You’ve likely put a lot of work into the furniture and rooms in your home, but don’t forget the space saved for your furry friends! They deserve a comfortable area to lounge just as much as you do. With these DIY projects, you can create a cozy bed or play area for your pet that’s cohesive to the aesthetic of your home. No more dealing with shredded pet beds thrown in the corner of your living room; it’s time to step up your game and handcraft something beautiful for your pet! Whether building a cat house using reclaimed wood, upcycling a whiskey barrel to build a dog bed, or building a DIY cardboard castle for your cats, these creative ideas will occupy your weekend and make your pet feel more comfortable at home. Best of all, you can build these DIY pet spaces on a budget!
Wall-Mounted Cat Shelves
With these shelves, you’ll build a vertical playground with creative, staggered platforms your cat can climb. You’ll want to ensure your cat platforms are easily accessible and that they’re around 12-16 inches between each shelf to ensure your furry friend has enough room to jump between each platform. You can get creative here and build tiny net bridges between each shelf or sliding tubes so your cat can easily access each shelf level.
Pallet Dog Bed
Build a pallet dog bed using raised wooden pallets. The bed should have a washable mattress that is easily accessible for your dog. You can place it in the corner of your living room and use a mattress that blends in with the aesthetic of your home. Depending on your dog’s size, you can make it as large or small as needed.
Window Seat Dog Bed
Let your dog soak in the rays in a DIY window seat dog bed you build! This plush bed is a great way to keep your dog cozy and comfortable while you read a book or sip your morning coffee in the living room. This could be their permanent bed to sleep in each evening!
DIY Cardboard Castle
Cats who love to hide and play will love a multi-level cardboard castle structure. You’ll have complete creative leeway here. You can use pieces of cardboard and cut through them, turning the holes into any size you want. Tape the boxes together at the end and decorate them with colors and paint to make them look fun! You can also cut different designs into cardboard and glue them together to make it look like the outside of a castle.
Recycled DIY Cat Teepee
If your home is chic and bohemian, a cat teepee will complete the look of your cozy pet play area! Add soft bedding inside so your cat can lounge comfortably. You don’t need a ton of supplies to build your cat teepee, and you can reuse recycled items lying around your home. For example, you could use an old TV tray, wooden dowels, or metal hangers to build your cat home.
Under-the-Stairs Cat Nook
Build a cushioned, private nook beneath the stairs for your cat to snuggle and hide in. This is ideal if you have an unused under-the-stairs area in your home. You can also do this if you have a cupboard or drawer under your staircase that you can pull out and convert into a tiny cat home. Add a piece of plywood to the back of the space to seal it off, and add tons of comfortable pillows and blankets for your cat.
Vintage Suitcase Cat Bed
Upcycle an unused, vintage suitcase with plush cushions and pillows to create a suitcase cat bed! This looks great in the corner of a vintage-styled living room. You can place it on a stand and add it as a statement piece or put it on the ground so it’s easily accessible to your furry friend.
Wall-Mounted Cat Wheel
For both entertainment and exercise, mount a cat wheel to the wall! This is hitting two birds with one stone (or cats, for that matter). Your cat can decide whether to spend the afternoon relaxing on the wheel or running and exercising. This is an excellent option for high-energy cats and cats who tend to lounge around more. You can keep track of how many miles your cat does by incorporating a step tracker.
Hanging Hay Feeder
Using a wooden box or wire basket, you can build a rustic hanging hay feeder that looks great next to your pet’s lounge area or outside in a day room. Ensure it’s easily accessible for your pet and full of their favorite treats. This can be a great addition to your living room’s decorations, especially if you have a bohemian theme to your home.
Reclaimed Wooden Cat House
This is a fun upcycling pet space with cozy bedding. You can create a rustic shelter for your cat in the corner of your living room by using reclaimed wood. It’s a fun project to reuse whatever pieces of wood are lying around your home. You can design it and build windows and doors for your cat to enter and leave whenever they want.
Hidden Cat Litter Enclosure
You likely have your cat’s litterbox lying around in your bathroom. You can take it up and build a stylish cabinet to hide the litter box and make a statement piece in your home. Turn it into a cabinet for storage for other items in your home, or place lamps on top to decorate your living room.
Dog Teepee Tent
Like the cat teepee, you can build a dog teepee with a removable cover. This can be a playful space with easy cleaning for your dog. They’ll love the safety and coziness that the teepee provides. Make sure you choose a big, comfortable bed with bedding that matches your couch and other home features.
