Nikki and Ellie 4-24-2005 on the first cot I made
Update February 10, 2015 – New sizes available
I have added instructions below for materials and cutting for medium and small PVC dog cots as well as the original large PVC dog cots. The small size looks so cute when next to the large one.
I went to buy smaller diameter PVC for the medium and small and didn’t like the amount of flex (bending) in 1″ PVC so all 3 sizes are designed using 1 1/2″ PVC. Make the legs shorter for the smaller sizes.
All the general instructions remain the same — just use the correct set of measurements you need for your dog.
If you don’t sew I will be selling the slings for all three sizes so see Large, medium, and small dog cot slings for sale for details.
Update 2/15/2015 – let me know if you need a specific size
Sarah contacted me yesterday asking if I could help her with measurements for a dog cot that would fit inside their dog crate. Since I had done my calculations for the new medium and small size cots in Excel I was able to come up with all the measurements fairly easily. If you need a specific size, let me know and I will help if I can. Just don’t go too small since the slings get harder to put on small frames.
Tutorial
I had a reader request I sew one set of slings for the PVC dog cots and send them to her so she could then sew two more for her 3 dogs. I figured a step by step tutorial on how to do it might be warranted.
This is basic sewing so anyone can do this project. All that’s required are straight rows of straight or zigzag stitches so it would be a good beginner project.
This tutorial is based on using 1 1/2″ PVC pipe and fittings only for a 30″ by 36″ bed for a large dog. Before making, be sure you have the floor space to accommodate the bed. If you have a smaller dog and want a smaller bed you will have to calculate different measurements. If you need help doing this you can contact me.
What you need for the project:
The first thing you will need to track down is the elbows that will be the corners of the bed. You can find the elbows on Amazon and they are also available at US Plastics and other places. Update: when I made my first cots these 3 way elbows were not available locally. Appears the big box stores carry them now, which makes this project even easier. Note added February 21, 2017: Bob let me know he ordered the 3-way elbows on-line at Home Depot, a pack of 4 for $10.26 with free shipping to the store: 1-1/2 in. Furniture Grade PVC 3-Way Elbow in White (4-Pack) Internet #: 205749500 UPC Code: 812039024359
You can go to your local big box home improvement store to find 1 1/2″ pvc in 8 ft. lengths. It’s reasonably priced.Look for 3 way elbow fittings and for this tutorial they must be 1 1/2 inch. Note added February 21, 2017: Bob also thought I should specify that expensive furniture grade PVC isn’t necessary, but schedule 40 pipe is important since it’s much stronger and thicker than schedule 30. So be sure to get schedule 40 PVC pipe. Take the measurements for each side and see if they will cut the pipe for you.
Note added February 21, 2017: Last but not least Bob mentioned rubber caps that would prevent slipping on hard floors with part information Home Depot # Model # PQC-101 Internet # 100372302 Store SKU # 688053. They are $2.97 each. He suggested they be glued to the bottom of the legs so it doesn’t harm your dog. I ran into a sliding problem and bought rubber pads for furniture legs and glued them on the legs. Either idea works well and will also protect floors.
Cutting the PVC
They sell PVC cutters that work amazingly well. I didn’t have one for this size 
PVC so I cut the pipe with my compound miter saw. Cut the pipe into 2 32″ and 26″ pieces. When fitted into the elbows this will create a frame with the outside dimensions of 30″ by 36″.
You will also need 4 small pieces for the legs. I recently increased the legs on mine after finding out one of my dogs has arthritis in her spine and I want to make sure she’s suspended above the floor. 4″ or 5″ legs would work fine for smaller/younger dogs.
Fabric
I’ve tried 100% cotton, cotton/polyester blend, and Cordura. 100% cotton stretches a lot. Cordura is exceedingly tough, but I don’t like it because it’s noisy — every time the dogs move around on their beds it’s very noisy. I like cotton/polyester the best. The cotton makes it soft for the dogs and the polyester makes it durable.
The important thing about the fabric is that it must be over 48″ in width (you will need to cut the selvages off). The last fabric I purchased was Crosstalk Target at Joann which is a 65/35 cotton/poly blend that is 53″ wide. If it’s not on sale make sure you have one of their 40% off coupons – the coupons can be loaded on your smart phone. If you buy another fabric make sure it’s machine washable and at least 48″ wide.
How much fabric you’ll need
Fabric layout for 2 large dog cots
Cutting out the fabric
These instructions are written for someone with little sewing experience, so forgive me if you are an experienced seamstress.
Note: Cut the edge selvages off before measuring and cutting the slings.No pattern needed. I use a T-square to square up the fabric and make straight lines for cutting, marking the lines with a chalk pencil and then cut. I always buy a little more fabric than required because fabric stores often don’t cut the fabric straight. Once you square it up you can lose a couple inches, so better to be safe than sorry.
