Saw the snuggie bed on Pinterest and decided i had to make one.
Materials for Bed
Vest with zipper that you no longer wear (the larger the vest, the larger the bed will be)
- Fleece/flannel material for blanket
- Thread
- Sewing machine
- Scissors
Instructions for Bed
Start with the vest. Zip it up and cut off the edges to create a rectangle just like how you would create a pillow case for a throw cushion. Be sure to pin the front and back pieces together so the fabric doesn’t shift as you cut/sew.
Set the 2 rectangles from your vest aside. Let’s prep the blanket. I found spare material from a garage sale years ago that fit this project perfectly. Red and yellow pre-cut strips of a fleece like material that cost me $2 for the whole bag. Pin and sew the strips together. I needed 3 to cover the base (vest rectangles) and have extra to allow a dog to crawl in to snuggle.
Once your blanket is ready, set that aside. Pull out the vest rectangles and sew the 2 shorter edges. Your vest rectangles, from here on referred to as bed casing, should be inside out with right sides facing each other. Insert one shorter end of the blanket and align it with one long edge of the bed casing. Pin and sew these 3 layers together. It’s okay if they are not of the exact same length. Just gather the blanket at various spots. This gives more wriggle room!
Once you are done with one side, stuff the entire blanket into the inverted bed casing. Now align the free (and opposite) end of the blanket to the other long edge of the bed casing. Pin and sew. When you are done, unzip the bed casing and invert. Stuff a pillow into the casing. I used a relatively flat pillow that was bigger than my casing.
You’re done! You can now wash and dry the bed casing + blanket with 2 entry points then introduce it to your pet. Here are some pics with a toy cat i named Sardines. You can display it in 3 ways. (1) As a blanket to cover your pet, (2) as a cover over the bed, (3) as a throw cushion (create that effect with an additional strip of fabric).
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January 31st 2013 Update
Materials for Box
- Cardboard box
- pen knife
- packing/shipping tape
- Extra Large skirt
Instructions for Box
The bed felt a little ‘open’ so i got a cardboard box that it could fit into snugly and pushed down the flaps. This strengthens the box by making it more sturdy. On one end, cut out a rectangle, making sure that it’s low enough for your furry friend to step in. Tape up the rough corners with packaging/shipping tape.
Wrap your box with fabric. I took an XL skirt and placed the waist section in the middle of the box, then pulled the skirt over the edges of the box. It had enough material to create slack for the entryway. Pin/tape the excess material neatly on the bottom of the box to prevent shifting. By not sewing it on, you can remove the box cover for washing every now and then. Last but not least, put your dog bed in there! 😀
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Update: Feb 3rd 2013
Coco, our foster dog seems to like her new bed!
August 6 2015 update.
Coco is now a permanent member of our family. She hosts several doggy friends when their people are away. They love checking out her box bed. Even when she is in it. It has held large pit bulls, medium corgis, and little puppies.
Napping together
