DIY and Crafts

How to make a cute cat bed for your furry friend

Children or pets make a house a home, and if your furry friend is the king or queen of your household, they surely deserve their very own throne! Here Marty dismantles a cheap and cheerful shelf and transforms it into the cutest wee bed we ever did see

Tools you will need

Pencil; hand saw; combination square; tape measure; hammer; nail punch; screw gun; paint brush; sandpaper.

How to

  • Step 1  Dismantle shelving with Allen key provided. (Comes dismantled if bought online.)
  • Step 2  Using 2 of the 4 outside vertical posts, measure halfway and cut each piece at an angle. When joined these form the pitched roof, so choose an angle that achieves the pitch you want (ours is 45 degrees). Take apart one of the shelves and set aside 4 of the slats. These will be the upright posts that connect to the roof frame.
  • Step 3  Cut your 600x18x1800 (this was bought in this size from Bunnings) pine board to the desired size for your base (ours was 600mm x450mmx18mm). Cut your 3 side pieces to sit along 3 sides of base, making allowance for the thickness of the vertical posts.
  • Step 4 Make roof frame by applying a good amount of PVA glue to the mitred joins, then screw an L-shaped bracket to the back of each mitred join (so they don’t show from the front) using 15mm screws.
  • Step 5 Attach the vertical posts to the roof frame by applying PVA glue to the joins (cut at the desired angle). Glue together and then secure using straight brackets screwed to the back of each of the 4 joins using 15mm screws. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with your other pieces so you have two pitched frames with vertical posts attached.
  • Step 6 Glue the base, sides and roof frame together, by fixing with PVA and 32mm pin nails and making sure the outside edges are flush.
  • Step 7 Measure the depth between the two pitched frames at the top and cut a piece of pine to the same length and 20mm wide. This forms the ‘roof ridge’. Apply PVA to each end and secure with pin nails.
  • Step 8 Fill all holes with filler and leave to dry. Give it a good sand all over, then thoroughly brush off dust. Give new timber 1 primer coat and 1 top coat of paint. Give pre-painted pieces 1 top coat of paint.

Marty’s tips

  • You can make this slightly larger or smaller to suit your size of pet, be it a cat or a dog.
  • Paint options are endless. Use a colour to complement your home or pet!
  • Hang rope or string from the top rail to create some entertainment for your pet.

Budget

Shelf from Mocka $50; Pine board $42, Brackets x 6 $14, PVA glue $6, white house paint $20, 15mm screws $6, pin nails $5. Total: $143

Get the look

Icelandic sheepskin in Blush, $399, from Superette. Hemp rug with silver leather, $299, and framed ‘Kitten’ print, $95, both from Shut The Front Door. Fischer basket, $59.95, from Freedom. Noodle the cat, stylist’s own.

Created by: Catherine Wilkinson and Martin Laidlaw.

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