Sewing the slings
I recommend Gutermann thread. Cheaper threads aren’t of consistent thickness and will jamb up in the
sewing machine. Gutermann is quality thread and a dream to sew with.
That said — you don’t need an expensive sewing machine. My expensive machine died and no longer had replacement parts available and I wasn’t in the mood to spend $1,500 to $2,000 on a machine. I purchased a cheap machine and it does just fine for basic sewing. Cheap machine = okay. Cheap thread = not okay.
The ironing board and iron are both your friends. If you want to turn out a decent sewing project they are almost more critical than the machine you sew on.
Sew outside hems
inch hems ironed on side of each sling
After the panels are cut use an iron to turn 1 inch hems on the sides of the panels. You can go the further step of then folding the seam under again for the 1/2 inch hem you want in the end, but I find ironing the 1″ fold makes it easy to tuck the 1/2 inch under for the finished seam while I’m sewing — but I’ve been sewing since I was 5 years old, so the extra step of folding under the hem may be easier for those of you new to sewing.
Sew the 4 outside hems. A single line of stitching is fine
for these hems since they won’t take a lot of abuse from the dogs using the beds. The narrow slings should have a finished width of 23″ and the wider slings should be 29″.
Sew end pockets for PVC tubing
Use the iron to turn under a 1/2″ hem on each end of the slings.
Fold the ends under 4″ to form the pockets and pin. Double and triple check before sewing that the finished length of the wide sling is 31 1/2″ and the finished length of the narrow sling is 37 1/2″.
The most important thing is the finished length of each sling. If they are too long they will droop on the floor and defeat the whole purpose of the bed. If they are too short you won’t be able to assemble the bed.
When you are sure you have the correct length, stitch the pockets. I do three rows of stitching since these are the seams that will take the most abuse from the dogs jumping on the beds. I have two 75 lb. dogs who at times both leap on the same bed — I haven’t had a seam fail yet. The zigzag stitch is very strong, so you can use that as well. Just make sure the pocket for the PVC pipe is 6 1/2″ total or 3 1/4″ folded since the circumference of the 1 1/2″ PVC is 6″.
Assembly
My QA department making sure I do a good job on the cot
This is what the assembled frame looks like without the slings
Final corner ready for assembly
Fully assembled dog cot
You have your finished slings and you’ve cut the PVC pipe to the required lengths. You also have you PVC elbow for the corners and the short pieces for the legs. You are ready for assembly.
The first three corners will be easy. If you’ve sewn the slings to the correct length, the final corner should be a pain to assemble because everything will be tight. That’s a good thing, so don’t worry. Note: as the cots get smaller they are harder to get that last corner on so the medium and small are hard, but doable. You want the fabric to be tight, so don’t get upset if it a bear to do the last corner.
I have assembled the beds in a multitude of ways. I prefer to put the slings over the appropriate length of pipe and then added the corners. The 4th corner should be difficult to do — you may have to tilt the opening of the corner and work the pipe into it.
Maintenance
The beds are easy to dismantle so the slings can be run through the washing machine. The PVC can easily be wiped down as well. After washing and drying the slings just reassemble.
If you have any questions please contact me.
Links
A reader named Donna and I worked out the dimensions to make a smaller cot with 1″ PVC.
I’m in love with your dogs so very pretty. I wanted to know why do you have to purchase the corners somewhere else besides Home depot or Lowe’s aren’t the corners 3-ways?
They are 3-way, but when I was shopping for parts I couldn’t find these corners in either of the big box stores. I don’t know if they carry them now, but local is always worth a check before having to pay for shipping.
Thanks for your nice words about my dogs!
I go to the Salvation Army restore for PVC pipe and corners. Corners are $1 or less. An 8′ piece of PVC is $1-2. You might have to go by a couple of times to find everything. I buy more than I néed when I find it.
I would love to purchase not pvc but the fabric part cause I don’t know how to use sew machine and don’t own one for a large cot
I’m traveling now and too far from a fabric store to sew slings for people. I may be able to do it this fall and winter as I will be near a fabric store so feel free to check back with me in November.
http://www.amazon.com has them I paid $12 for 4…
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MNIYPBM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ….couldn’t even find the 1 1/4 at Lowes tho they had smaller…
sorry 1 1/2″ instead of 1 1/4″…
Some folks have said they found the elbows locally, but I haven’t ever seen them. I think caps add a nice finishing touch. Hope the puppy enjoys its new bed 🙂
The 3 way fittings most hardware and plumbing supply stores carry are for household plumbing. If you look at the ones for the dog beds the configuration is different. This is a pvc furniture fitting.
can you please contact me via email tarah@thebarksiderescue.org we are using your plan for a fundraiser for our rescue and would love a little help with other size planning. thank you
I sent you an email – let me know what questions you have.
I didn’t get an email 🙁
I’ve responded twice. It may be getting stuck by your spam filter. Try emailing me at “thediygirl at thediygirl dot com”.
I was also thinking of doing this for our rescue. Do you have the cost of making and then how much they were sold for?
