How to Build a Rustic Wood Dog Bed

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It’s been awhile since I built something, so when I decided to build a Rustic Dog Bed I was pretty excited. I love making things, especially when it saves me money. Most large dog bed frames would have cost me well over $100 and I was able to build this rustic frame for less than $50. Here’s how I made it!

First, I purchased lumber from my hardwood store. I then made my cuts as follows, but it’s best to cut the trim as you go:

Sides:

(4) 1″ x 2.5″ pcs cut to 24″
(2) 1″ x 5.5″ pcs cut to 24″
(4) 1/4″ x 2 1/4″ pcs cut to 11 1/4″ Trim
(4) 1/4″ x 2 1/4″ pcs cut to 21″ Trim

Front:

(1) 1″ x 5.5″ pcs cut to 37″
(2) 1/4″ x 2 1/4″ pcs cut to 6″ Trim
(2) 1/4″ x 2 1/4″ pcs cut to 33 3/4″ Trim

Back:

(2) 1″ x 5.5″ pcs cut to 37″
(2) 1/4″ x 2 1/4″ pcs cut to 11 1/4″ Trim
(2) 1/4″ x 2 1/4″ pcs cut to 33 3/4″ Trim

Bottom:

1″ x tbd” pcs cut to 37″ (I used scrap-wood here, so whatever you have on hand works)
(5) 1″ x 3.5″ pcs cut to 3.5″ bottom legs

Additional trim needed for the top and side’s, see more below.

Next, I started building the sides. I laid out my pieces and then glued & nailed the trim onto the side panels. The trim is what held them together. I built 2 identical sides.

Then I built the front panel followed by the back, making sure the back was the same overall height as the sides.

Next, I attached the sides to the front panel, followed by the back panel. I again used wood glue and my nail gun to attach it all together.

Next, I added the bottom. I used additional scrap wood I had on hand, all measuring at least 37″ long and 1″ thick. I also added little square legs on each corner.

Finally, I added additional trim on the top and sides to finish it out. This will need to be measured after everything is built to get the most accurate measurements. But I used the 1/4″ x 2 1/4″ pieces for the trim.

Once, the glue dried I sanded down the entire bed including the edges. I didn’t patch the nail holes since it was going to be stained.

Finally, I stained the entire bed with my Super Finish Max Extra HVLP Paint Sprayer and the Medium Spray Shelter from HomeRight.

You can see all the details on how to stain the bed on HomeRight’s DIY blog here. Once the bed was stained and dry it was complete, here’s the after pictures!

The stain I used was a mixture of Minwax’s Dark Walnut and Weathered Oak. About 2 parts Weathered Oak to 1 part Dark Walnut. It ended up almost matching my Silver Lab perfectly, even thought that wasn’t my plan! I also added a new bed for him, the typical large dog bed should fit perfectly.

Doesn’t it look great? Building it was pretty easy after making all the cuts, and staining it was even easier with my Super Finish Max Extra HVLP Paint Sprayer from HomeRight.

Make sure to head on over to HomeRight’s DIY Blog here to learn how to use the Super Finish Max Sprayer, plus go enter for a chance to win a Super Finish Max Sprayer!

Enjoy!