Pet Holiday Gift Guide + Suitcase Bed DIY

I thought it'd be fun to share some pet friendly gifts for the holidays since I'm sure most of you have a furry critter in your life! It's no secret that Pipkin and Georgia are basically our children and we love them so much. Puppy presents are some of my favorite to pick out each year and this one is no different! Here's a few things I think would make rad gifts!

I received a package from Lucy over at Fair Ivy several weeks ago and it's like a fun little grab bag of sorts! The items are handmade and always exciting and different. I opted for the Fur Ivy package for the girls and they're loving the contents. It arrived and I opened to find a fun flamingo doll and some pup-friendly fortune cookies (Kind of felt like fate since Mike and I have a fortune cookie ~thing). Fur Ivy boxes are now on sale for a crazy low price, 40% off! You can read more about the Fur Ivy packages here (or their other packages: Fair Ivy, Fred Ivy and Fun Ivy). There's one version for dogs and one for cats, too! 

Another fun idea is a super cute new collar! My girls don't wear collars (fat necks! They're the harness type) but Alejandra from Doe A Deer sent these over for my mom's two dogs: Charlie and Lacey! I am absolutely in love with this sweet strawberry print! I really love the pop of colors, too. They're incredibly well made and ship quickly! See more size and pattern options here

Homemade pet treats are a super fun idea, too! I love these doggie donuts! Aren't they adorable? You could also get some catnip-filled strawberries for your favorite felines!

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And if you're feeling really up to it, you could even build them a custom vintage suitcase bed for napping! I love the look of them but could never justify the pricetag associated, so Mike and I headed to Lowe's to build our own! We weren't sure we'd be successful so we used a huge janky Samsonite suitcase we had stored away (so Georgia could fit!). We wouldn't be heartbroken if it didn't work and we lost the suitcase. Anyway, it was a super super easy project. You do need a drill, but you can have the wood pieces cut at a home improvement store, so you don't need to worry about that! It probably took all of 15 minutes to actually make. If you're interested in the process, peep below!


What you'll need:

  • Vintage suitcase
  • 1x4 wood cut to size (2 slats to fit the width)
  • 4 internally threaded furniture legs
  • 4 leg braces with screws (found next to the furniture legs)
  • Properly sized drill-bit (We used a 7/64")
  • A pillow insert for the "bed"
  • Drill

First you need to unhinge the top of the suitcase from the bottom. Some suitcases are as simple as a screw, and some (like ours) have rivets that you can just drill right through to pop the top off. Many Samsonites are built this way. It takes a little arm pressure, but it's easy! Remove and discard the top portion of the suitcase.


Then rip the lining out of the suitcase. Some people may choose to leave it, and that's fine. We wanted to be able to see where we were drilling.


Place your cut boards into the front and back of the suitcase to help keep it stable. Figure out where you want them to go and mark it with a permanent marker or chalk.  Then place your braces inside those lines to mark where the screws will go. This is where you will drill through.  The back should have 16 holes when you're finished with this step.


Now you can use the screws that came with the braces to attach them to the outside of the suitcase. Attach all 4 of them and then screw the furniture legs into the braces. ETA: We actually had to screw through the middle section of the brace, too. So we ended up with 20 holes! Depending on how long the thread is on the legs, you may need to screw through there, too!


Then you can sew a simple rectangle, stuff it with filling and call it a day! You now have a sweet pet bed! (Don't mind mine... It's lumpy and poorly sewn, but you get the idea!)


The furniture legs can be really expensive at the home improvement stores, so if you have some time, look them up online and order them! These simple wheel-like legs were $3 a piece (most were $8!) and that can add up quickly! You could even repurpose old furniture in your house or something from the thrift store! The final product cost us less than $20, but if we had been more creative then we could've done it for under $10! I'm planning on making some cuter ones but this one will do for now! (They both actually really love it!)

Give all your pets lots of hugs from me! xo

Do you celebrate the holidays with any of your pets? Do you like to make/get them gifts or hang stockings?

35 comments:

  1. I wish I had a pet so I could make them one of these! It's so cute and seems easy enough to do. ^.^

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    Replies
    1. Make one! and donate to a local rescue group; or even better--give it to a rescue group who is having a raffle---it would be a stellar price!

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  2. Aww, the strawberry collar is so adorable! <3 I might need to get one!

    x
    Lost in the Haze

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  3. i always by a bunch of fun sparkle balls and things for my cats that my husband usually throws away within a month because all the little bells drive him mad! i get my pugs outfits and treats and little stuffed toys. i love putting stuff in their stockings. i pretend they are REALLY excited about christmas. we'll probably go see santa at petsmart this weekend.

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  4. love this! i made a vintage suitcase bed for my kitty last year but didn't have any legs yet..those short ones are perfect!

