DIY Large Wooden Dog Bed

I am working on building myself a new bedroom set. My dog can no longer make it up on my bed due to arthritis, so I built him his own bed. I bought the wood for this for less than $25! Similar pet beds can be found on Etsy for close to $200. You can build your own and save a ton of money!

This is a very large bed, so if you have a smaller dog, you may want to change the size. 

Needed Materials:

1 - 1" x 2" at 4 feet long

2 - 1" x 3" at 8 feet long

1 - 1" x 4" at 4 feet long

1 - 1" x 12" at 4 feet long

1 - 1" x 12" at 6 feet long

3 - 2" x 6" at 8 feet long

1 1/4" pocket hole screws

2 1/2" pocket hole screws

1 1/4" finishing nails

wood glue
paint or stain

Step 1: Make your wood cuts.

Wood Cuts:

6 - 2" x 6" at 45" (base)

2 - 1" x 12" at 33" (sides)

1 - 1" x 12" at 46 1/2" (back)

1 - 1" x 4" at 45" (front)

2 - 1" x 2" at 11 1/4" (front trim)

4 - 1" x 3" at 11 1/4" (side trim)

4 - 1" x 3" at 29 3/4" (side trim)

Step 2: Build the base. Using a Kreg Jig set at the 1 1/2" setting and 2 1/2" pocket hole screws, make a base out of the 2"x6" boards.

I went a little overboard on the number of screws, but I wanted to make sure it was stable. Here is what the bottom of my base looked like.

And here is the top. The pocket holes will be on the bottom of the dog bed. But before you flip your base over to the top, drill the pocket holes for the sides, front, and back.

Step 3: Using the Kreg jig set at the 3/4" setting and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws, attach the sides of the bed.

Step 4: Using the Kreg jig set at the 3/4" setting and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws, attach the back and the front of the bed.

Step 5: Using wood glue and 1 1/4" finishing nails, attach the trim. I used a nailer, but you can also just use finishing nails.

I first attached the 1"x2" front trim. The trim covers the ends of the 1"x12" sides and overlaps the front 1"x4".

Then I attached the vertical 1"x3" side trim. The front overlaps the 1"x2" trim and the side 1"x12". The back trim covers the ends of the 1"x12" back and overlaps the side 1"x12" side.

Finally, I attached the horizontal 1"x3" side trim. 

Step 6: Fill any holes with wood filler and sand it.

Step 7: Stain or paint the dog bed. I primed and then painted this dog bed. I used Rustoleum Painter's Touch in Kona Brown.

I had to bribe Gibson to try out his new bed, but now he approves! And I'm happy that I will no longer have to trip over the pile of blankets on the floor at the foot of the bed for him.

Additional helpful hint: 

When working with stud grade wood, you may notice that the wood is stamped with the wood's grade. Sometimes, you can just put the stamped side to an area that will will not be visible. If you are priming and painting or are using a dark color, you probably will not have to worry about it, because it will be covered. However if you need to remove it, you can simply sand the stamps.

Before sanding

After sanding