The cost can vary so much depending on where you get the fittings for the PVC and what fabric is used. The PVC itself is pretty cheap. You can see what I have charged for sewing the slings alone. I have never considered selling complete cots because shipping on the PVC would make the whole thing too expensive. If you’re doing it for a rescue are you going to sell the cots?
I am making a bed this weekend. Thanks for the plans. I found the 3 way elbows at McMaster Carr for $13, but I picked them up localy (no shipping). Just another option. I laid out the fabric to measure, Alton was already wanting to test it out.
I love McMaster Carr and never thought of checking them for PVC fittings — thanks for the tip. I love that Alton was ready to try out his new bed 🙂
I found the elbows on the Home Depot web site and had them shipped to my local store for free. They were $2.86 each.
That’s even a good price for them — thanks for letting me know!
The DIY Girl,
Thank you so much for this information on building a PVC dog bed. My husband is an electrical & computer engineer and he is also “a jack of all trades and a master of none”.
We have two italian greyhound (overweight, haha) dogs and one bengal (evil and mischievous) cat. My husband has already built the PVC bed (with my help) and he also used a miter saw to cut the PVC pipe. It was so much easier to do it that way.
The PVC pipe cutter that he bought didn’t work, AT ALL, for the diameter of the PVC pipe that he had bought. By the way, he found the PVC elbows at Lowe’s (we live in TN). He said that they didn’t have many of them, so they must not stock a huge inventory of them.
I am so glad I saw your post before sewing their bed. I was going to make it in just one big panel of fabric, but I like that yours is two panels. That will definitely make it stronger!!
I just wanted to stop by and say thank you for saving me a lot of mistakes while sewing this project. I love your website! You GO girl!!!
Andrea,
I’m so glad the patterns worked out for you. I know your pets with love the cots. I think the double slings are definitely the way to go.
Thanks for your kind words and I’m glad you like the site.
The DIY Girl
My job takes me to new subdivisions and new construction so whenever I see pvc pipe in the dumpster I ask if my have it for projects. I know the construction guy must have thought I was NUTS but I will never see again so who cares, right? So if there is ever any new construction in your area… So I only have to purchase the elbows! You rock girl!
That is such a cool idea! Thanks for sharing.
The pvc fittings are hard to find. Even my local plumbing supply house did not have the three-ways (called a 90 with a dog-ear). My solution was to use a common ‘T’ and attach an extra 90-degree-angle piece to create the leg. These must be glued together with solvent, or else the legs will turn.
When I made my cots I wasn’t able to find the corners at all locally and had to order them over the internet. People are commenting about finding them locally now. They are commonly regarded as furniture fittings, not plumbing fittings so plumbing places probably don’t see the need to carry them.
I just sewed teh slings tonight for our pups. We are trying one for now to see if one or both will use it. I’m nervous that it will be too small for them looking at the finished fabric.They are 75lbs as well but are quite tall. Do you have patterns for other dimensions? I’d like to say that I could figure it out on my own but I’m not so great at that!
My dogs are 75 lbs. each and both get on the same cot with no problem. If it were me I would definitely make the second cot — every dog likes to have his own place. I don’t have other sizes done but would be happy to work with you figuring it out if you come up with another size.
I love your tutorial for pvc dog cot. Could you please help me with the calculation for a medium size bed? I have about a 40lb. dog so I don’t think I need the large bed for her. I would greatly appreciated it. Thanks so much for you website. I am glad I found it.
I’m glad you like the site and the PVC dog cot tutorial! I will send you an email to find out what size you’re thinking about and see if I can help with dimensions.
I would like to make a 18 by 24. have pvc pipes already cut to that size. Could you please send me pattern size for material. Also any suggestions for fabric, having a hard time finding the one you suggested on here.
I made two cots for my dogs. Thank you for all your help
Donna – Did the resizing down to 18 x 24 work out well? I hope your dogs love their new cots!
Yes your measurements were right on. Yes they love them.put them in front of Windows and they lay on them in comfort now!
I’d love to see a picture if you have a chance.
Hi! I would like to make two beds for my labs so I was thinking 40×36? Also i don’t quite understand the pockets and how to cut them to make it look like you did! Thanks so much!
Perhaps a much better word for the ends of the slings would be “loops”. You fold the fabric over, sew it 4″ inches from the end and create a loop.
I’m going to send you an email so we can talk more about what you’d like to do.
We are going to make one of these for each of our dogs this weekend to take camping with us! Our dogs don’t like sleeping on the ground anymore than we do!!! LOL 😀
That’s cool! Just take them apart for transport and reassemble at the camp site. They should work great. Thanks for passing on a great idea. Gotta keep the dogs happy too.
DIY Girl, you are a genius! I made one and it came out perfectly — thanks so much for the clear and precise instructions! Planning to make one more now. We have two dogs, who don’t like sharing a bed with each other, but unfortunately insist on sharing with us.
