather here before all the tedious tying begins, as Ella and Duke so readily demonstrate...

Tie the two pieces of fleece together, making sure to double knot, and leave one side untied!

 



Turn the project inside out!

 



(Kinda looks like a pillow case, doesn't it?)

Put the foam pad we set aside inside and tie the remaining side up. I shoved the ends inside so that it would be uniform with the rest of the seams. And Voila! All done!

 



Put inside the kennel and let the dogs enjoy!

 

Happy Customers!
Thanks for stopping by! :) Let me know how this project worked out for you!