    Krystle
    http://dearwinsome.blogspot.com/

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  5. Oh my goodness, this is such a genius idea! I can't wait to make one for Toby (my lil pup). He'd love a bed like that! Thanks for the idea. ^_^

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  6. the catnip strawberries are so cute!


    i loooove the vintage suitcase beds, here is marty's!

    http://mylittleartichoke.blogspot.com/2011/10/vintage-suitcase-kitty-bed.html

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  7. I have an old suitcase laying around somewhere so we might give that bed a try! Although,Maggie tends to sleep in OUR bed and not HERS so I don't know if it would work... :)

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  8. so adorable.
    I will do this for my chihuahua in a heart beat.

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  9. Love the bed idea! When I move into my own place, I'm definitely doing that for my pup Svedka!! :) Just ONE question, though: I noticed you said to discard the top portion of the suitcase. Is there a reason it can't be used to make a second bed? Like, is it not structurally sound or something...I just thought it would be a nice gift for my friend's dog, too, and kill two birds with one suitcase ;) Thanks so much!

    -Justyna

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  10. justyna: as long as it's structurally good, you can absolutely use it! ;)

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  11. what a great DIY...and I been meaning to get my bella a fur ivy subscription...soon, very soon.

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  12. Your pet bed is adorable! I have kicked around the idea of making a suitcase bed, but since I have a 70# dog and a 5# dog it might be difficult to find a suitcase large enough to repurpose for my big guy.
    I do however get them presents every year (as well as my cats and birds) I wrap them up and let them unwrap them! (they try sometimes but mostly I unwrap them for them.

    I work at a veterinary hospital and every year we give out Christmas toys which makes me feel like a little Santa :) Also on my own blog I am currently working on a Holiday Pet Safety post so keep watch for that if you are interested. (I love my job and love educating people on pet care, hazards, training, etc!)
    -kC

    http://ricracheartattack.squarespace.com/

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  13. oh my cuteness. that pet bed! swoon! and pip and Georgia look perfect in it :)

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  14. such a cozy-cute pet bed! and i love those catnip strawberries, too!

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  15. the suitcase bed is so fun. i love it.

    and is it bad that i think the donut toys look good? i'm sort of hungry for one now...

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  16. love the adorable strawberries

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  17. I have been wanting to make a suitcase dog bed! So cute! I definitely get my dog Christmas presents..haha. I bought some stuff for him on black friday & got some really good deals..but he found them and barked until I gave him them! What a stinker!

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  18. Wow what an awesome idea!!! I love it :) your girls are so cute!! I love their smooshy faces! I have a choc lab who loves eating all her toys, last week I made her a pull toy out of old sheets and she loves it! I'm putting a tutorial up on my blog on Tuesday here (mon for you!) if you wanna take a look :) its part of my 12 days of Christmas special on my blog - DIY gifts, recipes and decorations :) hope you're having a great weekend!

    Kc

    http://a-sparkley-silver-lining.blogspot.com/

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  19. Kaelah, you have to check out this tutorial I saw the other day (sooo pinned it!):
    http://invisiblespray.blogspot.com/2011/09/console-tv-to-dog-bed.html

    Imagine a cute little bulldoggy in there! :D

    Kate
    kalbee63 at hotmail dot com
    dessaunihao.blogspot.com

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  20. Omg, Kaelah, this is so precious! I want to make a bed for my dog now!

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  21. I love the suitcase bed tutorial! I have always really liked those, so it's great to see that I could totally do it myself. Your babies look so comfy and adorable on them :)

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  22. This is too cute! I just made some peanut butter dog treats that Pipkin & Georgia might like. They have gone over pretty well with all the neighborhood dogs.

    http://leavesandflours.blogspot.com/2011/12/peanut-butter-dog-treats.html

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  23. LOVE what you did here!!!I was thinking they were too pricey and now i know how to make one. And the pic of Georgia on it. BEST EVER

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  24. Your girls look so adorable in this! Very cute and I love how crafty it is. I'd do one for my pug but shes very attached to the one she has.

    dp

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  25. Super cool, i like that dog bed! I saw it last on etsy, maybe i will make one for my rabbits :d

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  26. Oh wow I wish my puppy could fit in a cute little suitcase bed like that! Fat chance though he's a newfoundland (which are more like small bears than a dog haha). I actually just ordered him a new bed for christmas haha. Its one of those orthopedic dog beds. they are supposedly good for their back and hips, I guess we'll see when it shows up how he likes it haha! Merry Christmas everyone!

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  27. The last bed, which received top reviews is Soft Orthopedic pet bed for about $ 75 A great buy with price alone, this pet bed also has some unique features that Jason from Wyoming like. His Malamute, Jeffrey, is in his golden years and experience some age-related joint pain due to arthritis. orthopedic dog beds for large dogsI thanks full to your commenting and sharing.

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  28. Pet beds are so expensive these days. Your idea is so great, I get to save space by recycling and I save money at the same time. Thanks!

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  29. That was an adorable pet bed. Combine it with a cute puppy and it will be perfect.

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  32. Your pets are priceless. They surely deserve all those best treats including that unique DIY dog bed. Thank you for sharing your artwork. :)

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HEY! Thanks for dropping by. xo KB