I’m so glad to hear your bed turned out well and that the directions worked for you. So… will they be using the beds or sleeping with you 🙂
Hi There,
I just bought a dog kennel… I think this would be a great idea to make these for the dogs that stay at our kennel since they are easy to clean! I’ve never been much of a sewer, and I see you have a couple slings for sale. I would be interested in purchasing one as a guide line. I have 51 kennels so this will be a long project and would like to get it right the first time 🙂
Hi Crystal — the dog kennel is so exciting! I have always thought these beds would be the perfect thing for a kennel. I’m going to email you with details since it would be lot to cover in comments.
Another thought…. would there be a better material to use that is reasonably priced that could be wiped down with a cloth rather than having to machine wash it all the time? With running a kennel and having up to 50 dogs in there, it may be hard to keep up with the laundry of the regular fabric. Thanks again! Crystal 🙂
What about outdoor fabric?
Hello,
Thank you for sharing your plans and tips for these awesome beds!! I was wondering if you had plans for small and medium beds and if so, would you e-mail them to me? I’m making them for a Christmas gift for my brother’s dogs and I know they will love them.
Cheers,
April 🙂
April – Glad you like the dog cots — I think they’d make wonderful Christmas gifts!
Did you see the post on a small size cot? Donna (another reader) contacted me about making a smaller size and we worked on the dimensions together. It uses a smaller diameter PVC and the post contains the measurements for the PVC and fabric. Let me know if you have any questions about it.
Hello again. My little ones love them so much I may even make one a little smaller for the littlest one all for herself! She is so tiny, under 4lbs and looks lost on the other. LOL.
My daughter even wants me to make one for her guy too.
You are so wonderful for gaining all this info and helping out everyone
Hope the dimensions work out for April. Good luck.
Donna
Donna,
Thank you for the update – you made my day 🙂 I throw this stuff out on the internet not knowing if it will ever do anyone any good so I can’t tell you now nice it is to hear that it’s helped. If you make a little dog cot I would love to share the dimensions for owners of smaller dogs.
I hope April will post another comment when she finishes her dog cots. And I always love pictures to post!
The DIY Girl
Thank you very much for this great tutorial. I have a girl scout who will be making these beds for a local animal rescue as part of her Gold Award Project. We are hoping you can help us with directions for beds sized at 30″ x 24″. Thanks so much … Tina
Tina – I’m flattered and honored that your daughter would like to build dog cots from my tutorial 🙂 I am sending you an email so we can talk about how to do the somewhat smaller size. I will post an update to the tutorial when we get it figured out.
I would love to have help with smaller sizes. My children and I are.going to make 3 for your dogs. But I will need a smaller size since I have a little dog who will be about 20 lbs when full grown. And we would like to donate a few to the local shelter where we got two of your dogs from. The little elf is always watching and they want to be on Santa “Good” list so they do nice things for other.
Kim – I worked with another reader (Donna) and there’s a post for a small dog cot that should be great for the size dogs you have. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask — I’m happy to help.
It’s wonderful you’re encouraging your children to take part in the spirit of giving. I have had other people contact me for help with producing dog cots for shelters and I always suggest you speak to the shelter first since they often have stringent guidelines on what they will accept. Let me know what you find out.
The DIY Girl
Hello, I am getting ready to make this cot for my great Danes kennel. I have the xxx large kennel that is 54 x 37 that I would like to be able to put this inside the kennel. Not sure if it will be possible to make it work and be able to assemble it inside the kennel. Would you happen to have the measuremennts for the pvc and the fabric so I can do this once and be done? Thanks
Tracey, The measurements for the large dog cot make a bed that’s 30 x 36 and should fit in the crate. I would make the frame first and make sure the bare frame fits and then sew the slings to go on it. All the details can be found at http://www.thediygirl.compvc-dog-cot-tutorial-2/.
Thanks for the clear and complete directions. Can I get a copy of the dimensions for the 18 x 24 bed that you sent Donna? I don’t see them on the page. I look forward to starting this project
Hi Everyone – I wanted to let you know I went ahead and made PVC frames in a medium and small size and then sewed slings for them so I could add the dimensions to the tutorial. I didn’t like how much the 1″ PVC would bend so all three are designed to be made with the same 1 1/2″ PVC. The brown medium and small sling sets I made are for sale – the small set is $49 and the medium set is $52. Those prices include shipping USPS Priority. Let me know if you have any questions whether you are sewing your own or want to buy the slings!
Just made my dog’s cot, her’s is a bit girly. After learning how to jump in and out of it (she’s a basset) she loves it!
Heather — I would love to see pictures. If you’d like to be included in my dog cot gallery please go to the contact form at http://www.thediygirl.comcontact/ and send me an email. Either way – I would love to see the girly dog cot and I’m glad she figured out how to get on and off it.
