Upcycled Pet Beds

Custom one of a kind Pet beds transformed with Shabby Paints

When you have rescue pit bulls you can’t just make a bed out of anything. You have to think BIG, especially when they have to be touching each other at all times.

I had gotten this full size waterfall bed for $10.00 about 6 months ago with the intentions of repairing the busted post and selling it or making a bench out of it if I couldn’t.

Luckily my husband has gotten really good over the last 22 years understanding my weird drawings and explanations.

I decided the best way to do this for long term, heavy dog use was to use an inexpensive crib mattress so they have a good foundation. Crib mattresses are usually water and dirt resistant so with some washable bedding on top of it, clean up will be easy. I paid around $30.00 with free delivery from amazon. If you have ever purchased pet beds you know that is a steal.

First we needed to make it low enough to accommodate Dixie, she has a hard time getting on furniture that is too high. We cut the head board down and removed the top footboard post so it didn’t tower over the rest of the bed.

Crib mattresses are usually around 27″ x 52″, so we made the frame to fit it using 2×4’s.

After attaching the headboard and footboard to the 2×4 frame we cut a piece of plywood for the crib mattress to rest on. Of course I had to add large locking wheels to the post so I could move them around from room to room with me if needed. 🙂

Time to paint!

I cleaned her up really well with vinegar and water. She was pretty nasty from the 6 months of sitting on the carport waiting on a new life, so I had to go over her three times to get the grime off of her.

I painted her with two coats of White Ice, then did the usual..looked at her for a few hours trying to figure out what was next 🙂 As you can see I have an audience and the pressure was on! 🙂

So I finally decided to go for a layered, heavily distressed look.

I used a slightly damp Vax Applicator Sponge to apply the black reVAX all over for depth, then I took sandpaper to it, to reveal some of the white ice.

In some areas I applied more pressure to reveal the beautiful wood.

To add even more depth and to change the look try using different grit sandpaper and change directions. Dust off, then go over with a slightly damp VAX Applicator sponge and sheer VAX. Let dry. That is it, you just created a one of a kind, pet safe, dog bed!