DIY Outdoor Dog Lounge
For those long, hot summer days, build a shaded pergola or a built-in bed for your dog underneath a tree. This is a fun DIY project and especially handy if you have multiple dogs. They’ll love having a cool place to relax! Cover the dog bed with a tarp or a sheet to provide ample shade during the hottest parts of the day. You can also build a built-in water bowl to keep your dogs hydrated and cool.
Built-in Mudroom Cat or Dog Bed
If you have a mudroom, why not utilize the space and build a snug bed for your cat or dog? Because mudrooms are typically left out, this is a great way to use them. You can put a shelf or litter box in the corner if you have a cat. If you have a dog, you can turn one corner into a cozy space with pillows and cushions.
Under-Desk Dog Hideaway
Your dog likely loves hanging out with you while you’re working or reading, so why not create a cozy space? If you have a large desk, use that space to build a small cushioned cubby. That way, your dog can relax while you work on your laptop. There’s a reason they say dogs are a man’s best friend! Decorate the space with plush, comfortable cushions, and a water bowl.
Hammock Window Perch
Everyone loves a cat nap, especially cats! You can quickly build a hanging hammock window perch in your living room. Drape a cat-sized hammock across your window using suction cups that stick to the walls. Make sure it’s easily accessible for your cat. These hammocks are especially beneficial for cats who deal with stress and anxiety since the slow rocking motion of the hammock is relaxing.
DIY Agility Course
This is a fun play area to build during the weekend! If your dog has a lot of energy, why not build a backyard course full of handcrafted tunnels, ramps, and jumps for your dog? You can have snacks waiting for them as they finish each course. You can hose them down after they finish each agility course to cool them down.
Hidden Dog Bowl Drawer
Build a hidden dog bowl drawer in your kitchen cabinetry with a pull-out food and water station. This is a great way to save space, as you’ll only need to pull the food and water out when you want to feed your dog. When it’s not in use, slide it back into the drawer and keep it out of sight.
Wooden Rabbit Hutch
You can construct a handcrafted rabbit hutch with secret hideouts and a ramp using a reclaimed wooden barrel. This excellent play space for your pet can fit inside your living room, bedroom, garage, or sunroom. Reclaimed wood is eco-friendly and keeps the environment green.
Guinea Pig Tunnel Maze
Build DIY fabric tunnels so your guinea pig can spend time exploring and wandering through the maze. Cut out small doors in a cardboard box and create fabric walls. This is a fun way to spend your weekend, and you have complete creative leeway when setting up the maze. Depending on where you have the tunnel maze, you can paint it or use different colored fabric.
DIY Bunny Castle
Your bunny will love hopping and hiding in its very own bunny castle! Use cardboard or wood to design a multi-level castle with different rooms, entryways, and windows. You can also put cushions around the castle so your bunny is comfortable and has plenty of space to lounge around. Build a ramp so your bunny can get to different levels of the castle, and add a small section with soft bromegrass for your bunny to munch on.
DIY Portable Playpen
Build a handcrafted wooden or PVC frame with mesh sides to create a portable playpen for your pet. If you frequently travel or are out of town, you can bring your small pet wherever you go! This is a fun project if you have pieces of wood lying around and want to create something with those pieces.
DIY Under-Bed Hideout
Your pet might love sleeping next to you in your room, so adding a cozy nook underneath your bed with soft bedding and a raised platform is a great DIY project. Your pet can have its space nestled right next to yours. Use plush cushions and ensure the space is easily accessible for your pet.
DIY Hammock for Ferrets
As a cat loves nestling into a hammock on a window, ferrets love it too! You can build a comfortable hanging fabric space for your ferret next to a window or in the corner of your living room, depending on where your ferret spends most of its time. There’s nothing cuter than watching your ferret close its eyes for an afternoon nap in a hammock you built for it!
Upcycled Barrel Dog Bed
Transform a rustic wine or whiskey barrel into a cozy sleeping area for your dog. This is an excellent way to upcycle and create something considered trash. This is an excellent addition if your home has more of a vintage aesthetic and design. If you have an old treasure chest or desk, place the upcycled barrel next to it.
Cat Tree with Scratching Posts
Using natural wood and items like glue and sisal rope, you can build a cat tree your cat can scratch. This is an easy project; you only have to wrap the rope around the natural wood. Your cat loves to scratch to reduce emotions like stress and to mark their territory. Adding this to your home will bring them a sense of calm.
Pet-Friendly Plant Corner
Your pets love nature, too! Build a pet-friendly nature corner full of greenery and plants to bring the outdoors inside. Place a comfortable cushion between large plants so your pet can nap in nature. This is an excellent way to calm your pet, especially during winter.