I also have made these for our aging labradors. I found the fittings at Formufit.com. You can get them in a kit for whichever size you need for about $12/set (1-1/2″). Yes, the 1 1/2″ is a good size for the large bed. I had our labs stretch out on our floor tile so I could get a custom measuerment. Ours are 48 x 36. Both dogs do from time to time get on them together. I used a cordura type canvas that has a waterproof backing that I found at Hancock Fabric. The beds are almost a year old. My question to you: Mine are made without the loop but, are screwed into the PVC at 4″ intervals. NO SEW!! There is some sagging over time. Yours looks like two layers of fabric. Is this to make it sturdier? Formufit also has a downloadable tutorial. Great idea and yes, the dogs love them!!
I haven’t looked for the fittings locally (to avoid shipping cost) but people say they are available at the big box stores.
My tutorial is for sewing two slings – one goes front to back and the other side to side – so the dogs are on double fabric. I wanted as little space as possible for them to be able to step through the bed and to make it sturdier. I used Cordura for a while and found the fabric to be so noisy — I would never want it on the beds I have in the bedroom or the dogs would make me up every time they moved around. Cordura is really durable, but repeated washing and drying of a waterproof fabric is going to start breaking it down.
When sizing the beds I took into consideration not just dog comfort but how much floor space it would require. I was also concerned about sagging with the greater expanse of fabric — that may be why your Cordura has sagged. Wow — 8 feet by 3 ft is a lot of space for two beds! I don’t think my 75 lb labs have every needed anything larger than the 32″ x 36″ — they flop out on them, curl up on them, even lay on their backs on them. They definitely learned to work the angles 🙂
We got one of our beds made today. Need to get more corners so they both can have one because they refuse to share!! Thank you DIYGirl!!! Photos to follow soon!
Keely & Ranger’s mommy
Keely and Ranger’s Mommy — thanks for posting a comment here and I look forward to seeing the pictures. That’s too funny they don’t want to share their new dog cot 🙂 Good thing you got two!
thanks, built this for my gandson’s new puppy and it turned out super…I did add caps to the bottoms of the legs for just couple bucks…
Hi just FYI those loops as you call them are known as sleeves in sewing lingo. Pass the PVC thru the sleeve same way you would put your arm thru a sleeve. Make sense?
I’m making a small size cot for the little guy tomorrow. Thanks for the tute.
You mention in your instructions that you used a t- square to make straight lines for cutting and sewing. I wonder if you know there is a very easy reliable way to get straight edges. It’s called straightening the edges. Good name huh?
All you do is make a short snip/cut (1/2 – 3/4″) parallel to the cut edge thru the selvedge of the fabric near one of the cut edges of the fabric. Then tear a narrow strip of fabric off the cut end. Woven fabric always tears with the grain and you should be left with a perfectly straight edge. Sometimes when fabric is cut from the bolt it may look like a 90 ‘ angle but it’s often not. Sewing fabric which is cut off grain can create weird wrinkling in the final piece which never goes away. You can remove the the selvedges the same way. Just make the snip parallel to the selvedge and tear away.
I am looking to make a couple of these to take camping. I have two labs…65 and 85lbs. I would probably make the Large size. Can you tell me if these can be disassembled for packing? My thought is that I could remove the sides or the ends, and roll it all up and make bags to store them in. Thank you for all of the measurements and plans for these!
I think I mention how great these are for traveling — just take the slings off and find a duffle long enough to throw all the pvc in. My dogs really like having a little bit of home (by having their beds) along when I travel. Never use PVC glue on the beds since you will always want to take them apart for washing the slings. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you so much!! I will definitely be giving these a try!
Just let me know if you have any questions when you start working on them.
Will do!
I have four pit bulls that love to sleep together in a pile, I don’t know how they do it, it doesn’t look very comfortable. I am thinking that I could have my couch back and they could have one of your beds. Do you think that there is a way to make them double decker? Or would that not be sturdy enough? Maybe I could just make an L shaped one ( or two I guess)
The corner fittings are where you’d get stuck for both the double decker idea and the l-shape. The double decker could flip over too, which would scare the dogs. What is the combined weight of all the dogs? Maybe just a good size one so they can still sleep together?
HI!! Thank you so much for this tutorial. This is the only one I’ve seen that does not require screwing the fabric onto PVC.
I was only able to find 1″ 3 way corners. Could you help me adjust the sizes on cutting the fabric for slings? I will be making a medium size bed. I noticed the link for 1″ but the link is dead.
Thank you so much!
Julie
Julie – my apologies for the broken link to the post to make the smaller PVC dog cot with 1″ PVC. You can find it here and let me know if you have any questions. BTW – I fixed the bad link too 🙂
Hello and thank you for this tutorial! Our current dog bed is 24×36. How do I make a cot thats about 26×38 outside demensions? Combine one side of medium cot with one side of large cot and add two inches?
I emailed Melissa and worked with her on dimensions. If anyone else wants to make their own special size bed leave a comment and I’ll get back to you. Trying to need add too much confusing information to the tutorial.
