Give your old sweater a second life by turning it into a cozy pet bed. This diy project turns a favorite old sweater into a washable, snuggly spot for cats, small dogs, or bunnies.
We also have these ideas to keep indoor cats happy and a budget-friendly litter idea.
Turn a Sweater into a Cuddly Pet Bed
Pets have been telling us for years that our clothes are a favorite sleeping spot, so it’s about time we surrender and give them what they want. Resistance is futile.
This DIY pet bed is a quick and easy project made from repurposed items. I used a favorite wool sweater that shrank in the wash.
The stuffing is an old pillow and a rolled-up baby blanket. Simple!
The one you see here is an easy-to-wash model with removable stuffing and it took about an hour to make.
I’ll walk you through all the steps. Then I’ll show you what it’s like to try and get a very silly rabbit to pose in his new pet bed.
Skill Level & Options
Basic sewing skills and installing a zipper (optional).
Planning
Pick a garment you know your pet likes. I used a shrunken wool sweater.
Tip: Use a Sweater With a Round Neck
It’s much easier to work with a sweater that has a round neck. Mine was a V neck—not as simple. The goal is to have enough fabric there to be able to easily sew it shut or attach a zipper.
Options
A. Removable stuffing. You will either add a zipper, snaps, Velcro, or an extra flap of fabric tuck in and to keep the stuffing accessible.
B. Sew the whole thing shut. If may still be washable but difficult to dry thoroughly this way.
Supplies
- Pet’s favorite sweater
- Stuffing
(1) Square decorative pillow the size of the body of the sweater (see b) pillow in diagram). - (1) Fleece baby blanket. To determine length, measure your sweater from Cuff #1 to Cuff #2. You want it big enough to roll up like a tube, approximately 4” in diameter. If your blanket is too big, you can cut it down and the fleece won’t fray. You could also use two smaller blankets.
- (1) Zipper or snaps or velcro (optional for removable stuffing model).
- Sewing supplies – needle, thread, scissors, pins, sewing machine (optional).
Tip: Repurpose Stuffing From Toys
Instead of using a pillow, you could also remove the stuffing from unwanted stuffed toys and put it in a lingerie wash bag inside your pet bed.
Steps
Steps Model A – Removable Stuffing Option
- Test to make sure your stuffing (baby blanket and pillow) fits nicely and can be pulled in and out of the designated opening (where you’ll put the zipper).
Tip: Roll up the baby blanket and secure the roll with elastic bands. Use one elastic band to mark the middle of the roll for easy placement in the sweater. You want the stuffing to fill the garment but not be so big that it’s difficult to slide in and out. - Install zipper (or velcro or snaps) at the designated opening.
- Sew cuffs together (overlap the edge of one around the other and whip stitch or machine stitch).
- Sew remaining opening (either neck or bottom) shut. You may want to sew it with the garment inside out so the stitches won’t show. When done, put the put the garment right side out again.
- Add stuffing. Use the elastic band marking the middle of the roll to match up with the middle of the neck. Zip shut. I leave the elastics inside.
- Done? Some like to sew the arms to the body. I see no need for this, and it’s easier to get the stuffing in and out if the sleeves are movable.
Steps Model B – Sew Shut Option
- Test to make sure your stuffing (baby blanket and pillow) fits nicely. Whichever opening works best for getting the stuffing in will be the one you sew shut last.
Tip: Roll up the baby blanket and secure the roll with elastics bands. Use one elastic band to mark the middle of the roll for easy placement in the sweater. You want the stuffing to fill the garment but not be so big that it’s difficult to slide in and out. - Sew cuffs together (overlap the edge of one around the other and whip stitch or machine stitch).
- Sew neck or bottom shut (not the one you’re using for inserting the stuffing). You may want to sew it with the garment inside out so the stitches won’t show. When done, put the garment right side out again.
- Add stuffing. Match up the elastic band marking the middle of the blanket with the middle of the neck. Zip it shut. Sorry if that sounds rude. I leave the elastics inside.
- Done? You could hand stitch the arms to the body or leave it as is (I did).
Outtakes
Update: our beloved rabbit, Eli has since gone to heaven. These photos are a very happy reminder of what sweet bunny he was. He was incredibly friendly and funny and had a unique, playful relationship with each member of our family. We love you, Eli!
I made this pet bed for Eli the mini rabbit and first presented it to him in his spacious living area—he had an enormous cage with plenty of room to play, zoom, and relax.
If you know rabbits, you know they can be affectionate—and also total jokers. Eli had a sense of humor like no other pet we’ve had. He was also oddly romantic—but only with female humans. He’d flirt shamelessly with some of us, yet with my husband, he’d just act like a goofy little clown, leaping high and playing tag. I always wondered if he could sense hormones or something.
When I gave him the new bed, he was clearly intrigued and made it known he’d use it. But Eli loved to toy with me—so a sweet bunny-in-the-bed photoshoot? Not going to happen. Not on his terms.
Because I couldn’t get a decent photo of the bed in his cage, I moved it to the floor and asked Eli to pose.
Now, for Eli, being outside the cage meant playtime. I would have let him roam free all the time if not for his one weakness: chewing electrical cords. So he always needed supervision.
He knew exactly what I wanted from him during that photoshoot—and he milked it. He leapt in and out of the bed at least 50 times. The one time he curled up sweetly, I quietly reached for the camera… and he instantly flipped to face the other way. If rabbits could laugh, Eli was in stitches. When I gave up and put the camera away, he settled in for a cozy nap. Camera comes back out? Up he jumps again.
Waskly wabbit indeed.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
