A comfortable pet is a happy pet. But sometimes, pet furniture is not comfortable for your budget. Instead of overspending on a dog bed, consider the DIY approach. If you're interested in some clever ways to upcycle items into budget-friendly dog beds, here are some ideas to inspire you.
Wine barrels are a favorite among the DIY community for their sturdiness, versatility and rustic charm. If you take half of a wine barrel and add a shallow cutout for your dog to climb in and out, it can make an excellent pet bed. Make sure you sand and treat the wood with non-toxic treatment and then add a comfy cushion or blanket of choice. If you have a smaller dog, opt for cutting the barrel lower down to make a shallower container.
Do you have an old broken suitcase you haven't gotten rid of? Now's the perfect time to give it new use as a dog bed. If you have either a hard or soft shell suitcase, you can simply add a cushion and lay it open for your dog to sleep in. One of the advantages of this DIY idea is that due to the myriad choices of suitcase sizes, you can make a perfect bed for any breed and size of dog. Decorate and customize as you wish for a funky, upcycled bed your pet will love.
An unused dresser drawer can become a cute and funky dog bed with only a few DIY steps. Remove a drawer from an old dresser and add a soft piece of foam or cushion inside. Decorate or paint the outside and you have an instant dog bed ready for the bedroom or anywhere else in your home. If the drawer is made of wood, give the edges some extra sanding for safety and to protect your pet from splinters.
I'm John Mahan, Sales Associate with William Raveis Real Estate, Harwich Port Office.
Throughout his childhood, John Mahan spent summers on Cape Cod at his parents’ home in Dennis Port. His intro to the Cape was, as he puts it, when his parents “carried me down the stairs at Sea Street Beach when I was a week old.” With a lifelong connection to Cape Cod, it seemed only natural for John and his wife, Mary, to move to Harwich – where they still reside – with their two young children in 1996.
Prior to moving to Cape Cod, John lived in the Worcester-Auburn area where he worked for Mass Electric for 10 years and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Utility Workers. When John and his family moved to the Cape, he worked at NSTAR for six years.
John began his career in real estate in 2002 when he joined Team Waystack Realty in Harwich Port. He has been a consistent top producing realtor in the Harwich area for the past 20 years. John’s approachable demeanor, combined with an integral understanding of the Cape Cod residential real estate market, have allowed him to build trusting, long-term relationships with his clients – both sellers and buyers.