We are making a bed for our 11 year old yellow lab. The inside measurement on her bed is 22 x 34. what size would I cut the fabric to maker her “slings”?
Somehow missed your comment and will send you an email.
hi! i want to make my dog bed 24 x 24. also, i am trying to use supplies i already have. so. i have 4 pieces of 3/4″ pvc pipe, each one is 24″ long. i have the 4 connectors also. can you please help me with the sling dimensions? going for the medium bed, if possible. Thank you!! this is such an awesome tutorial, i can’t wait to get started!
Melissa, I’m going to email you with details. It gets complicated when you change the size of the pipe, especially since I’ve never worked with 3/4″ pipe and fittings. I don’t recommend using anything but 1 1/2″ PVC pipe but if you already have the materials for the frame please let me know how it works out.
I love your beds! I have cat’s and I want to make a “bunk bed” one! Any ideas how to go about it???? It would be more like a “cat perch” type which cats love!! Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!
You would have to decide on the size you wanted and then I could help you with the dimensions for cutting and sewing the slings. The hard part would be finding 4 way fittings for the lower levels. I found these at PVC Fittings Online. Let me know if you have more questions or need help when you do it.
Have you tried an extra large size? I made the large cot and my dog uses it but it seems too small for him to stretch out.
I think we humans assume dogs want to stretch out in bed like we do. If a dog didn’t like the positions he had to sleep in I guarantee they wouldn’t even get on the dog cot in the first place. If a dog is on it, then he/she likes it. In 12 years I have never once felt I needed to make a larger bed for my two big labs. That said – they did sleep on it diagonally during the warmer months.
Thank you so much for your instructions for the dog cot. We have a Kuvasz who refuses to come into the house even when it is snowing outside, They love it cold. I almost bought her one a month ago but could not make myself spend that kind of money. She lays on the patio furniture & seems ok but I want her to have her own place. My question is, on the fabric lay out for large, you show 53″ material but the dimensions show 56″ of material needed ( 25″ & 31″) What am I misunderstanding?
My apologies for the confusion. I assume you are talking about the medium size? If you look at the diagram the pieces are narrow and long so side by side it’s 19″ + 25″ = 44″ so you would need bare minimum 44″ wide fabric. With 53″ fabric you’d have a little left over. The 19″ wide piece is 41″ long – that’s why you need to buy 1 1/4 yards of fabric. For the medium size you could also turn the pieces the other way, but you’d still need 1 1/4 yards since that would total 44″. If your fabric is 100% cotton I suggest pre-washing it to shrink it. Then the finished slings can be run through the washer and dryer with no fear they’ll shrink and no longer fit on the frame. Let me know if you have more questions!
Hello, I was wondering how much you would charge for 2 dog beds? I’m not sure if they would need small or medium sized beds, I have 2 French Bulldogs. I have zero talents for sewing but I love the look of these dog beds. Please let me know, thanks!
Alicia — I’m going to send you an email.
do u still have large bed material?
I don’t keep material on hand. Each time someone ask me to sew for them I go out and purchase the fabric. Did you need fabric or someone to make the slings for you?
I made one large bed for my dog and it turned out great. Thanks for posting a pattern. Each of the girls in my Girl Scout troop is going to make one and we are going to donate them to our local shelter. Do you think the Duck Cloth holds up as well as a cotton polyester blend?
Hi Kay — I’m so glad the pattern worked out well for you. Please check with the shelter before the girls make the dog cots — shelters can be very particular about what bedding they will accept for dogs. On the other hand I know the LA shelter uses my pattern, so who knows? For the kind of wear and tear a shelter has a sturdy cotton/polyester may offer some added durability plus it would wash and dry easily. Let me know how things turn out.
I would love to make these, however my boys would need a bit larger size of bed, like 40 by 36? Can u adjust your calculations to accommodate that size?
I’m in the process of moving to full time travel and need to find the hard drive that has the conversion worksheet. Give me a couple days and I’ll get back to you on the dimensions.
I am thinking of making mine with Sunbrella outdoor fabric. It would be so pretty (and it is on sale now) but wonder if it would not breathe enough for our hot climate. Thanks for the very helpful tutorial!
I tried Cordura and didn’t like it because it was so noisy when the dogs got on and off. They did’t seem to mind it at all. If the cots are inside in air conditioning I think the Sunbrella would be durable and pretty.
Love this pattern. I have a large dog bed I have been using for quite awhile. I will revamp into this pattern. This time I use the measurements for the medium bed..again thanks!!!!!!
I made the large dog bed and it is great, thanks for the directions. I am now going to attempt to make a portable doggie pool for our local dog park. Any ideas on how I could make the frame fold up for easier transport. Here in Toronto we have had 90 plus temps for the last month and the dogs are really feeling the heat. We are currently using a flat storage container as a dog pool and it is just to small and breaks easily. I thought I could make a folding pool/tub that was bigger using pvc and waterproof canvas. Appreciate any suggestions and keep up the great work.
Yikes — 90 in Toronto. I’ll quit complaining about 100 in TX.
Wow – that’s a new question. It’s a great idea, but I’ve never attempted anything like that. You wouldn’t want to make it too high. Would dog nails be hard on the waterproof canvas. I’ve never worked with that material.
Thanks for getting back to me. I am going to be using waterproof canvas so the dogs will not be able to claw through it. I was thinking of using your dog bed frame as a guide but I would like to make it with foldable legs so we can tuck it away when not in use. Have you ever made folding legs on any of your great projects? Thanks for your help.
The legs are so easy to remove I never looked into other options. Is there a reason you don’t want to just take the legs off for transport?
We made a large cot for our English Setter, Bentley, and he loves it, but when he goes to get off of it, it slides on our Azec deck. That seems to “freak him out” a bit, and then he stays away from the bed for a while. Do you have any suggestions for how we might create “non-skid” bottoms for the legs?
Thanks!
I’d get some rubber self-stick feet or cups and that will reduce slipping. Same thing happened with my dogs on ceramic — they got used to it, but I never did. Kept having to put the cots back in place. Another option would be tying the legs in some way if it sits against a wall. Feel free to send pics if you need more ideas.
I have a Great Dane/English mastiff mix and idk if the large bed would be big enough for her to stretch out on! I was thinking 40×36 what do you think? Can you help me with fabric dimensions?
Hi Lesley — I’m sending you the measurements via email. The fabric assumes you are buying a fabric that’s 54″ wide or more.
I will have to make one or two of these for my cats’-), Thanks so much for this idea.
If you do, please send me pictures so I can post the first cat cot pics!
so totally 2 years later… the corner pieces are now available at the big box stores. Bought mine yesterday at Lowes (who does not cut pvs.) I bought a pvc cutter that worked good but you have to have a firm grip (ike this http://www.lowes.com/pd/BrassCraft-2-1-8-in-Copper-Tube-Cutter/999903751) But the big joke is… I am making one for my baby… Not my cute furry baby (although I’m sure she will use it) but my human baby. I spray painted a pretty blue color, made the legs longer and added 2 extra long arms at the bottom for support of the longer legs. I am planning on being able to add an extension piece to each leg so I can raise the cot to the height of my bed. If I’m adventurous enough it will eventually be a double decker that I can store baby thing… or my fur baby, on.
Dana — I think that’s a great idea. When my son was an infant I had him on a blanket on the floor near me. This would have been so much better! I would love to see and post pictures if you will send me some.
Was wondering what size I should make for my newfie she is only 4 months but will be big and how much fabric?
Carrie — you will have to decided what size will work for your Newfie (such a cool dog!) and then I can compute fabric from there. Keep in mind PVC bows with weight so don’t make it too big. Everyone seems to think a dog needs a bed they can sprawl out on when they’re happy with something the can curl up on. As keep in mind how much floor space it will take so you have a good spot for it.
Hello.. I would love to purchase a Large Khaki Sling. I don’t sew 🙁
My apologies for not getting back to you more quickly. I don’t have a problem sewing them right now, but the nearest fabric store is an hour from where I am. If you have any interest in purchasing the fabric, pre-shrinking it (washing and drying), and mailing it to me then I would be happy to cut it, sew it, and mail it back. Let me know if that idea appeals to you and we’ll talk more details. The only size I ever sewed for my dogs was the large pattern. They were happy on that singly or together.
I forgot to ask…. the picture of the adorable lab in the bed, what size is that?
If you’re talking about my dogs — they only had large cots.
Thank you so much for sharing this idea and for giving the directions in such detail! My youth group will be building ten of the medium cots for our local animal shelter. I’m banking on the great details you have written and the help of a few grandparents who know how to sew to help us because sewing class was one of two classes I had a horrible grade in in high school.
Please contact me if you have any questions once your group gets started.
Can outdoor fabric be used?
Any fabric can be used. I would recommend that it be washable.
DIY girls I have my grandkids sleep over often. These clots would be great for toddlers to sleep on the store them under my bed or couch! Need a little longer size. Maybe 3ft? What would you suggest? GrandMaArms 💝
Give me dimensions and I will see if I can come up with measurements for pvc and fabric. Total outside measurements would be good.
Hello!
I have a question, why do you need 2 slings? When I first saw the picture I figured it would be just 1 piece of fabric and 4 edges or “end pockets” to place the PVC in. Sort of like a square at the center and then 4 rectangles on each side (sorry I can’t draw it, I hope I explained myself somehow). Do you think this would work? Or would the fabric be too weak to hold the dog? I have a husky 🙂 Is there another reason you do it in 2 parts? thanks!
Great cots btw, they look amazing!
Hi Carol – when I was designing the cots I was afraid the dogs would step through the gap left if there was only one sling. I was even worried they could step through at the corners. I wanted the cots to be as safe as possible and with two 75 pound dogs I wanted them to be strong as well. I thought about sewing tubes on the sides and didn’t know how difficult the bed would be to put together and went with two separate slings. All of those ideas may work great — I just didn’t try them because both me and the dogs were satisfied with what I came up with.
Hello. You mentioned that you will sell the fabric part. Please let me know how much you charge to sew the large size. I’m sure I can figure out the PVC part, but sewing……😬. I will need two, as I have two large dogs. Looking forward to hearing from you soon! Thank you for sharing your talent.
My current location is over and hour away from a fabric store so I’m not able to sew slings this summer. Things may change this fall when I relocate.
Could I get giant breed dimensions, please?I have an English mastiff, still a pup, but will be at least 150 lbs. Thanks in advance!
Give me outside dimensions and I will see what I can come up with.
Did u come up with dimensions for giant breed? I have a Great Dane… he’s 6 months old n already 90 lbs!
Would you mind sharing the dimensions…my dane would love this..
Hi there,
I am making one of these for my very small boston terriers, only 9lbs and 11lbs!! Anyways, I have made a smaller cot and more of a square and it has a canopy.
Dimensions for the cot are 22 1/2 by 20 that is what is showing with the corner pieces on. The pvc I used was 3/4in and has 3 3/4 circumference.
The canopy is 23 1/4 by 22 3/4 with corner pieces on and I used1/2 in pvc with circumference of 3 1/8 in. Please let me know if you can help with the fabric dimensions!
Thanks!,
Chelsea, KP & Oreo!
I am not able to do dimensions for different sizes of PVC. I would be happy to look at what dimensions you come up with.
I would like to make a small cot. I have the 1″ PVC however since I am using the cot for a small breed. Could you send me the sling dimensions I would sew for 1″ pvc pipe? Thanks in advance.
I only try to come up with custom sizes if using 1 1/2″ PVC. I have never worked with smaller PVC.
I have an old pvc dog bed that I purchased at a show. The cover is worn and torn and needs to be replaced. I can’t seem to separate the pvc. I tried wd40 hoping it might loosen up the joints. Any suggestions? I wanted to recycle my pvc.
If it was glued you will never get it apart. Better to build a new one since it’s so inexpensive.
These are the measurements on my dog crate.
Height 45 IN
Length 54 IN
Width 37 IN
Can you calculate an xxl bed for me? I have 3 spoiled Great Danes who definitely don’t need to be on the floor and these would be great for traveling. Also some advice for fabric to use.
Any luck with dimensions…I have a spoiled gentle giant as well…
Does anyone know where I can buy the 3way elbow fittings in Canada? I’ve been to Home Depot and a plumbing supply store and no luck!
Have you checked online. There are various places that carry them in the US so I would think Canada would have them as well.
I love your dog cot project, I’m going to make a couple for our two dogs. A Med. for Itsy and a large for Peanut. You have taken the brain work out of dog cot. Thank you for sharing.
Hope they turned out great!
I shared this great idea with my son who is looking at Eagle Scout project ideas. He thought these beds would be fantastic for our local animal shelter and is seriously considering the idea of fundraising, making and outfitting the entire shelter with beds. Still a long way to go in researching what they are currently using and if they would be open to it, but if it comes to fruition I will keep you in the loop on the project! In the meantime I’m planning to make beds for our two border collies who live to be off the floor. Thanks for generously sharing!
Please let me know if I can help with anything while he’s working on the project. Hope your border collies love their new cots.
Do you have dimensions for one that a bigger dog like a St. Bernard could fit on?
I am so glad I found your PVC beds I love it I am making it a project for me and my MOM.She is a better seamstress than me lol…. We get together and do little crock pot freeze, Coupon cutting,Crafting, Etc. Thank you So Much Gloria Leal Houston, Texas.
Wow DIY girl, I love you cute dog cots.I have a poodle and maltese that would love these.I rescue animals sometimes and noticed the dogs at the shelters are sleeping on concrete.Would love to make some of these and donate these to the shelter.Do you have any idea how much one would cost to make.Thank you sooo much for all the detailed info you’ve given us. Julie.
The PVC corners might be the biggest expense. PVC itself if cheap. And it would depend on what fabric you wanted to use. You might want to talk to fabric stores to see if they would donate or give you a discount since they would be donated to shelters. If you do decide to do it, please let me know if you need any more help.
Great idea and wonderful finished product! If I was better at sewing, I’d make these for the homeless dogs at my local shelter! Unfortunately, I am a disaster when it comes to that!
It’s really simple sewing and would be a great project for a person new to sewing 🙂
How long does it take one?
Not sure what you’re asking. Can you clarify?
What would the measurements be if it’s for a German Shepherd who weighs 105 lbs?
The largest slings that won’t require piecing fabric is 50″ x 36″, but I feel a 50″ length of PVC is going to bow with the weight of a really large dog.